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@restoCONNECTION
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R É I N V E N T O N S L A R E S T A U R A T I O N
UK RestaURant MaRKeting CalendaR 2018Last year we shared a
restaurant key marketing dates calendar focused around national and
international foodie days. This year we’ve compiled a new 2018
calendar complete with campaign and offer suggestions for each day.
So if you’re stuck thinking of creative ways to join in with London
wine week, or British Sandwich week… we’ve made it a piece of
cake.
JanUaRy
1st – national Bloody MaRy day / new yeaRs day
If you don’t normally serve bloody mary, consider offering these
cocktails at a great value for one day only. If you already offer
bloody marys, then perhaps reduce your typical price dramatically
in celebration of this day and also the New Year.
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8th – national english toffee day
Toffee themed dishes or drinks would go down a treat! Swap out
the caramel sauce for toffee or give your hot chocolates a toffee
twist.
19th – national PoPCoRn day
Depending on the type of restaurant you run, if you’ve got TV
screens for the customers, why not create a movie themed day and
have some classics playing the background? You could also try
popcorn chicken instead of your usual chicken dishes.
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24th – BReaKfast weeK Begins.
An entire week of breakfast specials? How about a quirky take on
a classic? Serve your fry up wrapped in a yorkshire or out of a
hollowed loaf of bread? If you just want to do something simple,
why not offer your breakfast dishes all day for the entire
week?
feBRUaRy
2nd – BRaMBley aPPle weeK Begins
Apple pies, apple juices, apple crumble… anything apple themed.
Why not give bags of bramley apples away to customers purchased
family meals?
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7th – BRitish yoRKshiRe PUdding day
Yorkshire puddings are simple and quick to make, so this should
be a simple day to get involved with. What’s more British than a
yorkshire pudding? Or even better, a roast dinner served inside a
yorkshire pudding? The more creative the better, this will help you
stand out when promoting the campaign.
9th – shRove tUesday
Pancakes all round? Even though many families across Britain
celebrate with home-cooked pancakes, few restaurants seem to offer
anything more than their usual menu. How about trying ‘all you can
eat pancakes’ for a low set price? That’s sure to bring the punters
in.
18th – dRinK wine day
Two for one on all wine? Free bottle of wine with evening meals?
Or, if you’d really like to go all, why not put on a wine tasting
event?
http://www.national-awareness-days.com/british-yorkshire-pudding-day.htmlhttp://www.topmarks.co.uk/Easter/ShroveTuesday.aspxhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Drink+wine+day&oq=Drink+wine+day&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59j0l4.414j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8
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22nd – london BeeR weeK Begins
You could serve up beers from around the world, and declare your
pub/restaurant a beer-only zone for 24 hours. Of course, this will
completely depend on the nature of your business, but it could be a
great idea to attract the nightlife.
MaRCh
vegetaRian Month
Let vegetarians know you’re really embracing this month by
offering a wider variety of vegetarian options. Often menus are
quick limiting to vegetarians and vegans. Even if you can’t offer
more options year-round, at least get involved during March.
https://drinkup.london/http://www.veggies.org.uk/event/veggie-month/all/
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1st – BRitish Pie weeK
A pie special, simple and effective because just about everyone
loves a good pie. Serve up a pie that you wouldn’t normally
consider. Something a little different.
11th - MotheRing sUnday
Free meal or glass of prosecco for all Mums.
22nd – woRld wateR day
We often take water for granted, but of course there are parts
of the world where clean water is not available. Why not get
involved with World Water Day by donating some of your profits from
March 22nd to a charity working to resolve water restrictions? The
Billion Bottle Project is one to check out.
http://www.britishpieweek.co.uk/http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/world-water-day-2015http://www.billionbottleproject.org/
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25th – inteRnational waffle day
Think Stranger things and Eggos! That’s right, we’re suggesting
you embrace the huge popularity of the Netflix original TV show -
Stranger Things. Serve up some ‘eggo specials’ for your
customers.
aPRil
4th – inteRnational CaRRot day
Carrot cake, carrot soup, carrot juice, carrot cocktails? Turn
your restaurant orange for the day and give out free carrot juice
for children under 10.
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/waffle-day/http://strangerthings.wikia.com/wiki/Eggoshttp://www.carrotday.com/carrotday.htm
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16th – national eggs BenediCt day
Let us not forget to give thanks for the warming creation that
is eggs benedict. Special offer on an eggs benedict breakfast with
free tea or coffee.
May
1st – leMonade day
A free glass of lemonade with all meals.
http://theeggsfactor.eggrecipes.co.uk/national-eggs-benedict-day/https://lemonadeday.org/
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6th – inteRnational no diet day
An all you can eat buffet, or bottomless ice-cream? A marketing
campaign along these lines will surely resonate well in celebration
of international no diet day!
7th – woRld BeeR Pong day
A day to get involved with if you’re a pub or bar looking to
attract a younger customer (of drinking age). Set-up a few tables
dedicated to beer pong, and sell some of your popular beers by the
pitcher, along with a beer pong kit.
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/no-diet-day/http://www.beerpongday.com/
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10th – BRitish sandwiCh weeK Begins
If you normally serve up something more substantial than simply
sandwiches, how can you really get involved with this holiday? Well
- you could give your other dishes a sandwich twist. For example,
you could turn fish and chips in to a fish finger sandwich.
13th – woRld CoCKtail day
Time to get creative with your standard mojito and start
offering cocktails from shoes, cereal boxes, hats, pipes etc,.
Shake things up.
http://www.lovesarnies.com/http://www.dates.abouttravelingtheworld.com/special-holidays/world-cocktail-day/
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18th – london wine weeK Begins
Fine wine from around the world tasting event? Serve a new wine
menu with one-off bottles just
for the week.
BRitish toMato weeK Begins
If you’re not based in London, this week is also British Tomato
week, so a homemade Tomato soup at a bargain price might go down
well.
http://www.londonwinefair.com/content/whats-on/london-wine-week.aspxhttp://www.britishtomatoes.co.uk/british-tomato-week-2018/
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21st – woRld whisKy day
Two words - Irish Coffee! Serve up this classic cocktail for one
day only (hot coffee, Irish Whiskey, sugar & topped with
cream).
JUne
1st – BRitish Cheese weeK
Well the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to
cheese! You can add a cheese twist in to most dishes, or offer
complimentary cheese and crackers at the end of a meal in
celebration of this day.
http://www.worldwhiskyday.com/https://www.pongcheese.co.uk/blog/its-british-cheese-week-26th-may-to-1st-june/
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17th - fatheRs day
Free meals for all Dads.
18th – inteRnational PiCniC day
If the weather allows Picnic Day could be a brilliant one if you
have a beer garden, or any type of outdoor area with seating.
Appealing to families, you could sell ‘a picnic bundle’ in a hamper
complete with sandwiches, cakes and snacks for four. This is such a
unique concept and for one day only it becomes even more
special.
http://www.wincalendar.com/International-Picnic-Day
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JUly
iCe CReaM Month
Free ice-cream desserts for children when a main meal is
purchased.
2nd - wiMBledon staRts
2 for 1 on all drinks if customers come to watch Wimbledon
finals at your joint.
http://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream/july-is-national-ice-cream-month
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7th – woRld ChoColate day
How about a promotional offer where customers can receive a
third course for free when buying from a set menu? This third
course should have a chocolate theme such as free chocolate
ice-cream or chocolate cake.
aUgUst
5th – inteRnational BeeR day
Choose a popular dish and offer a free beer with it. E.g, a free
beer with every burger purchase, or every steak and chips order. If
you sell a wide range of top class beers, put this are the
forefront of your social channels and other marketing promotions
for International beer day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chocolate_Dayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Beer_Day
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31st – eat oUtside day
Weather dependant, and if you have outside space to utilise, you
could host a garden party style event with a BBQ.
17th – CUPCaKe day
Hold a cupcake sale in your cafe or restaurant and donate the
proceeds to a local charity
http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/eat-outside-dayhttps://cupcakeday.alzheimers.org.uk/
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6th – sCottish food & dRinK foRtnight Begins
17th – BRitish food foRtnight Begins
29th – inteRnational Coffee day
Free coffee with all meals, or buy one get one free on all
coffee.
sePteMBeR
3Rd – inteRnational BaCon day
A perfect day for local farm shops/restaurants to get involved
with. If you typically serve up bacon as part of a fry up, consider
offering other bacon breakies. Bacon butties are always a winner so
why not run a promotion alongside this? Free tea or coffee with
every bacon butty purchase?
http://www.scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk/http://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/international-coffee-day/17296.html
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5th – BRitish egg weeK
oCtoBeR
london RestaURant festival Begins
3Rd – BUy BRitish day
Today is the day to shout about your locally sourced food and
encourage customers to buy british. If you already support local
farmers then really push this message in your marketing
material.
https://www.egginfo.co.uk/http://www.londonrestaurantfestival.com/http://buybritishday.com/
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10th – woRld PoRRidge day
For world porridge day, we’ve got a great idea. Why not target
families with younger children by creating a kids ‘Goldilocks and
the three bears’ themed porridge day. You could place little bears
on each table and offer kids porridge for breakfast at a low
price.
9th – woRld egg day
It’s all about eggs during the second week of October. Perhaps
shake up your breakfast menu and offer some egg classics for one
week (or one day) only: eggs and soldiers, eggy bread, scrambled
eggs on toast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Porridge_Dayhttp://thinkegg.com/index.php/world-egg-day/
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16th – woRld food day
Switch up the menu and offer foods from around the world. You
could call the event ‘taste the world’ and serve up different
dishes Tapas style. You could also select four or five countries
and create a dish for each of these.
23Rd – inteRnational ChaMPagne day
Champagne brunch anyone? If there’s one day where it’s
completely acceptable to drink Champagne all day, it’s October
23rd! So why not serve up bottomless champagne or prosecco and a
set 3 course meal for a fancy brunch? A champagne brunch would
attract people celebrating special occasions, such as birthdays or
anniversaries.
http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/2017/home/en/http://www.winerist.com/blog/entry/champagne-day-2015
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31st – halloween
Kit your restaurant out with exciting Halloween decorations and
give your food and drink items as much of a ‘ghoulish’ twist as you
can. Most families across the UK likes to embrace Halloween in all
its glory. You could serve up pumpkin pie or pea soup with egg
eyeballs. You get the idea.
noveMBeR
MoveMBeR Month
Get your staff involved with Movember and collect money for a
local charity. Movember is where men grow a moustache for the
entire month of November to raise money for charity. The charity
aims to stop men dying too young from health issues such as
prostate cancer or suicide. You could also offer a complimentary
drink to customers who are participating in Movember.
https://uk.movember.com/about/foundation
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1st – woRld vegan day
Add some variety to your vegan offerings to attract more vegan
diners on November 1st. You might even find it works well for you
long-term. The vegan movement is growing rapidly.
4th – Roast dinneR day
What’s more British than a roast dinner? Why not offer
refillable softs drinks with all roast dinners, or one free desert
per family of four?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Vegan_Dayhttp://www.foodforlife.org.uk/whats-happening/roast-dinner-day
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5th – BonfiRe night
Check out the local events that are being held near you for
bonfire night celebrations. If your cafe, restaurant or pub is
ideally located close to one of the local events, tempt customers
in by offering warm drinks and toffee apples.
9th – BRitish PUdding day
Free puddings on British pudding day. You could choose three or
four puddings from your usual menu offerings to things simple and
to keep costs down.
http://internationalcollectionoils.com/en/whats-new/november-9-is-british-pudding-day-a-chance-to-celebrate-some-of-the-uks-best-loved-desserts
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22nd - thanKsgiving
Although thanksgiving isn’t a UK holiday, many people still like
to eat a nice meal with their family and give thanks for happiness
and health. Offer a special thanksgiving 3 course set menu and
stand out against competitors who are not celebrating.
23Rd - BlaCK fRiday
Black Friday is all about extreme discounts in retail and
hospitality. It can seem less than profitable to offer such extreme
discounts like half price meals or free drinks. However, due to the
fact that so many other places get involved, it’s difficult to
ignore this day and not lose out on custom.
26th - CyBeR Monday
Reductions on all bookings placed online, or all online orders
set for delivery.
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deCeMBeR 24th – ChRistMas eve
25th - ChRistMas day
26th – Boxing day
31st - new yeaRs eve
You’ve probably got Christmas and New Years Eve covered with
some amazing Christmas Special Menus and some exciting NYE parties.
Check out some of these further Christmas marketing ideas for
restaurants if you’re stuck.
https://www.restoconnection.com/christmas-marketing-ideas-restaurants/https://www.restoconnection.com/christmas-marketing-ideas-restaurants/