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Top 5 Restaurant Grand Opening Event Ideas

We know it can be challenging coming up with good restaurant grand opening event ideas. To help you out, here is a list of great ideas that will undoubtedly bring a crowd.

You’ve been planning meticulously to finally open your restaurant. You want to solidify your reputation and popularity in the community. The best idea is to host a grand opening event. However, we know it can be challenging coming up with good restaurant grand opening event ideas. To help you out, here is a list of great ideas that will undoubtedly bring a crowd.  

1. Host a Soft Opening

A restaurant soft opening is a fantastic way to reduce uncertainty leading up to the grand opening and solicit feedback. Hold the soft opening a few weeks before the big event. Essentially, the soft opening provides a test run before you officially open the place. You can invite friends and family to taste your dishes and sample your menu. If you invite genuine people, they will provide valuable and honest feedback. Then you will learn what menu items actually work and what don’t.

2. Community Dinner

restaurant grand opening event ideas

Community events can turn your restaurant into everyone’s favorite spot in the city. These events allow you to reach out to locals and get to know the neighborhood a little better. To create a personal connection, be sure to hand-deliver the invitations and business cards. This can earn you goodwill and increase the likelihood of meeting potential business partners.

You can serve the dinner either outdoors or indoors. Make it more exciting by hiring a local band. If you prefer a themed grand opening event, use your restaurant’s theme as the inspiration for decor and music.

3. Support Local Charities

Partnering with a local charity can attract the right kind of people. It also allows you to initiate business relationships that could bring tremendous value in the future. The best charitable organization to partner with is one that directly impacts your business or personal life. When you partner with a local charity, it also becomes easier to promote your restaurant by getting the attention of the local media, thereby having a lasting positive effect on your reputation.

4. Free Perks, Discounts, and Special Offers

People love gifts. They love free stuff. Have something irresistible to give your guests during the grand opening ceremony. Offer free drinks, desserts, sunglasses, etc. Make them feel special so they can have a positive association with your brand. Offering discounts can convince the guests to choose your place over similarly priced businesses in town.

You can attract more customers by providing other types of special offers, not just discounts and giveaways. Have at least one ‘bounce-back’ offer which is redeemable on a later day. This will encourage guests to come back.

5. Influencers

Influencers are a quick way to spread the good news. These are people with a huge social media following so they can help you generate a buzz. A single picture of your restaurant on their Instagram can lead to hundreds of visitors flocking your restaurant. Like word-of-mouth, social media trends can spread like wildfire.

Planning for a Successful Grand Opening

A restaurant grand opening event might seem like just another fun-filled occasion. The reality is, it is a critical part of your marketing strategy that can make or break the initial success of your restaurant. There’s a lot to consider when planning for a successful grand opening. Choose the day and time wisely and don’t forget the most important guests. The details differ according to the type of restaurant you are opening. Your restaurant grand opening event ideas need to outmatch the competitors and attract a huge crowd.

Get started on the right foot by partnering with our experts. Synuma provides the most up-to-date technological solutions to help you manage staff, costs, and data. Let us know your small business plan so we can create a personalized solution.