Publicize Your Joint

Smaller businesses could benefit from imitating the marketing tactics of larger foodservice chains. Your restaurant probably cannot afford to float a target into the middle of the ocean, but there are many other ways to create a newsworthy story. You could try one of the following tactics:

Unique events.

The more unusual the event, the more likely it is to get press. For example, a live show by a local band probably will not generate that much publicity. However, a live show with fire jugglers might. A wine tasting probably will not make the news, but a community cook-off where the winning dish is featured on your menu might be newsworthy.

Special occasion stunts.

Taco Bell’s April Fool’s prank is a perfect example, but your stunt does not have to be so large-scale. For Thanksgiving, you could send an employee out to walk the nearby streets gobbling, dressed as a giant turkey. On Halloween, consider serving special Halloween items, like eyeball soup. Be creative, and you will at least entertain your customers and attract some attention, even if you do not make it into the papers.

Unusual products.

Sometimes, an unusual product can get you some press. For example, Burger King got press when they decided to sell the “left-handed Whopper,” although the publicity stunt partly backfired when it became clear that left-handed Whoppers were not available. You could begin offering a variety of unique products at your restaurant, like pepper jelly or alligator tail steaks, either as a one-time promotion or as a daily special. You could also start experimenting with molecular gastronomy to create interesting textures and add an avant-garde element to your cuisine.

To create newsworthy stories, you need to think outside the box. Publicity stunts may seem outrageous, but they offer a practical way to get people talking about your restaurant. By following the example of some of the big restaurant chains and pulling a publicity stunt, you might be able to attract more new customers than you ever thought possible.