Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest days in any restaurant franchise’s calendar – or at least it should be!
Last year, over 70% of Brits ordered-in for the day of love. Over 58% of these diners further intended to celebrate by treating themselves to more expensive food than they’d usually order.
Given that even lockdown couldn’t dampen the UK’s romantic enthusiasm, Valentine’s Day competition across online food delivery platforms is fierce. So how can you ensure your virtual kitchen brand is set for dreamy deliveries?
Here are three romantic Valentine’s Day marketing and menu ideas to get your ghost kitchen brand noticed…
1. Amorous additions
When planning valentine’s promotions, it’s essential to ensure your menu offers something over and above your standard fare. Diners want to make their significant other feel special and treated, so help them do this!
You don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel but consider adding in a few treats or extras.
What about small items such as a romantic “amuse bouches”, pink tortillas or burger buns, heart-shaped pizzas, a couple of wrapped chocolates or a “build your own cocktail” at home kit? You could even add special “gourmet” variations of your regular menu items, including indulgent ingredients such as steak, lobster or truffles.
Bonus tip: turn your valentine’s extras into a promotion. Orders over a certain amount could qualify for a decadent free dessert (think chocolate gateaux, tiramisu or red velvet cake). Not only will it encourage higher order totals, but it will also make diners feel appreciated.
2. Reward your loyal customers
We’ve previously written about the importance of loyalty schemes and the best technology to improve your restaurant ops. Why? Because this provides ghost kitchen brands with invaluable data on frequent guests and what they love to order.
So why not make the most of this, and surprise your VIP diners with complimentary personalised extras such as a mini-bottle of prosecco or their most-ordered dessert? It’s all about those little touches.
Just make sure to share these plans (with plenty of pictures) across your email list, social media accounts and food delivery platform menus. There’s no point running specials if you’re not promoting them after all!
Bonus tip: remember not everyone will be feeling the love this valentine’s day. Why not experiment with an “anti-valentine’s menu” full of tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) menu items such as messy sauced-up wings, ribs and corn on the cob, “leaf us alone” salads and of course plenty of garlic.
3. Remember it’s all about the journey…
True love takes time and dedication, as does great delivery! If you’re making tweaks to the plating or presentation of your regular dishes, make sure they don’t just look pretty – but travel well too.
Valentine’s Day is important to your customers, and you don’t want them to be disappointed. Capitalise on the up-tick in online orders with a great delivery experience though, and you could convert one-off diners into repeat customers.
Bonus tip: don’t forget your packaging. Consider creative ways to get your branding across on Valentine’s Day, for instance a heart-shaped logo, pink and red containers or even a love-themed card from your ghost kitchen team. It’s an inexpensive way to show diners you really care.
Whatever type of kitchen you run, Peckwater Brands can help. We fit around your existing operations to increase sales volumes and profit margins – with streamlined onboarding processes and the most-up-to-date order data in your local area. Get in touch today to book a consultation, we’d love to hear from you.
