3. Partner with a community group
Marilyn Schlossbach, an executive chef who runs several restaurants in Asbury Park, N.J., often partners with a community nonprofit for her cooking classes. A portion of the ticket price is donated to the group. She chooses causes that she and her staff are passionate about, but she also looks for organizations that are enthusiastic supporters of her business. “We are not a nonprofit,” Schlossbach says. “We want to make money. We want to partner with charities that are as passionate about helping us as we are about helping them.” Forming an alliance with a community group means the restaurant gets publicized in the group’s marketing materials and, often, group members become restaurant customers.