Looking for inspiration for July restaurant and bar promotion ideas? You’ve come to the right place.
July comes with many holidays and celebrations, which is why restaurant and bar promotion ideas are becoming more creative with their events and promos. This month, you can tie your bar or restaurant to summer events to invite more customers.
It’s an exciting season to offer new experiences to your guests, and bring in more business.
The holidays will surely make your bar and restaurant busy. With the help of an interactive menu software, it will be easier to manage your restaurant operations without needing more manpower.
To help make July a memorable month for you and your guests, here is a list of activities and tips on how to maximize the features of a digital QR code menu software.
July restaurant promotions ideas you can do all month long
1. Indulge in a cold treat this National Ice Cream Month
Give your guests that much-needed comfort in the sweltering heat by celebrating Ice Cream Month. But how can you make your customers scream for ice cream? Here are some July promotions ideas or ice cream promotion ideas you can try:
Conduct ice cream-making classes
Create a fun and memorable month for your customers by having ice-cream-making classes for different customers. You can teach your customers basic ice cream recipes and make their own ice cream from scratch.
Make these classes available during birthday parties, and even bridal parties. You can promote them to kids, couples, and even parents, as one of your ice cream promotion ideas.
Free scoop of ice cream for every child
To encourage more families to visit your restaurant, you can offer a free scoop of ice cream to every child who dines with their families.
Make this possible by including this as your ice cream promotion ideas.
Special ice cream flavor every day
You can create more anticipation from your customers by introducing a special flavor every day. It will also help you to encourage customers to swing by your restaurant and give them an excuse to eat ice cream every day!
This is also a great ice cream promotion ideas you can include in your restaurant or bar.
Offer an exclusive discount
You can also offer scheduled promotions of your discounted ice cream flavors for customers who order online or via your dine-in QR code.
Using an interactive menu software, you can easily run scheduled promotions so you can engage your customers and boost your ice cream sales.
For example, you can offer a discount on any ice cream flavor every time they order food from your QR code menu. Then schedule it as a recurring promo every weekend or any day with the slowest foot traffic.
2. National Picnic Month
The month of July is the perfect time for families to enjoy the warm summer days and go out for a picnic.
It is also the best month to offer promotions to boost your sales because most people are out and about this season.
Here’s how you can make picnic month more memorable for your customers:
Launch themed picnics
If you have a patio or outdoor space in your restaurant, this is the ideal spot for outdoor dining and picnic hangout. You can have scheduled themed picnics where you can offer different dishes.
For example, on the first week, you can have a ranch picnic, then a French picnic the following week, and a classic picnic on the third week.
You can create your themed picnic menus easily using an interactive menu with a no-code website. This way, you can update the menu anytime based on the weekly theme.
You can also share your website URL on your social media so customers can check your menu before walking into your restaurant.
Serve up picnic classics and finger foods
Start updating your online menu by adding picnic food such as fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, sweet potato pie, brownies, and so on.
Make sure to promote it on your social media channels so more people will know that you are offering these light, fresh, and healthy meals this summer.
Sell takeaway picnic food and drinks
As most people would bring food while they’re enjoying the outdoors, you can offer some of your dishes and drinks for takeaway. Display easy to eat dishes, the kind that would only need minimal prep from your staff.
To make your picnic menu varied, you can offer fruits, spreads, and drinks. For drinks, highlight a selection of delicious cocktails and mocktails, as well as iced teas and crowd-pleasing punches on your online menu for more thirst-quenching options.
3. Take advantage of the summer season for your slowest days
Join an outdoor festival
Find out if there are any events or festivals you can join in your area to encourage more customers to visit your bar or restaurant.
Festivals such as summer parties, beach festivals, block parties, etc. are usually packed, so this is a great opportunity for you to share your menu, offer promotions, or even have food tastings.
Food truck event for bars
For bars without a kitchen, you can throw a food truck event to invite more guests to go to your place. Add a live music performance and invite other local vendors to make your food truck event a complete experience.
Just make sure you have enough outdoor space for your guests to eat and enjoy their drinks.
Create your summer-themed menu
Customers like to eat healthy and fresh food in the summer months, hence the best time to update your current menu and add a summer twist to it.
Salads, grilled dishes, barbecue, and punches are great to add to your summer menu theme.
To easily update and edit your menu, you can use an interactive digital menu instead of a traditional paperback menu.
You can customize the colors and fonts of your online menu and add food images to make your summer-themed menu appealing.
4. Get creative with outdoor dining
In the summer months, more customers would like to dine outdoors. In 2021, 65% of restaurant operators said they offered on-premises outdoor dining to meet the rising customer demand.
Here’s how you can make your al fresco dining a success:
Prepare your outdoor spaces
During this summer season, it is the best time to be out at night. Summer nights are said to be an opportunity for restaurants to promote al fresco dining to drive traffic during slow periods.
You can try to add lights such as fairy lights, bulbs, and lanterns to these areas. Then put together your fun and upbeat summer playlist to set the mood right.
Promote your prix fixe pairing menu
Showcase your chef’s culinary talent through your prix fixe pairing menu. It will also help you drive more traffic as prix fixe menu signals that you are not only offering food, but also a unique outdoor experience.
You can also include wine or any drink pairings in each course of your fixed-price menu to help your guests with their orders.
To add more convenience to your guests, you can turn your traditional paper-held menu into a digital menu with a QR code. It is touchless and easy to use as your guests will only skim through the online menu using their smartphones.
They can even pay directly through the digital menu so there is no need for additional staff to take an order and do the upselling of drink pairings. Thus, your staff can focus more on making the outdoor dining experience more memorable.
6 Restaurant Promotions in July Holidays
July 4: Independence Day
Independence day commemorates America’s freedom and is one of the best times to indulge in your favorite American foods.
It’s one of the best excuses to set aside diets and go on a cheat day to get a taste of that meaty and greasy American goodness like burgers, barbecue, fries, hotdogs, etc.
But don’t be deceived, even vegans and vegetarians celebrate the 4th of July with meat alternatives that are just as tasty.
Curate your American-themed menu
July 4 is one of the best holidays to eat out. It’s the best time to add American classic favorites, from burgers and ribs to baked beans and cole slaw, as well as a few innovative drinks on your menu.
Highlight your all-you-can-eat deals
Celebrating Independence Day is the best excuse to binge on your favorite foods. Highlight your all-you-can-eat promotions, from the classic barbecue, a 4th of July staple, to seafood, sushi, and even a vegan buffet.
Host a donation drive
Why not make the event more meaningful by facilitating a donation drive? Convert your digital menu tips into donations for your selected charities.
It’s more satisfying to eat in a restaurant knowing that you’re also giving a portion of what you are eating to a worthy cause.
Organize a hotdog eating contest
Hotdog eating competition has been around since the 20th century and it has become an Independence Day tradition.
Also, what better way to celebrate this meaningful day than to show pride in this American food icon through an eating contest.
July 7: World Chocolate Day
Make your customers celebrate the tasty treat and let them snag on your chocolate deals this July 7. This is the day where you can promote your indulgent dishes and cocoa-rich drinks. Here are some inspirations to make this day extra special:
Offer a free slice of cake for every minimum order
To increase sales while also giving homage to World Chocolate Day, offer a free slice of chocolate cake for every minimum order at your bar or restaurant. It will encourage your customers to spend a little bit more than usual, maximizing your sales.
Buy (a certain dish) and get your free bag of chocolate goodies
Promote less popular items by rewarding customers with a free bag of chocolate goodies when they order those menu items. Because who doesn’t love free chocolates?
Get a free chocolate dessert when you sign up for the newsletter
Want to increase newsletter sign-ups? Offer free chocolate dessert to your customers for every sign up and watch your newsletter subscribers increase quickly.
July 13: National French Fries Day
French fries are classic and many of your customers would want to score this for free on the 13th of the month. Here are some deals you can offer to boost your sales for July restaurant promotions ideas:
Offer french fries as a free side on your entrees, burgers, or sandwiches
It’s time to update your menu and add french fries as add-ons for free.
On your admin panel, go to Menu and click Modifiers. Add a modifier group “Free French Fries” then list all the types and sizes of french fries you will offer.
Make sure to keep the price at zero so your customers won’t have to pay any extra charges.
Proceed to Foods and click on the categories where you want to add the add-ons. Then in that category, choose the food items where you will add your free french fries add-ons.
Order through a QR code menu and get free fries
Boost your dine-in sales by giving free fries to customers who order through your QR code menu. You can have it as a limited-time offer only to encourage your guests to buy.
Get free, unlimited refills on bottomless fries
Free French fries refills? Pretty tempting. You don’t have to be Red Robin or McDonald’s to offer free french fries to your customers. Of course, make sure you got your french fries supply full on July 13.
July 14: Bastille Day
It’s the best time to encourage your guests to try one of the finest cuisines and wines in the world. If you’re a French-inspired restaurant, you can create special dishes on July 14 or offer them all week long to accommodate more people.
If you do not serve French food, you can still take advantage of this celebration by offering macaroons, wines, or other French-inspired foods as a special. You can also put a French twist on your cuisine to enliven your place.
July 17: Get to Know Your Customers Day
As a way to celebrate and appreciate customers for their support, business brands celebrate Get to Know Your Customers Day every third Thursday of each quarter.
Create personal and online customer surveys
Get to know your customers by asking questions you’ve always wanted to ask.
You can go over your restaurant and ask your customers about their food or service, or you can create an email survey campaign through your interactive digital menu software.
Create interactive social media activities
Most of your previous and potential customers are already on social media. So join them and create interactive and fun activities.
You can use mainstream social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. For instance, you can do polls or ask them questions based on their preferences.
Create a hashtag on Twitter that your customers can use to ask you questions, feedback, concerns, or questions for example.
Create customer awards
Let everyone know who your loyal customers are and create customer awards.
It is beneficial for your customers and your business as well. Customer awards create media attention and brand awareness that is good for your marketing strategy.
It makes your current customers feel appreciated and encourage loyalty to current and potential customers. The possibility of getting an award motivates your customer to put in extra effort.
July 30: International Friendship Day
Celebrating International Friendship Day is a great way to bring people together and show appreciation for all the friendships made over the years.It’s a day to remind your customers that we’re all connected and that we can learn from one another.
This is the perfect time to kick off the festivities with July promotion ideas such as:
Buy one get one cocktail
Give your guests the reason to splurge on your cocktails in time with friendship day. Offer a buy one get one to select cocktails to help you get rid of your less desirable inventory quicker while you also profit more out from it.
Free drink for every order of an entree
Offer a free drink when your customers order an entree from any of your store locations. And for every entree they buy, you can donate part of the proceeds to an organization.
Host an international dinner party
International Friendship Day is a perfect time to celebrate the connections between different people, cultures, and countries.
You can host an international dinner party where everyone brings food from their home country and/or culture could be a great way to get people to interact with each other and learn about each other’s traditions.
Promote your international brunch buffet
Have an international brunch – why not? You can even incorporate some of your favorite local foods into the menu such as local fruits and vegetables.
Enhance your restaurant operations during the July holidays with an interactive QR code menu
Create July promotion ideas for holidays and provide easy ordering and paying to your customers through an interactive QR code menu.
By scanning the menu QR code, customers will be redirected to a website and digital menu they can browse and order from.
Moreover, with online payment integrations, customers can easily place their order, payments, and tip directly using the ordering page, making a streamlined and simple ordering process.
Why you should use an interactive QR code menu for better restaurant operations this July
1. Better ordering experience
An interactive QR code menu allows your customers to directly order and pay using their mobile device. Your guests won’t have to flag down a staff to take their orders.
You will no longer need a lot of servers taking and placing orders, swiping cards, and processing payments.
Your staff can focus on improving your front-of-house hospitality. They can check on customers, and ensure orders are on time and correct — all for a positive guest experience.
2. Helps you earn more
Guests can order on their phones without having to wait in line. This is important during holidays as your guests can do more transactions while in their seats. They can always order as the menu is just right there at the table.
Moreover, using MENU TIGER’s interactive menu software, you can add modifiers and recommend items to your customers. Your guests can now fully customize their dishes with add-ons.
You can also add food labels such as New and Bestseller in each food to entice customers to order your menu highlights.
Overall, your online menu is fully customizable and mobile-optimized for better dining experiences.
3. Minimize order errors
Your guests take full control of their orders. You don’t have to worry about order errors as guests can add special instructions upon placing their order.
You can see on your order fulfillment dashboard the customer’s requests and ingredients to avoid.
Your staff can easily see on the order ticket what the customer requested prior to preparing the dishes.
4. Customizable menu for guests with allergies
Improving order accuracy is important to your restaurant, especially during the busiest period of the day.
It is equally important to guests with allergies that is why it is good to have allergen warnings and special instructions box on your online menu. MENU TIGER offers this functionality to improve your customer service.
You can select over 20 allergen warnings and you can add food items to your menu. On the customer’s end, they can see these allergen warnings and they can add special instructions to each food item in case they want to avoid a certain ingredient.
5. Promotes safe contactless payment
Safe and contactless restaurant operation is important in avoiding cross-contamination of viruses and bacteria between customers, staff, and cash.
You might think that paying with a credit or debit card is the answer, but did you know that cards have a higher germ score than cash? A LendEDU study found that there was an average germ score of 285 for credit/debit cards, compared to 160 for different dollar bills and 136 for different coins.
Additionally, in 2018, eMarketer reported that about 20.2% or 55 million Americans used their mobile phones to pay for goods and services and is expected to increase significantly through the years.
Using an interactive digital menu’s payment integration, you can provide trusted and reliable mobile payment options from Stipe, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay that your customers can use instead of cash or cards.
6. Run in-app scheduled promotions
Create and schedule your July promotion and discount ideas through an interactive QR code menu software to lessen staff workload.
Your scheduled promotions will go on and off automatically on your digital menu and restaurant website. Also, discounts will directly reflect on your customers’ bills upon ordering.Promotions and discount coupons make your consumers’ dining choices more delightful. Dr. Paul J. Zak, a professor of neuroeconomics at Claremont Graduate University, claims that discounts and promotions affect your consumers’ levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin as well as their health and stress levels.
For this, you can plan, generate July restaurant promotions and vouchers, using the digital menu software MENU TIGER. You can center your promotions on the trends that are suitable for both your clientele and business.
7. Collect your customer’s feedback
Want to get to know your customers, what they think about your food or service, or what’s keeping them from going back to your restaurant? The best business decisions are based on data, not hunches.Too many times restaurant owners make big calls based on inaccurate data. Customer feedback is the holy grail of tangible data. You can gather real insight into how your customers really feel about your food and service.
The good thing is that MENU TIGER helps you gather your customer’s feedback whenever they order via your QR code menu or restaurant website. You can even make your own customer survey to tailor it to your customers and the data you want to collect.
By requesting customer feedback surveys regularly, you can ensure that you keep your finger on the pulse.
8. Track your restaurant performance during the July holidays
Enhance your restaurant’s strategy for identifying holiday patrons’ ordering patterns and preferences.
When you have data on the spending habits and preferences of your customers, you can apply a strategic approach to identifying and promoting your top sales.
Fortunately, MENU TIGER has a dashboard for order analytics that lets you monitor and analyze the ordering trends of your restaurant’s patrons.
You may find out which items in your restaurant are the most popular ones by using the data analytics option.
This gives you the opportunity to develop a plan on how to emphasize these best-sellers and suggest the menu items that aren’t as popular.
Start creating your digital menu with QR code now and get more sales with July promotion ideas
This July, create promotions for month-long celebrations and special holidays with MENU TIGER’s promotion features.
One of the strategies to keep restaurants thriving during the July restaurant promotions is the use of digital menus from QR codes.
You can easily provide effective and simplified services to your customers by using interactive restaurant menu QR code software to create your QR code menu.
By doing this, you can reassure your clients that your business follows the best procedures for maintaining a clean and safe environment.
Bring your July restaurant and bar promotion ideas to life today. Sign up with MENU TIGER and get your 14-day free trial to any subscription plan without a credit card needed today!
