Make it easy for employees at local businesses to chose your foodservice operation for lunch. Whether you're white tablecloth, casual, or quick service, there's a huge lunch market going untapped if you don't have a Business-to-Business Blitz program in place.
You should hear the daily conversations in my office. Making a decision about lunch is a lot more complicated than I thought. Boredom, budgetary issues, protein, carbos, points, the diet du jour, and time constraints are all factors when deciding on lunch. Maybe my brain is too simplistic. I just want something to eat... not a lifestyle.
The important point is that regardless of the reasoning, everybody's trying to decide on where and what to eat. Let's help them out.
Implement a business-to-business blitz
A well-designed flyer can feature your menu offerings, whether you offer take-out or delivery, weekly specials, gift certificates, and phone, fax, and e-mail information.
A little detective work can result in a list of local business names. The Chamber of Commerce publishes business directories, but you may want to start by visiting your business neighbors. Each morning, stop by a local business and introduce yourself, ask some questions, find out how many people are employed there and leave a flyer.
One restaurant owner took his program a step further. Around 11:00 a.m., he returned to the restaurant he visited that morning with individually wrapped samples of his menu items. He said, "I don't need complicated marketing plans. It's simple. Give 'em the food."
When you market to businesses in tight geographic areas, delivery becomes much more feasible. Offer free delivery on all orders placed by 10:30 a.m. each day. Blast fax or e-mail daily specials and promotions early each morning as a reminder.
You can use our sample business to business flyer for ideas on how you can design one of your own. Get in with the lunch bunch and you're certain to pick up incremental dinner business, too!
See also:
Here's an offer you can't refuse
Howdy neighbor!
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.