Time to Celebrate Dad and Boost Revenue – Restaurant Marketing Ideas for Father’s Day

Now that temperatures have officially warmed up, consumers are more eager than ever to dine outside and on-premise. Although restaurant operators are no strangers to this shift in behavior, what they may be overlooking is the chance to leverage one of summer’s biggest revenue driving celebrations – Father’s Day.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent approximately $20 billion in 2022 on this annual day dedicated to Dad and it was celebrated by nearly 76 percent of the population. With so much potential revenue on the table, Father’s Day is a key holiday that restaurant owners and operators should pay attention to and find ways to amplify through marketing efforts. This starts by implementing innovative marketing tools to drive potential revenue.

Offer Special, Personalized Upgrades

Today’s diner is looking for more than just indulging in a meal. Instead, they’re hoping to have offers for those special, add-on services to customize their time and create memorable experiences, especially when celebrating Dad.

 Operators can successfully achieve this by offering guests upgrades from the very start – right at booking. Not only is this a convenient way for guests to handle a special treat for Dad prior to arrival, but it also allows the restaurant to collect pre-payments and earn additional revenue before the guest even walks through the door.

The best part about this – special guest offers can be simple for operators to implement. Typically, guests are looking for those unique upgrades, including a bottle of bourbon for the table, a gift set of the restaurant’s signature steak knives, or a recipe printout of his most commonly ordered cocktail.

Other ideas for offering customers special upgrades lie within the menu. By curating an exclusive menu for the day, restaurants can easily spice up their celebratory brunch or dinner choices. For example, restaurants can create an all-you-can-eat menu or create a contest where whoever reaches a certain milestone wins a free meal.

Actively Communicate with Loyal Customers

It’s important for restaurants to share their Father’s Day specials with everyone. However, it is a nice perk for a restaurant’s most loyal guests, like VIPs, to be let in on the news before the rest of their customer base. Whether it's through SMS messaging or via email, operators that communicate with their most loyal customers often see the best engagement, making special occasions a prime time for reaching out.

While the restaurant has the guest’s attention, such as after a special occasion outing, they should cement their place in the customers mind as the “go-to” celebration spot. To guarantee this, restaurants should consider gifting their loyal guest who dined in on Father’s Day with a complimentary gift card to score a discount on their second visit – perhaps for another special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary. This can easily be achieved through solutions like email marketing where operators can send personalized, targeted messages automatically.

Execute Off-Premise Online Ordering

For Dad’s that would prefer to relax at home for their special day, operators should consider offering online packages for off-premise meals. These can include options for a three- or four-course meal at home complete with wine and dessert to adhere to all sorts of dining preferences.

To make the at-home five star meal even better, restaurants can print out special cards with a QR code to a celebratory playlist or a “Happy Father’s Day” message for an additional surprise-and-delight factor.

Time to Cheers to Dads

There are many ways restaurant operators can capitalize on holiday traffic and keep customers coming back to the restaurant, so as we approach Father’s Day, operators should look for opportunities to make Dad’s day as special as possible. By incorporating these innovative tactics and options for customizable upgrades, dining establishments will not only see a rise in customer enjoyment, but a boost in revenue as well.