How to increase restaurant reservations during the low season

At TheFork, our main objective is to support our affiliate restaurants and ensure they stay fully booked all year round. We know that certain times of the year, the low seasons, can be a bit trickier when it comes to attracting diners. That’s why we’re here to help keep the reservations rolling in during quieter months, like January and September, by sharing some simple and effective strategies. 

Wondering how to increase restaurant reservations during low seasons? You’re in luck. Grab yourself a coffee, sit back and read our expert tips on how to increase restaurant reservations during low seasons.

Implement essential online tools to boost reservations

First of all, it’s essential that you have the right tools in place to make it easy for customers to find and book with you online. Once that’s sorted, you can focus on how to increase restaurant reservations during low seasons. 

1.  Ensure your profile is verified and optimised on Google Business and Google Maps. 
2. Showcase your restaurant profile on TheFork to ensure your business is visible to thousands of customers every day, and so you can strategically manage bookings and streamline operations with TheFork Manager, your centralised reservation system.
3. Maintain your profile on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest digital travel platform. 
4. Add direct booking buttons on your website, Instagram profile and Facebook page. With TheFork, you can add a dedicated booking widget to your restaurant’s online pages so that guests can make reservations without any hassle.

It’s entirely possible to increase restaurant reservations through website, social and online profile optimisation. Just be sure to regularly update your pages to ensure you stay on your audience’s radar!

Attract more customers with strategic discounts and promotions

During low seasons, people don’t tend to eat out as often for various reasons, often financial. January, for example, can be tough after the December and January celebrations, leading many to tighten their belts and stay in rather than eat out. 

A strategic way to continue attracting customers during this time is to offer them special discounts to make dining out more affordable. TheFork allows you to modify the discount on offer according to how busy you are. So, you could offer a 50% discount on à la carte dining during a specific time and increase bookings during quieter periods of the year. 

You can also join TheFork’s loyalty program, YUMS, where your customers accumulate points for each reservation they make and honour, leading to future discounts when they return to your restaurant. What’s more, if you’re a “double YUMS” restaurant, your guests will earn 2x the loyalty points for even bigger discounts.

Enhance customer engagement through effective communication

Increasing publicity through storytelling can yield amazing results when it comes to attracting customers during the low season. Engaging content stimulates customers and gives them that extra push they need to make a reservation. 

Consider sharing stories about your staff, behind-the-scenes moments in your kitchen, your business plans and upcoming events, customer testimonials, or spotlighting delicious seasonal dishes. This type of content is particularly well-suited to video posts or stories on Instagram.

Maintain a consistent posting schedule, ideally twice a day, on the social network that works best for your business. High-quality, authentic stories that are crafted with your audience in mind will help keep your business top of mind, even during low seasons. You can also send newsletters with discounts on offer to your loyal customers, invest in targeted advertising and consider holding contests to boost engagement.

And remember, timing is key. Don’t leave it until the last minute to implement these strategies. Instead, do so in plenty of time to build excitement and anticipation for what your restaurant has to offer during the quiet seasons.

Stay ahead with the latest restaurant trends

Trends in hospitality are constantly evolving, with new recipes, drinks, combinations, and experiences regularly going viral on Instagram. By keeping an eye on these trends, you can leverage this information to better understand your customers and what they are looking for. 

During low seasons, your restaurant could offer unique drinks and out-of-the-ordinary dishes designed to be Instagram-worthy. Use your social platforms to promote these special offerings and you’ll quickly see customers lining up to try them.

In particular, trends like healthy, vegan, gluten-free and locally sourced (0km) food will continue to grow in popularity as consumers make more ethical and health-conscious dining choices.  Incorporating these choices into your menu and promoting them on your online platforms is an effective way to ensure you remain on trend and attract more customers during low seasons.

Create a loyalty programme to encourage repeat visits

Implementing a loyalty programme is a great way to encourage repeat visits from your customers. By offering exclusive discounts and rewards for frequent diners, you can give customers an incentive to return to your establishment throughout the year, even during the quieter months. 

When your guests book via TheFork, they accumulate YUMS loyalty points which can be redeemed and turned into discounts of £20 or £50 that they can enjoy at the restaurant of their choice. This is a great way to reward your most loyal customers and give them a reason to keep coming back for more. 

Additionally, offering loyalty programmes also helps you to build stronger relationships with your customers by showing them that you care and appreciate their business. If your diners are part of a loyalty programme, they’ll be more likely to come back to redeem their discounts and rewards even during low seasons. 

Implement efficient reservation management systems

Efficient management of bookings is essential when it comes to how to increase restaurant reservations during low seasons and enhancing the overall customer journey. By investing in a superior restaurant reservation management system, you can minimise wait times, prevent overbooking and streamline operations for a smooth and hassle-free experience for everyone involved. 

With TheFork Manager, you and your team can benefit from real-time table availability updates, reservation management and tools to optimise seating arrangements. This means you can more effectively manage peak times and deliver a smoother dining experience for your guests. Leveraging TheFork Manager for your restaurant business will not only help in reducing operational stress but also significantly enhance customer satisfaction by ensuring a well-organised, efficient and enjoyable dining experience.

Participate in events

We recommend that your restaurant participate in seasonal events to attract more customers to your restaurant during low seasons. For example, you could create special menus for popular sporting events (such as world cups and other tournaments) and invite guests to enjoy watching them at your venue. You could also arrange pop-up events featuring guest chefs to capture the public’s attention and attract new guests.

Consider also engaging in external events, such as gastronomy fairs and festivals, and using those events to promote your restaurant. What’s more, participating in the many events that TheFork organises throughout the year, which often receive substantial media coverage, can help keep your business in the spotlight and is a great way to attract keen foodies to visit your restaurant.

If you're not part of the TheFork family yet, there’s no better moment than the present to join us! Click here to register your restaurant on our platform and start benefiting from extensive online visibility and increased reservations (even during the low seasons!)