Halloween Ideas for Restaurant Promotions

For restauranteurs, Halloween brings more than just a holiday to enjoy with family and friends. In 2018, a study revealed Halloween-related spending exceeded $9 billion, indicating that this is a great opportunity for restaurant promotions to either increase sales or attract new diners. Moreover, with the pandemic – a consistent threat, families looking to enjoy Halloween would be looking for safer activities than parties and trick or treating.

Close to 20% of restaurants reported that Halloween is the busiest holiday on their calendar so there are plenty of reasons why you should take advantage of this celebration. Keep reading for the ultimate list of promotional ideas for this year’s Halloween.

Themed Food And Beverages 

Unique and spooky food and beverages rank among the most common ways to spruce up your restaurant’s ambiance. The general theme around October is spice and pumpkins so adding seasonal specials that revolve around this notion will delight patrons and help spread the word about your restaurant. 

Some examples include pumpkin dip – a popular autumn favorite that is served with naan bread, tortilla chips, and vegetables in the west. You could take it a step further by serving it in pumpkin-shaped dishes to add to the appeal. Ghost pizzas and Mummy Bries are two other popular specials that you can consider.

Switch Your Dish Names

Another fun and – easy – way to add a creepier vibe to your restaurant is to change up your menu names to something more befitting the season. Such a strategy will let you get into the mood for the month while bypassing the costs and headaches associated with testing new menu items.

Moreover, this would also ensure that the same dishes your patrons already like is present. While it does require you to be creative, it won’t be difficult to come up with new names and descriptions for your menu items. 

Revamp Your Menu Design

You could par it up with the revamped menu names and descriptions, but a new menu design also works very well on its own in bringing out the Halloween spirit. Just adding creepy crawlies, spiders and cobwebs can add a seasonal touch to your menu.

You should also consider renaming specific sections of your menu. For instance, you could rename your appetizers to something more mysterious like “Bewitching Beginnings,” or “Eerie Entrees.”

Promote Family Events

Events that can potentially attract families must be promoted more. Families are some of the biggest spenders at restaurants and offering themed dinners, redesigned kids’ menus, and giveaways are good strategies to attract families looking for a fun Halloween dinner.

Some examples of promotions include discounted or free meals for children, painting events, themed food, and costume prizes. The higher number of heads also makes this another interesting strategy. Families don’t usually linger around for long – this means your tables will turn over for the next customer very soon.

Lastly, your restaurant marketing plan must include social media to get the news out. Ideally, you would pair it up with a strong social media campaign that follows the theme of the month. Using Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to tease your new additions and theme will encourage patrons to save the date.