Looking to boost sales at your restaurant? Try creating a late night and happy hour menu. Not only do these programs increase foot traffic and revenue during non-peak hours, but for many restaurants, these hours account for up to one-third of alcohol sales. These late night and happy hour menu ideas could help your restaurant thrive
Make it Affordable
Many people are drawn to late night and happy hour menus because of the special deals and affordability, so it’s important to make your prices stand out. The better the deal, the more likely people will visit and continue to return to your establishment. In fact, happy hours and late night specials can draw in your budget-conscious diners, get them hooked on the food, and create customers for life. Plus, it encourages regular customers to visit more often.
Have a Signature Drink
Signature drinks are a great way to draw in customers during off hours. You already know that cocktails are more profitable than food, and creating a fun, exclusive drink at your restaurant gives diners extra incentive to choose you over other establishments. Plus, you can get away with offering your signature drink at a lower price if you aren’t offering as generous of discounts on other beverages. Remember, you want your signature drink to match your restaurant concept, so be thoughtful when creating your signature cocktails.
Offer Popular Menu Items
When creating your happy hour and late night menu, be sure to include a version of your signature dish. This gives diners a chance to experience your popular dishes without having to pay full price, and it offers an incentive for regular diners to come in at different hours. And they might even bring their friends along! In order to accommodate lower prices, offer smaller portions of these items. Who knows, if guests are still hungry, they may stay for dinner.
Make Food Shareable
Happy hour is more than just discounted food and drinks, it’s a social event. That’s why we recommend having shareable food options on your late night and happy hour menus. Choose items like French fries, spring rolls, and dips, which are easily shared between friends. If you have a popular menu item that isn’t inherently shareable, try pre-slicing the meat or plating it in a way that makes it easier to share with friends and colleagues. Remember, presentation is incredibly important for your happy hour menu, as these social diners are much more likely to post photos to social media.
Incorporate Popular Food Trends
Happy hour and late night menus are perfect for experimenting with popular food trends. Not only can trendy foods pique diners’ interest, but it can give your chefs a chance to try out new recipes and gauge interest in updated menu items. Some happy hour menus even include dessert items, which offers an opportunity to take advantage of popular restaurant dessert trends as well.
Need help building your late night and happy hour menu? McDonald Wholesale can help. In addition to providing high-quality wholesale food options, we also offer menu design services. Contact us at (877) 722-5503 to become a customer for life.