What’s in a good set lunch? An important marketing tool for restaurants, set lunches are employed by both new and seasoned restaurants. For new restaurants, it’s a good teaser of the full menu at an economical price. For seasoned restaurants, it’s a way of adding novelty or tweaks to tried-and-tested favourites. Either way, set lunches bring excitement and energy to restaurants located within business and school districts, creating buzz with a crowd. Set lunches are also an opportune time to partner with dining deals marketplaces such as Chope, which can offer a full service when it comes to automation and payments. This in turn increases revenue and customer loyalty.
Creating a new menu can mean a lot of work for your restaurant, but it can also be tons of fun. If you’re well-prepared and start planning in advance, you can keep your stress levels to a minimum while giving yourself a chance to enjoy the process. Follow these useful tips on how to launch a new set lunch successfully, and we’re fairly certain you’ll be the talk of the town with your scrumptious new offerings.
1. Keep the set lunch short, sweet, and tried-and-true
You’ve probably heard time and again that it’s best to stick to a small menu. But why? At first glance, a large menu might seem to offer customers more options. On the contrary, customers could be overwhelmed by a long list of unfamiliar items or feel like they don’t know enough about all the options to make a decision. Most importantly, having too many items may bring down your overall quality, and could reduce the chances of diners finding exactly what they want on your menu— and what you do best.
Keep the menu simple and stick to a maximum of two to three set lunch options. Ensure there’s a vegetarian-friendly option, seeing as that’s one of the top restaurant trends this year. Your menu items should be simple, well-known dishes that are easy to prepare, yet interesting enough to stand out.
2. Price your set lunch correctly
The vast majority of diners know roughly how much they are willing to spend on lunch before they sit down at one of your tables. On top of that, people are naturally pleased when they spend less money than expected. In order to keep your margins within control and remain competitive, it is essential that you set the right price points on your menu. If the price is too high, you risk losing potential customers and revenue. But if it’s priced too low, you have to sell much more to make the same profit. How do you price your menu items to achieve a balance between value and profitability?
There are two metrics you need to measure menu item profitability: Food cost percentage and contribution margin. Food cost percentage is the measure of how much it costs to make a menu item, compared to its selling price. Contribution margin measures how much each menu item ‘pays for itself’ after fixed and variable costs are deducted. Looking at these two metrics will give you a good idea of your overall profitability per menu item.
3. Run deals to push revenue
To make sure you don’t miss out on the lunch crowd, we recommend running a lunch deal. Lunch deals have shown to increase revenue and traffic by 20%.
Deals is a dining marketplace on Chope that offers a platform for restaurants to promote lunch deals. Furthermore, diners are 47.6% less likely to no-show after purchasing vouchers for an upcoming reservation. A diner’s total bill almost always exceeds the voucher value, as the voucher denominations are in fixed denominations. They are encouraged to spend more given their desire to utilise the entire voucher value.
4. Employ trending social media tactics for launch
Your new lunch menu is ready to launch. You’ve nailed your recipes, tested your presentation, and ensured that you can deliver on your promises. Now it’s time to take this baby out of the kitchen, into the dining room, and in front of guests.
First stop: Social media. It’s one of the first places diners go to check out where they will be dining. Jump on trending TikTok content angles, give a teaser of behind-the-scenes prep on Instagram Reels, and post dish breakdowns of your new launch on social media. The attractive price is the main draw, so ensure you include it in big bold letters! Post a screenshot of your menu onto Instagram stories, and save it on your highlights.
Restaurants tend to overlook listing their updated menu on their website. Make sure you update your menu online, as well as provide images of the food so your customers can see exactly what they will be getting. You should also update your menu on third party platforms such as Chope to capitalise on their large user base.
5. Reach out to food journalists and bloggers
Identify and contact relevant food bloggers in your area to spread the word about your new set lunch. This will not only boost your reach and generate even more buzz, but it also makes your brand more trustworthy to your diners. If this reputable journalist or food blogger liked your food, then it must be good, right? Another way to gain visibility is to include your lunch sets into different restaurant guides to maximise exposure.
Interested in marketing your set lunch with Chope? Get in touch with our support team who’ll be happy to help.
