Offer Early Bird Specials at Your Restaurant to Woo Seniors

So far I have discussed ways for creating family oriented and kids friendly restaurants, but one thing I have yet to mention is that some of the most loyal customers you will have are the seniors who frequent your restaurant. Many times, they will return to a place time and again when they enjoy the food and the service. If you have a nice and clean establishment and restaurant seating that is comfortable for seniors, they will return. They will usually bring their friends along with them too, and that means better business for you. It is true that the seniors often have greater demands than other restaurant goers have, and they may be more adamant in those demands. However, their loyalty can outweigh their needs. You should reward their loyalty with early bird specials and senior discounts.

When you are trying to come up with some specials that can entice the seniors to come into your place, consider the things that they already enjoy. The early bird special is popular and many restaurants have it. The reason it is so popular for restaurant owners is because it works. Offer a discount for seniors who come in and order early. Take a few days to note the habits and the times that most of the seniors come into your restaurant. For example, if you notice more seniors coming in between 3 and 5, this should be when you run the special.

While the early bird special is a great dinner option, what will you be able to do to get seniors into your restaurant throughout the day?  Many times in the morning, seniors will come into the restaurant together and sit and have coffee for several hours. Consider unlimited coffee refills until 11AM. You might even want to offer free coffee for seniors who buy a pastry or a full breakfast in the morning. Do everything that you can to make their experience pleasant, and you will find that they are generally going to be very grateful. They will also let all of their friends know, and that could boost your morning attendance.

You can have a separate menu that offers special discounts that only seniors will be able to receive, but keep in mind that not all seniors are going to want to order from that menu. Whether they don’t like to be reminded of their age, or they simply don’t want to order the specials you are offering, that is their choice.