How to Attract More Repeat Restaurant Customers and Keep Them Hooked

Let's be real – running a successful restaurant is no walk in the park. Sure, crafting the perfect dish or serving delectable desserts helps reel customers in, but there's more to the mix if you want them coming back for seconds (or thirds!).

If you’re running a restaurant and wondering how to attract repeat restaurant customers, you’ve come to the right place.

First, let’s quickly touch on why retaining restaurant customers is so important.

Establishing a solid base of loyal restaurant customers is essential for boosting your bottom line, enhancing your reputation, and thriving in today’s competitive landscape. Loyal restaurant customers become advocates, amplifying positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Furthermore, having a steady stream of regulars creates a sense of community and familiarity that makes your restaurant a special place. But here's the golden question: how do you make sure there's a constant flow of food enthusiasts, special occasion diners, and local regulars making a beeline for your restaurant?

In this article, we’ll take a look at some restaurant customer retention strategies proven to attract and retain repeat customers, fostering a thriving restaurant business.

1. Focus on Stellar Customer Service

Creating memorable customer experiences and delivering exceptional, consistent customer service is an integral part of any successful business, and restaurants are no exception. To win more repeat customers, your restaurant needs to focus on creating a high-quality and reliable level of customer service.  

As a restaurant seeking to attract repeat restaurant customers, this means going above and beyond to ensure that your customers are satisfied and feel valued.

Small touches like offering a free appetizer or a sample of a new menu item can leave a lasting impression.

A great example of this could be offering a sample of your bruschetta or calamari on a Friday night, to kickstart the weekend for your diners.

Or, writing a fun, themed message on your blackboards can entice anyone to come in for a meal and drinks.

Small touches like these boost your customer satisfaction in subtle ways, which over time will boost retention and keep your restaurant front of mind.

2. Hire Passionate Staff to Make Your Customers Happy

Hiring passionate waitstaff and hosts who can engage with customers is essential to any restaurant's customer retention strategy, as well as creating a welcoming atmosphere – so it does pay off to employ the right people who’ll be ambassadors for your restaurant.

Emphasize the importance of remembering your regular customers’ names to your staff, as this is one way to make people feel special and keep them coming back for that great service. After all, there’s no greater sound to hear than your name.

Challenge your staff to remember customers’ specific orders, and even what they might like to try based on that.

Even something like offering a complimentary birthday dessert can bring a smile to a customer’s face and make their day a little brighter; which for you, can translate to motivated staff and loyal restaurant customers.

Also, if you have a restaurant loyalty program, ensure that your staff are trained on how it works (as staff advocacy is the best way to get customers on the program). If you don’t yet have a loyalty program, this leads us to our next point…

3. Introduce a Restaurant Loyalty Program

Considering that acquiring a new customer costs around five times more than retaining an existing customer, it’s safe to say that focusing on building customer loyalty literally pays off!

Studies have found that increasing customer retention by as little as 5% can increase business profitability by as much as 90%. So, when it comes to keeping your customers engaged and ensuring that your restaurant is front-of-mind for any occasion at any time, a restaurant customer loyalty program can go a long way.

A punch card loyalty program is a straightforward and highly effective way for restaurants to encourage repeat business. This is due to the concept being incredibly easy for customers to understand and simple for restaurants to operate.

Except for those living under a rock, everyone is familiar with the punch card concept, regardless of age or technological familiarity. It's a universal loyalty approach.

Traditionally, customers collect stamps or punches on a physical card for each purchase or visit. Once they collect a certain number of stamps, they earn a reward.

However, there are now loyalty apps like Stamp Me that allow businesses to combine the familiarity of the traditional punch card system with the convenience and benefits of digital technology.

Benefits of using a Punch Card App for Restaurant Loyalty Programs:

• Convenience: Customers don't need to carry a physical card. They can simply use their smartphones to track their progress and earn rewards.
  
  
• Always Accessible: Customers are less likely to forget or lose a digital punch card since it's stored on their phones. This keeps them engaged in the loyalty program and your restaurant.
  
  
• Real-Time Tracking: Both customers and restaurant staff can track progress in real time. This transparency creates a sense of trust and prevents disputes over punch counts.
  
  
• Notifications: Apps like Stamp Me can send notifications to promote special offers, or to automatically reengage them when they haven’t stamped in a while, which prompts repeat visits.
  
  
• Data Insights: Digital systems like Stamp Me allow restaurants like yours to explore downloadable data on customer information and behavior.
  
  
• Gamification: Digital punch card apps can incorporate gamified elements to make earning rewards more engaging. For example, with Stamp Me, you can run Scratch & Win campaigns.
  
  
• Cost Efficiency & Easy Maintenance: While there’s an initial cost, digital punch card apps can save money in the long term by eliminating physical cards and administrative tasks. Moreover, adjusting rewards, tracking success, and modifying the program features can be managed effectively.
  
  
• Wider Reach & Sustainability: Punch card apps appeal to tech-savvy customers, especially millennials and younger generations familiar with digital interactions. Simultaneously, they contribute to sustainability efforts by reducing paper waste.
  
  
• Integration: These apps can be integrated with other marketing and loyalty initiatives (like email platforms), enhancing the overall customer engagement strategy.

You can find details of all Stamp Me’s features here, or if you’d like to try it out for yourself, you can get started for free.

See how Motte’s Cafe Verde Real Mexican has been using Stamp Me to reward their customers and encourage retention.

4. Engage on Social Media

Connecting through social media is essential for any business – this is a restaurant customer retention strategy that you shouldn’t overlook. Showcasing delectable dishes, artful cocktails or cozy interiors is a great way to attract new customers and engage with your current ones.

Platforms like Instagram are ideal for restaurant content, as you can promote your business with hashtags, emojis, and catchy captions to perk people’s attention.

By establishing your presence on social media, restaurant businesses can directly interact with customers provide updates, and send subtle reminders to book a table for a special occasion or to try your new seasonal menu. Social media is also a powerful way for customers to connect directly with businesses, without needing to send an email or pick up the phone.

In addition to providing subtle restaurant reminders and more accessibility to staff, social media also provides a unique opportunity for restaurants to build a sense of community which can help to attract repeat restaurant customers.

5. Keep Operating Hours Consistent

Nothing frustrates a customer more than finding your restaurant closed when your online hours indicate otherwise. If your restaurant is interested in building a repeat, loyal customer base, then you need to be consistent with your trading hours and ensure that any changes are well-documented ahead of time on your website and your Google business listing.  

Studies indicate that more than 76% of customers will check online before visiting a physical location, so it’s essential to keep your business’ contact details up to date.  

6. Offer Reservation and Event Options

Balancing work, family, and social life means many cherish their restaurant time. It can be a time to catch up with friends, celebrate special occasions, or wind down alone with a nice meal and a glass of wine. That’s why it’s so important for restaurants to offer reservation options.

Make it easy for people to reserve a table or skip the line, to assist in making their restaurant time strictly a good time.

As well as this, introducing themed nights, such as for national holidays or special events, to give customers a unique experience. These will create a point of difference for your restaurant and attract repeat, happy customers.

All in all, if customers feel it’s easy to plan their visits and they have exciting reasons to do so, they’ll visit more often.

7. Collaborate with Local Businesses

It's a no-brainer: partnering with local businesses is a win-win for restaurants! Not only does it help to support the community and foster a sense of camaraderie, but it also has the potential to bring in a whole new pool of customers.

Imagine partnering with a local brewery and offering a free beer tasting with every meal purchase. Or team up with a local theater and offer a discount on appetizers for ticket holders.  

The possibilities are endless, and the benefits are clear: more repeat customers and a stronger connection to the community. So don't be afraid to reach out to those local businesses and see what kind of partnerships they are open to - it's sure to be a success.  

8. Encourage and Act on Feedback

When it comes to getting feedback in the form of online reviews or even face-to-face, things can go one of two ways: restaurant owners can get offended and annoyed, or they can take the time to understand the root of the feedback to make changes and improvements to strengthen business in the long term.  

By encouraging feedback from your customers, you’re showing that you value their opinions, making them feel seen and heard. This is an important way to attract repeat restaurant customers, as 77% of consumers view businesses more favorably if they seek out and apply customer feedback.

You can encourage customer feedback on a range of topics, such as your restaurant loyalty program, menu items, customer service, or just general information about how they like your restaurant.

A loyalty program is a great way to gain feedback from your customers, as you can incentivize them with rewards for responding to your surveys or leaving a review.

9. Diversify Your Menu

We all love our signature dishes and go-to orders, but it’s also important for your restaurant to introduce new menu items to set yourselves apart from the competition. This is a great restaurant customer retention strategy, as it also allows you to get creative with your business.

If you want to win more repeat customers, consider introducing seasonal specials, drawing inspiration from global cuisine trends, or offering healthier options and vegetarian/vegan choices to cater to a wider audience. Enhancing the customer journey with suggested food and drink pairings can amplify sales and satisfaction as well.

Broadening your menu also shows your customers that you’re keeping up with trends and taking an active interest in what items would appeal to and attract repeat restaurant customers.

With a diverse menu and specials rotation, your restaurant can appeal to a wider range of customers and radically increase your bottom line, attracting repeat restaurant customers in the process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, attracting repeat restaurant customers is possible through several key elements. By prioritizing exceptional service, fostering community ties, and continuously innovating your offerings, you’ll ensure your restaurant is everyone’s go-to. After all, success lies in consistent effort, creativity, and genuine connection.