Restaurants and breweries across the country are struggling as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, innovation and promotion is key to survival, and if you’re a brewery looking for creative ways to grow your customer base during and after the threat of the coronavirus is over, you’ll want to consider this list of the best brewery events and promotion ideas to increase sales this summer and beyond.
Start Your Own Growler or Mug Club
Want to increase repeat visits to your brewery? It may be time to consider a growler club. Even if your restaurant is still doing curbside takeout business only, growler clubs can incentivize customers to order food from your brewery when they’re ready for a growler refill. Here’s how growler clubs work: people sign-up and pay for a year-long membership, which gives them perks like 10% off food purchases, a personalized growler, and discounted growler refills. Mug clubs are a similar loyalty program where people pay to join for fun perks like their own numbered mug, early access to new craft brews, discounted beers and food, and more.
Charity of the Month Promotions
Getting involved in your local community is a great way to build good will, especially during a pandemic. If you’re looking for brewery event ideas that encourage new customers, try hosting a “charity of the month” promotion. Choose a few local charities and have patrons vote on their favorite throughout the month. Whichever charity wins will receive a predetermined donation, either a percentage of the total profits or the profits of a specific brew. Not only will people feel better about buying a beer if it supports a good cause, but program volunteers and supporters may be more likely to visit and vote.
Host a Beer Naming Contest
One of our favorite brewery promotion ideas is to host a beer naming contest. Release the untitled beer and allow one name entry per pint or growler refill. Not only will this help you come up with the best name possible for your new brew, but it also allows involves the community in the process. Plus, it encourages people to buy more pints in order to have a better chance at winning. Make sure the winner receives a prize worthy of their contribution in the form of branded merchandise and complimentary pours.
Beer Pairings & Tap Takeovers
We’ve all heard of food and wine pairings, but you may not have considered beer pairings. Since wheat beers pair well with spicy food, you could consider hosting a Wing Wednesday event, where people get a discount when ordering wings and a wheat brew. Want to entice even more diners? Try teaming up with a local donut shop for a special chocolate donut dessert to pair with your most popular stout. You can also try promoting your own beer at other local breweries and restaurants by teaming up for a tap takeover, where you provide the perfect IPA to pair with their infamous nachos. As an independently owned and operated wholesale food distributor, we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping our clients succeed. Not only does McDonald Wholesale offer the highest quality ingredients, but we also provide restaurant marketing and other helpful services to our customers. Check out our restaurant management blog where we cover everything from how to grow your restaurant’s takeout business to what you need to know about ghost kitchens.