Commentary

How to make this Valentine’s Day special

For food trucks, Valentine's Day can be an opportunity for the right serving occasion, such as a Valentine's Day festival or special event.

January 23, 2020 by Christine Potts — Senior Editor, WebstaurantStore

With Valentine's Day coming up on Feb. 14, many foodservice operators are preparing their menus and decor for one of the busiest days in foodservice. Valentine's Day dinner is the second most popular meal in the foodservice industry, directly following Mother's Day brunch, making this an opportunity to provide unique services to your existing and new customer base.

For food trucks, Valentine's Day can be an opportunity for the right serving occasion, such as a Valentine's Day festival or special event.

Here are some Valentine's Day promotion ideas to make the most of this busy day.

Advertise your specials online

Now that the new year is here, couples are beginning to make plans for the next big holiday. No matter if you're marketing to your usual customers or you're trying to attract new faces, it's a good idea to get the word out about it online.

If you're planning a "prix fixe" menu (a menu at a fixed price), holiday desserts or discounted meals, be sure to effectively advertise your specials on social media and your website. Potential customers will want easily accessible information about your offerings ahead of time. That way, they can weigh their options. When it comes to busy holidays, your online presence could help you stay one step ahead of your competition.

Plan a Valentine's Day menu

If you don't know where to start when planning your Valentine's Day menu, try bringing some of the holiday's colors into your food options. What can you serve that features pink or red? For your dessert menu, try romantic heart-shaped cakes or chocolate-covered strawberries. Here are some more Valentine's Day menu ideas to get you inspired:

Pasta in a pink sauce
Crabcakes with a beet risotto
Beef medallions with red potatoes
Heart-shaped margherita pizza

Create a romantic atmosphere

Encourage your employees to show extra care to your customers on Valentine's Day. If your servers make them feel especially welcome, your customers will remember more than just their food when they leave your establishment. Calm music selection and intimate lighting will help create a romantic mood.

Offer a Valentine's Day cooking class

One way to offer something a little extra to your customers and draw in some more business is to host Valentine's Day cooking classes. For couples looking to stray from tradition, attending a cooking class on Valentine's Day can allow them to get creative, work together and enjoy eating something made with their own hands.

If your business will be too packed on the special day, offer cooking classes in the weeks leading up to the 14th. This creates less competition with other restaurants and gives more customers the chance to partake in your classes. Many potential customers opt-out of celebrating on the day because of how busy it is, so earlier cooking classes could be enticing to them.

Valentine's Day offers an opportunity to provide customers who are celebrating the day to have a memorable meal.

Image courtesy of iStock.

About Christine Potts

Christine Potts is the senior editor of SEO content at WebstaurantStore. When she's not writing about foodservice equipment, she likes to work on her baking skills and teach her friends about the products she recognizes while eating at restaurants.

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