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It’s that time of the year again. Summer is almost over. Fall is just around the corner. Cheerleaders practice while the grounds crew preps the football field for another season. New and returning students arrive for another semester of learning. Actors practice their lines for the fall performance. Coaches prepare game plans while faculty prepare lesson plans. Time to hit the books. “Hey, Michael! What does this all have to do with us?” you ask. Opportunity…There are many money making opportunities today around college and university campuses that pizzeria and restaurant owners do not put into motion. Below are a few ideas that will help you jumpstart your back to school marketing plan.
V.I.P. Cards
Put the college or university’s logo on one side and your discount or offer on the other side. Whether it is a 20 percent discount or a free appetizer, students will use these and come to your restaurant. Have special offers for cardholders only. Every student will want one and make you the most popular establishment in the area. These cards can be handed out free to all students, faculty and staff. You can also promote discounts and free side items when students or faculty show their university ID cards.
Sports and Coaches
Whether it is the lacrosse, cross-country, field hockey or football teams, you can go to the head coaches and cut deals with them. You can give free dinner to the teams after the games and in return have them mention your restaurant at the games. If cheerleaders, fans and parents know the team will be at your restaurant after the game, they will all follow and spend money. You will become the new “after game hot spot”. You can also ask about other advertising options on the field or in sports programs. Offer to print up the sports programs and save a place on the back to promote your restaurant. Give a discount to anyone with a ticket stub, program or if no printing is used for games, give a discount to anyone who can tell you the final score. Most important, you should always have someone handing out your takeout menus at every game and in the parking lots.
Colleges always hold dances, plays and pep rallies. You can get in touch with the committees who put these functions together. They can order x amount of pies and food to have at the dances. You can hand out your takeout menus at the pep rallies for late business. The director of the plays and concerts can work out “a dinner and a show” deal to sell to the theater goers. They can eat before or after the show. You can also offer a discount towards the total check when shown a ticket the day of the performances. Don’t forget about cast parties. Offer a good deal. If the cast, stage crew, production crew and everyone else involved likes your restaurant, you will be sure to host every cast party. Most theater departments do something called “striking the set” where after the last performance, students take apart the set that was built. Usually this is an all night job and a few pizza pies and sandwiches make it much more enjoyable for the workers. This is another opportunity to generate some business, get in touch with the theater department, find out who runs it and work out a deal.
Orientation “Welcome” Packets
All colleges and universities have some kind of orientation packets. These are given out to all new and returning students. They are filled with maps of school buildings and surrounding areas, rules and regulations and other information about activities, sporting events and where to eat and go off campus. This is your opportunity to get your takeout menu, business card magnets and free “V.I.P. cards” distributed to all. You can even offer to print some of these materials for free. In turn your offer can be included in the packet. Hold a contest, fill out this questionnaire and win a $50 gift certificate towards future food purchases. Getting information on new and returning students is vital for your growth. If for some reason a school does not have a welcome packet, offer to help put one together for them.
Sororities, Fraternities and Clubs
Colleges and universities have many sororities, fraternities and clubs. They all have yearly budgets for food and entertainment for their members. Every campus has a student affairs building. Get a list of all the presidents of each club and invite them all for free dinner. When they arrive show them how you can help them save year round. Get your one page survey together asking about the specific club, fraternity or sorority, their budget and how much they spend on food a semester. Your job is to setup a party plan with each group so you lock them in for the whole year. When I was in college our clubs would buy food for our meetings 20 minutes before the meeting started. If you can impress the presidents of these clubs think of the flow of party orders that you can secure year round while your competition is hoping someone will walk in and place an order.
Faculty, Parents and Staff
Faculty, parents and staff all need to eat out. This can be an untapped area that is being overlooked. Target staff and faculty at the colleges for luncheons, meetings and deliveries on campus. Parents have to eat out when visiting their children. Make up V.I.P. cards just for parents giving them a discount. Find out from the college when special events are going on. (Homecoming, parent’s weekend, alumni weekend…etc) You can also contact the admissions office to find out the students who give tours to potential students who visit the campus with their parents. After the tour they will want to eat somewhere before they leave on their long trip back home. You can even work out a “free lunch” deal with the college. The college can offer a “free lunch” to potential students. Of course the college will pick up the tab. What a lasting touch on the parents to make the biggest decision in their child’s life.
Bookstore Marketing
Once students arrive at their dormitories on the first day of school, they always head for the long lines at the bookstore to get their books. Waiting in line can make people hungry. Talk to the person in charge of the bookstore. Ask if you can give out free samples of your food outside the bookstore the first few days the students return. This will give the students a chance to taste your food and get to know your brand. You can also give out your V.I.P. cards. Hand out your takeout menus, magnets and any other marketing materials. This is why they call it “branding”. You want to “brand” your name in people’s minds. The more they see your restaurant the more they will buy from you.
Some of these ideas are starting points and will need to be fine tuned for your area. If your restaurant is not located near a college or university, you can use some of these ideas at your local high school or elementary school. You as the owner are responsible for the marketing of your business. Do not assume just because you are in a college town you will get all the business. There is no such thing as enough business. If your restaurant has a line out the door from the minute you open until you close then rip up this article and throw it out. Just kidding….Every business needs more customers. Get these ideas rolling today before your competition reads this article. Remember: “Good ideas if not used are worthless.”