Get a 4-Week Promo Calendar in 30 Seconds
Stop guessing what promotions to run. Get proven weekly specials + ready-to-post social content that fills tables.
Restaurant Details
We'll generate promotions tailored to your restaurant
+ Advanced Options (Optional)
Your Promotional Calendar
Your 4-week promo calendar will appear here
Fill in the details and click Generate
The Missing Ingredient in Your Restaurant's Marketing Strategy
Special offers influence where diners choose to eat. But most restaurants run random promotions without a complete promotional strategy or content plan.
A promotional calendar turns empty tables into reservations by creating predictable traffic patterns and customer habits.
Complete promotional strategy
Ready-to-use content included
Strategic timing for maximum impact
Why Restaurant Promotions Fail (And How to Fix It)
Most Profitable Restaurant Promotion Types
1. Recurring Weekly Specials
Examples: Taco Tuesday, Wing Wednesday, Fish Fry Friday
Why it works: Creates customer habits and predictable revenue. Customers plan their week around your specials. Generate creative content ideas to promote these weekly.
2. Happy Hour Deals
Examples: Half-price appetizers 3-6 PM, $5 cocktails
Why it works: Fills tables during slow afternoon periods. Often leads to dinner orders.
3. Family Packages
Examples: Kids eat free Sunday, Family meal deals
Why it works: Targets high-value customers (families spend more) and builds loyalty.
4. Loyalty Rewards
Examples: Buy 9 meals get 10th free, Birthday month discount
Why it works: Increases visit frequency and customer lifetime value without deep discounts.
5. Early Bird Specials
Examples: 15% off before 6 PM, Senior discount
Why it works: Spreads out dinner rush, attracts price-conscious seniors and early diners.
6. Date Night Packages
Examples: 2 entrees + bottle of wine $49, Couples special
Why it works: Higher check average, premium positioning, perfect for Friday/Saturday.
Strategic Timing: When to Run Which Promotions
Most restaurants see their slowest traffic on Mondays. This is when aggressive promotions make sense.
Best promotions: BOGO deals, free appetizers, happy hour extended hours
Mid-week is perfect for recurring specials that build customer habits and weekly routines.
Best promotions: Taco Tuesday, Wing Wednesday, Half-price wine
Thursday is when people start planning their weekend. Light promotions create momentum.
Best promotions: Extended happy hour, early weekend menu sneak peek
Avoid heavy discounts when demand is naturally high. Focus on value-adds and premium experiences.
Best promotions: Date night packages, live music, premium menu items
Brunch and family dinners dominate Sunday. Target families with group-friendly offers.
Best promotions: Kids eat free, family meal packages, bottomless brunch
How to Promote Your Restaurant Deals on Social Media
A great promotion means nothing if nobody knows about it. Here's how to maximize reach with effective social media marketing:
- • Announce promotion on Monday (or 3 days before start)
- • Mid-week reminder post with mouthwatering photos
- • Day-of Instagram Stories: "Today's the day!" urgency
- • Last call post: "Last chance for [deal]!"
- • High-quality food photos (hire a photographer quarterly)
- • Customer testimonials and tagged photos (repost with permission)
- • Graphics highlighting the offer (use Canva templates)
- • Mix branded hashtags (#YourRestaurantName)
- • Day-specific (#TacoTuesday, #WineWednesday)
- • Local tags (#ChicagoEats, #NYCFood)
- • Food-specific (#ItalianFood, #SushiLovers)
- • Trending food hashtags (#Foodie, #FoodPorn - use sparingly)
Promote your best-performing posts to local audiences. Even $20-50 can reach thousands.
- • Facebook/Instagram ads targeted within 10-mile radius
- • Focus ad spend on Monday-Wednesday promotions (need the help)
- • Retarget people who've engaged with your page
- • A/B test different images and copy with our target audience tool
Use our restaurant caption generator and hashtag research tool to optimize every post.
Measuring Promotion Performance
Track these metrics to understand what's working (and what's not):
Compare total revenue on promo days vs. non-promo days
Goal: 20-30% increase on slow days
Number of tables served during promotion vs. typical day
Goal: Fill 75%+ of capacity during slow periods
Make sure promotions don't hurt overall spending per table
Goal: Maintain or increase average check
Likes, comments, shares on promotion posts
Goal: 2-3x normal post engagement
Track how many promo customers are first-timers
Goal: 30-40% new customer acquisition
Do promo customers come back at full price?
Goal: 25%+ return within 30 days
Promotion Mistakes That Kill Profit Margins
Friday and Saturday don't need promotions - you're already full. Save discounts for Monday-Wednesday when you need the traffic.
"20% off your entire bill" trains customers to never pay full price. Instead, offer specific item deals or value-adds that protect margins.
Promotions without urgency don't drive immediate action. "Every Tuesday" works. "Limited time" works. "Sometimes maybe" doesn't.
Never discount what people already love and pay full price for. Promote slower-moving items or use them as upsells.
"Free appetizer" sounds great until someone orders it and water. Require entree purchase or minimum spend to protect margins.
Calculate your food cost percentage before offering deals. A $10 burger with 70% food cost leaves almost no room for discounts.
Complete Your Social Media Toolkit
Maximize your social media success with our other free tools
Restaurant Content Calendar
Generate weekly social media content for your restaurant
Menu Launch Campaign Generator
Create complete launch campaigns for new menu items
Restaurant Caption Generator
Create engaging captions for food photos
Restaurant Holiday Posts
Generate festive holiday posts for your restaurant
Baker Social Post Generator
Content calendar for bakeries and cake shops
Hashtag Generator
Find trending food and restaurant hashtags
⏰ Save 50% on all plans - Black Friday Offer
Schedule posts to 9 platforms in just 60 seconds
Start your free trial