How to Get Millennials to Visit Your Restaurant

1. Online Presence

2. Loyalty Programs

3. Customizable Menus

4. More than Just Décor

5. Brand Ambassadors 

1. Online Presence

There are multiple ways to ensure that your business has a strong online presence - especially with millenials. Arguably, the most important way to distinguish your business online is by having a website. Your website should allow customers to make bookings, look at your menu, know about upcoming events or discounts and should have contact details along with relevant addresses. You should also ensure that your business is listed on popular sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and any relevant local websites that are related to F&B. It is also key to maintain a strong social media presence so that you can really engage with millennials. Finally, make sure to list your business on Google Business so that your restaurant will be easy to find through Google's search engine. Optimizing the way millennials can find your restaurant online is extremely important since [1]85% of millennials search for a restaurant online, even while on the go. 

2. Loyalty Programs

Considering that [2]"it costs roughly five times more to acquire a new customer than it is to retain one," loyalty programs should be a priority for any business. When it comes to millennials, loyalty programs help provide a sense of reward for their patronage and makes the dining experience more personal. Implementing loyalty programs through loyalty cards enables your business to track important data which allows wait staff to provide a more tailored experience to customers. Things like addressing a customer by their name, knowing the types of dishes a customer usually orders, how much they are likely to spend and any special preferences can truly make any dining experience a memorable one. Furthermore, it is easy to use the data from loyalty programs to predict trends. Finally, loyalty programs encourage greater spending by providing a better value for the customer. All these factors combined can help attract millennials to your business. 

3. Customizable Menus

Millennials are more conscious about food than ever before. Many take up special diets, have dietary restrictions or simply stay away from certain kinds of food. A restaurant with a customizable menu, or even just customizable menu items, can help cater to millennials' need for food that's tailored to them. For example, offering a burger whereby customers can choose the type of bread, cheese, meat and sauce will greatly increase appeal to millennials. Limited menus and set-menus can often deter many millennials who might feel like the meal is not catered to them, specifically. 

4. More than Just Décor 

Make sure your restaurant looks and feels unique. Millennials have the power to order for delivery extremely easily these days, so enticing them to go to a restaurant is growing increasingly more tricky. Ensuring your restaurant has a good concept, stellar ambiance and unique décor can go a long way to convince millennials that they should visit your establishment for a new experience. Making sure that your food is plated beautifully, or in a photo-friendly way can further attract  millennials who will be able to take great photos, which will likely be posted to social media. Beyond these things, make sure that your staff is friendly and that your restaurant is running smoothly and efficiently so that your customers are not kept waiting. 

5. Brand Ambassadors

Entice millennials to visit your restaurant by creating brand ambassador opportunities. Brand ambassadors can receive special discounts or can even be paid to post content, photos and stories about your restaurant on social media and other popular platforms. Not only will this entice the younger generation to visit your restaurant to become brand ambassadors, but the content they create will reach other millennials, who will also visit. Indeed, [3]"research has shown that Millennials respond better to user-generated content, more than brand-owned content. In fact, 68% of millennials research before choosing where to eat, using information shared by their friends."

[1] https://www.reviewtrackers.com/mobile-customers-food/

[2] https://blog.popdeem.com/6-tips-for-attracting-a-millennial-audience-to-your-restaurant/

[3] https://blog.popdeem.com/6-tips-for-attracting-a-millennial-audience-to-your-restaurant/