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Offering takeaway services at your restaurant or café is a great business move – but how can you turn it into a memorable marketing opportunity?
A lot has happened in the last year… and times have been especially tough for restaurants. It’s been inspiring to see places start offering (or re-prioritising) take-away services in the midst of limited-capacity dining, social distancing and lockdowns.
It can be exciting to add a new service to your small business – in this case, takeaway. You might have learnt already that offering takeaway is more than just putting food into takeaway containers. You’ll need to create a system that customers and employees can follow for efficiently placing and picking up orders… maybe even an online ordering feature. You’ll need to test the process to make sure it’s streamlined and safe, so that every customer has a positive experience.
And once you’ve mastered your new offerings, it’s time to take your takeaway experience to the next level. Whether you run a bistro or a bakery, make sure customers take a branded experience away with them… not just their order.
Whether your restaurant is new to takeaway or ready to kick things up a notch, here are 9 things you need to offer standout takeaway.
4 ways to celebrate Pride in 2022
1. Wear your pride with a T-shirt or sticker.
2. Add a Pride-inspired design to your website’s homepage.
3. Deck out your shopfront with flags, posters & more.
4. Spread the word about your allyship to customers.
Paper bags
Let your customers do the heavy lifting – they’ll carry their food home in a branded paper bag, giving you some free marketing exposure.
Sheet stickers
Stickers provide a secure seal to close up takeaway containers and bags, and let you turn the most basic supplies into branded marketing tools.
Postcards
A postcard provides a blank canvas for you to leave your customers a ‘thank you’ note. Or, staple the customer’s receipt to a branded postcard for something a little extra.
Social media posts
Make sure your customers know that you offer takeaway – one of the easiest ways to spread the word is through your social media channels. Announce your new offering on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and continue to share high-resolution photos of your dishes, standout customer reviews and other takeaway news.
VISTAPRINT TIP
Create a signature hashtag for your restaurant’s takeaway programme and encourage customers to tag their posts with it. Think: #BeaumontToGo.
A takeaway-friendly menu
You may need to adjust your offerings so that they’re compatible with a takeaway model – nobody likes soggy fried chicken or melted ice cream. Instead, think about what you can do to ensure your takeaway meals are as delicious as your dine-in ones, and create some takeaway-only specials to drum up excitement. (Family meals, anyone?) Showcase your updated menu on a folded leaflet, along with your contact information, take-away protocols and photos of your most enticing offerings.
An easy ordering system
When it comes to placing takeaway orders, make it as easy as possible for customers. Add a dedicated phone line or extension devoted to takeaway customers, add an online ordering feature on your website or partner with a third-party app like JustEat, Uber Eats or Deliveroo.
QR codes for touch-free transactions
If customers don’t feel comfortable paying ahead of time over the phone or online, collect their payment with a QR code when they arrive. We’ve partnered with PayPal to make it easy to print a unique-to-you QR code on decals, banners and more – so you can accept transactions swiftly and safely.
A pick-up zone
Create a dedicated pick-up area for takeaway orders inside (or outside!) your restaurant. Whether it’s a simple folding table or a section of your checkout counter, guide customers to the proper pick-up area at your establishment with easy-to-follow signage. Floor decals are a great way to show customers where to go – and remind them to keep a safe social distance. Create a specific uniform (T-shirts and masks) for employees handling takeaway orders so customers know whom to ask for help. From logo pens to thank-you postcards, use low-cost marketing materials to reinforce this branded takeaway experience.
Incentive to order
Keep customers coming back with special offers or a rewards programme. Stamp the back of a business card every time they come in and reward them with a discount or freebie to say ‘thanks’ for their loyalty.
