1

@restoCONNECTION

#

R É I N V E N T O N S L A R E S T A U R A T I O N

UK RestaURant MaRKeting CalendaR 2018Last year we shared a restaurant key marketing dates calendar focused around national and international foodie days. This year we’ve compiled a new 2018 calendar complete with campaign and offer suggestions for each day. So if you’re stuck thinking of creative ways to join in with London wine week, or British Sandwich week… we’ve made it a piece of cake.

JanUaRy

1st – national Bloody MaRy day / new yeaRs day

If you don’t normally serve bloody mary, consider offering these cocktails at a great value for one day only. If you already offer bloody marys, then perhaps reduce your typical price dramatically in celebration of this day and also the New Year.

1

2

8th – national english toffee day

Toffee themed dishes or drinks would go down a treat! Swap out the caramel sauce for toffee or give your hot chocolates a toffee twist.

19th – national PoPCoRn day

Depending on the type of restaurant you run, if you’ve got TV screens for the customers, why not create a movie themed day and have some classics playing the background? You could also try popcorn chicken instead of your usual chicken dishes.

3

24th – BReaKfast weeK Begins.

An entire week of breakfast specials? How about a quirky take on a classic? Serve your fry up wrapped in a yorkshire or out of a hollowed loaf of bread? If you just want to do something simple, why not offer your breakfast dishes all day for the entire week?

feBRUaRy

2nd – BRaMBley aPPle weeK Begins

Apple pies, apple juices, apple crumble… anything apple themed. Why not give bags of bramley apples away to customers purchased family meals?

4

7th – BRitish yoRKshiRe PUdding day

Yorkshire puddings are simple and quick to make, so this should be a simple day to get involved with. What’s more British than a yorkshire pudding? Or even better, a roast dinner served inside a yorkshire pudding? The more creative the better, this will help you stand out when promoting the campaign.

9th – shRove tUesday

Pancakes all round? Even though many families across Britain celebrate with home-cooked pancakes, few restaurants seem to offer anything more than their usual menu. How about trying ‘all you can eat pancakes’ for a low set price? That’s sure to bring the punters in.

18th – dRinK wine day

Two for one on all wine? Free bottle of wine with evening meals? Or, if you’d really like to go all, why not put on a wine tasting event?

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/british-yorkshire-pudding-day.htmlhttp://www.topmarks.co.uk/Easter/ShroveTuesday.aspxhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Drink+wine+day&oq=Drink+wine+day&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59j0l4.414j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8

5

22nd – london BeeR weeK Begins

You could serve up beers from around the world, and declare your pub/restaurant a beer-only zone for 24 hours. Of course, this will completely depend on the nature of your business, but it could be a great idea to attract the nightlife.

MaRCh

vegetaRian Month

Let vegetarians know you’re really embracing this month by offering a wider variety of vegetarian options. Often menus are quick limiting to vegetarians and vegans. Even if you can’t offer more options year-round, at least get involved during March.

https://drinkup.london/http://www.veggies.org.uk/event/veggie-month/all/

6

1st – BRitish Pie weeK

A pie special, simple and effective because just about everyone loves a good pie. Serve up a pie that you wouldn’t normally consider. Something a little different.

11th - MotheRing sUnday

Free meal or glass of prosecco for all Mums.

22nd – woRld wateR day

We often take water for granted, but of course there are parts of the world where clean water is not available. Why not get involved with World Water Day by donating some of your profits from March 22nd to a charity working to resolve water restrictions? The Billion Bottle Project is one to check out.

http://www.britishpieweek.co.uk/http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/world-water-day-2015http://www.billionbottleproject.org/

7

25th – inteRnational waffle day

Think Stranger things and Eggos! That’s right, we’re suggesting you embrace the huge popularity of the Netflix original TV show - Stranger Things. Serve up some ‘eggo specials’ for your customers.

aPRil

4th – inteRnational CaRRot day

Carrot cake, carrot soup, carrot juice, carrot cocktails? Turn your restaurant orange for the day and give out free carrot juice for children under 10.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/waffle-day/http://strangerthings.wikia.com/wiki/Eggoshttp://www.carrotday.com/carrotday.htm

8

16th – national eggs BenediCt day

Let us not forget to give thanks for the warming creation that is eggs benedict. Special offer on an eggs benedict breakfast with free tea or coffee.

May

1st – leMonade day

A free glass of lemonade with all meals.

http://theeggsfactor.eggrecipes.co.uk/national-eggs-benedict-day/https://lemonadeday.org/

9

6th – inteRnational no diet day

An all you can eat buffet, or bottomless ice-cream? A marketing campaign along these lines will surely resonate well in celebration of international no diet day!

7th – woRld BeeR Pong day

A day to get involved with if you’re a pub or bar looking to attract a younger customer (of drinking age). Set-up a few tables dedicated to beer pong, and sell some of your popular beers by the pitcher, along with a beer pong kit.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/no-diet-day/http://www.beerpongday.com/

10

10th – BRitish sandwiCh weeK Begins

If you normally serve up something more substantial than simply sandwiches, how can you really get involved with this holiday? Well - you could give your other dishes a sandwich twist. For example, you could turn fish and chips in to a fish finger sandwich.

13th – woRld CoCKtail day

Time to get creative with your standard mojito and start offering cocktails from shoes, cereal boxes, hats, pipes etc,. Shake things up.

http://www.lovesarnies.com/http://www.dates.abouttravelingtheworld.com/special-holidays/world-cocktail-day/

11

18th – london wine weeK Begins

Fine wine from around the world tasting event? Serve a new wine menu with one-off bottles just

for the week.

BRitish toMato weeK Begins

If you’re not based in London, this week is also British Tomato week, so a homemade Tomato soup at a bargain price might go down well.

http://www.londonwinefair.com/content/whats-on/london-wine-week.aspxhttp://www.britishtomatoes.co.uk/british-tomato-week-2018/

12

21st – woRld whisKy day

Two words - Irish Coffee! Serve up this classic cocktail for one day only (hot coffee, Irish Whiskey, sugar & topped with cream).

JUne

1st – BRitish Cheese weeK

Well the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to cheese! You can add a cheese twist in to most dishes, or offer complimentary cheese and crackers at the end of a meal in celebration of this day.

http://www.worldwhiskyday.com/https://www.pongcheese.co.uk/blog/its-british-cheese-week-26th-may-to-1st-june/

13

17th - fatheRs day

Free meals for all Dads.

18th – inteRnational PiCniC day

If the weather allows Picnic Day could be a brilliant one if you have a beer garden, or any type of outdoor area with seating. Appealing to families, you could sell ‘a picnic bundle’ in a hamper complete with sandwiches, cakes and snacks for four. This is such a unique concept and for one day only it becomes even more special.

http://www.wincalendar.com/International-Picnic-Day

14

JUly

iCe CReaM Month

Free ice-cream desserts for children when a main meal is purchased.

2nd - wiMBledon staRts

2 for 1 on all drinks if customers come to watch Wimbledon finals at your joint.

http://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream/july-is-national-ice-cream-month

15

7th – woRld ChoColate day

How about a promotional offer where customers can receive a third course for free when buying from a set menu? This third course should have a chocolate theme such as free chocolate ice-cream or chocolate cake.

aUgUst

5th – inteRnational BeeR day

Choose a popular dish and offer a free beer with it. E.g, a free beer with every burger purchase, or every steak and chips order. If you sell a wide range of top class beers, put this are the forefront of your social channels and other marketing promotions for International beer day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chocolate_Dayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Beer_Day

16

31st – eat oUtside day

Weather dependant, and if you have outside space to utilise, you could host a garden party style event with a BBQ.

17th – CUPCaKe day

Hold a cupcake sale in your cafe or restaurant and donate the proceeds to a local charity

http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/eat-outside-dayhttps://cupcakeday.alzheimers.org.uk/

17

6th – sCottish food & dRinK foRtnight Begins

17th – BRitish food foRtnight Begins

29th – inteRnational Coffee day

Free coffee with all meals, or buy one get one free on all coffee.

sePteMBeR

3Rd – inteRnational BaCon day

A perfect day for local farm shops/restaurants to get involved with. If you typically serve up bacon as part of a fry up, consider offering other bacon breakies. Bacon butties are always a winner so why not run a promotion alongside this? Free tea or coffee with every bacon butty purchase?

http://www.scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk/http://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/international-coffee-day/17296.html

18

5th – BRitish egg weeK

oCtoBeR

london RestaURant festival Begins

3Rd – BUy BRitish day

Today is the day to shout about your locally sourced food and encourage customers to buy british. If you already support local farmers then really push this message in your marketing material.

https://www.egginfo.co.uk/http://www.londonrestaurantfestival.com/http://buybritishday.com/

19

10th – woRld PoRRidge day

For world porridge day, we’ve got a great idea. Why not target families with younger children by creating a kids ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ themed porridge day. You could place little bears on each table and offer kids porridge for breakfast at a low price.

9th – woRld egg day

It’s all about eggs during the second week of October. Perhaps shake up your breakfast menu and offer some egg classics for one week (or one day) only: eggs and soldiers, eggy bread, scrambled eggs on toast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Porridge_Dayhttp://thinkegg.com/index.php/world-egg-day/

20

16th – woRld food day

Switch up the menu and offer foods from around the world. You could call the event ‘taste the world’ and serve up different dishes Tapas style. You could also select four or five countries and create a dish for each of these.

23Rd – inteRnational ChaMPagne day

Champagne brunch anyone? If there’s one day where it’s completely acceptable to drink Champagne all day, it’s October 23rd! So why not serve up bottomless champagne or prosecco and a set 3 course meal for a fancy brunch? A champagne brunch would attract people celebrating special occasions, such as birthdays or anniversaries.

http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/2017/home/en/http://www.winerist.com/blog/entry/champagne-day-2015

21

31st – halloween

Kit your restaurant out with exciting Halloween decorations and give your food and drink items as much of a ‘ghoulish’ twist as you can. Most families across the UK likes to embrace Halloween in all its glory. You could serve up pumpkin pie or pea soup with egg eyeballs. You get the idea.

noveMBeR

MoveMBeR Month

Get your staff involved with Movember and collect money for a local charity. Movember is where men grow a moustache for the entire month of November to raise money for charity. The charity aims to stop men dying too young from health issues such as prostate cancer or suicide. You could also offer a complimentary drink to customers who are participating in Movember.

https://uk.movember.com/about/foundation

22

1st – woRld vegan day

Add some variety to your vegan offerings to attract more vegan diners on November 1st. You might even find it works well for you long-term. The vegan movement is growing rapidly.

4th – Roast dinneR day

What’s more British than a roast dinner? Why not offer refillable softs drinks with all roast dinners, or one free desert per family of four?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Vegan_Dayhttp://www.foodforlife.org.uk/whats-happening/roast-dinner-day

23

5th – BonfiRe night

Check out the local events that are being held near you for bonfire night celebrations. If your cafe, restaurant or pub is ideally located close to one of the local events, tempt customers in by offering warm drinks and toffee apples.

9th – BRitish PUdding day

Free puddings on British pudding day. You could choose three or four puddings from your usual menu offerings to things simple and to keep costs down.

http://internationalcollectionoils.com/en/whats-new/november-9-is-british-pudding-day-a-chance-to-celebrate-some-of-the-uks-best-loved-desserts

24

22nd - thanKsgiving

Although thanksgiving isn’t a UK holiday, many people still like to eat a nice meal with their family and give thanks for happiness and health. Offer a special thanksgiving 3 course set menu and stand out against competitors who are not celebrating.

23Rd - BlaCK fRiday

Black Friday is all about extreme discounts in retail and hospitality. It can seem less than profitable to offer such extreme discounts like half price meals or free drinks. However, due to the fact that so many other places get involved, it’s difficult to ignore this day and not lose out on custom.

26th - CyBeR Monday

Reductions on all bookings placed online, or all online orders set for delivery.

25

deCeMBeR 24th – ChRistMas eve

25th - ChRistMas day

26th – Boxing day

31st - new yeaRs eve

You’ve probably got Christmas and New Years Eve covered with some amazing Christmas Special Menus and some exciting NYE parties. Check out some of these further Christmas marketing ideas for restaurants if you’re stuck.

https://www.restoconnection.com/christmas-marketing-ideas-restaurants/https://www.restoconnection.com/christmas-marketing-ideas-restaurants/