Yes having an organic, green or environmentally-conscious restaurants is becoming a popular trend now, but that doesn’t make it easy, especially in this economy. If you are committed to doing a little good with a “green” restaurant, you have every right to hope to see some benefits for your business. You know how a sustainable or organic restaurant takes incredible investment of time, money and energy. Your customers do too. If you market it effectively, it goes without saying that your customers or potential customers appreciate your dedication. Just check out this video to see how positively customers look upon green restaurants:
Here are some tips to marketing to customers:
- Integrate “Green” Into Your Brand
Whether it is or it isn’t the primary unique selling point of your restaurant, your restaurant should integrate your commitment to sustainability or your usage of organic food into your brand. There are exceptions, particularly with organic restaurants that in some areas have to battle the stigma of being environmentally conscious. However, sustainability is an almost universally appealing idea to customers. It is about knowing the demographics of your potential customers.
- Use Different Marketing Channels
So think about to what extent the green aspect of your restaurant can advance your brand. Obviously, to incorporate this into your brand, your restaurant should employ your website, Facebook Page and other online resources along with in-house marketing (such as signage etc.). Don’t only rely on text. Pictures of actual “green” actions are much more powerful. If you have a photograph of you with a local farmer, customers will see the actions behind the words. If it doesn’t alienate your customers, you should play a role in the community of people concerned about the environment.
- Present a Clear Message
Customers need to know what are you doing and why. It may be good to write a paragraph on your website about your green philosophy along with a small blurb on your menu. This should be clear, but should not suggest that you are doing everything “green.” No restaurant is perfectly sustainable or organic. Also, when describing your green philosophy, remember not go over the top; you don’t want to seem like you are being self-righteous. Your restaurant will be more successful if you emphasize that you are doing this to make the world a little better place, not pressuring others to follow suit. You should be focused on showing why you are better than over other restaurants, without actually saying it.
- See Your Actions on a Day-to-Day Basis
Give customers a way to connect with the every day part of being a “green” restaurant. Choose a vegetable of the day that you get from a local farm. It’s important that customers know what you are doing to be a “green” restaurant. Maybe your ingredients slightly change because of the way you get ingredients. Anyway to involve your customers in the greening of your restaurant is sure to get them excited about it.
- Explain How You Are Green and Leave Room for Improvement
In this spirit, you should concentrate on the actual activities that make your restaurant good for the environment. Be as specific as possible without overwhelming the customer. You should also welcome additional suggestions to make your restaurant even better. You should have literature about the environmental role of your restaurant, along with a knowledgeable staff who can explain what happens at your business regarding the environment.
Yet, it is the exception that a restaurant owner chooses to be green as a business decision. Generally, it is because they care about the world. So do many of their customers. In this case, all good marketing does is make it so that the customers can find the restaurants with their outlook.