We all have our favorite, go-to restaurants. And we also have the ones that we pass and think “we should go there sometime.” How can a restaurant make sometime now?
While there are a number of promotional plans and marketing tactics that can be utilized, window displays are among the most effective. Retail Magazine estimates that “Window displays alone can boost foot traffic by 23%.”
Let’s look at 6 restaurant window display ideas that can help increase foot traffic.
You’ve got your name on the door but it doesn’t really explain what kind of restaurant you are.
Using images and design elements, you can quickly convey a lot about what people can expect when they step inside.
Use the space on your windows to get people excited about what excites your restaurant.
Whatever special events or offerings or changes to your space you’ve made, restaurant window graphics are a great way to get patrons curious.
Communities are possessive about their restaurants. When you visit a new town, people often say “Oh you have to visit our (restaurant name.)” A restaurant window display would be a great place to carry on that civic pride.
With these types of restaurant window display ideas you are subtly promoting the restaurant by promoting what’s important to you.
Seasonal celebrations can be fun restaurant window display ideas. But the first thing you have to decide is what seasons you are celebrating.
Of course, there is always the option to create a restaurant window display that uses all of the key markers of each season in one fun display.
The window display ideas up to now have all been message-based, but what if you considered an artistic approach. You could cover your windows in colors and shapes that added to the aesthetic of your building. They don’t overtly invite people in, but they can create an atmosphere that induces people to see what’s inside.
There isn’t a rule that window graphics for restaurants have to focus on food. A fun display would be one that grabs a person’s attention in a viral way. You can use digital window graphics or even augmented reality to capture attention.
Imagine walking by your restaurant, looking in the window and seeing:
These displays get people walking in and later telling friends and sharing pics on social media. The goal is to create a conversation or in a sense, go viral, to create greater awareness of the restaurant and by doing so drive new visits.
Whatever you put onto your restaurant window graphics, consider supporting it with a QR code printed right into the graphic. This creates an opportunity to extend the experience the patron first encountered in the display.
You can use the QR code to:
A QR code could even build new opportunities for awareness and engagement. For example, if your window graphics celebrate the community, the QR code may take you to a “Where’s Waldo” type of game where the patron has to find the restaurant mascot in that same window graphic. Doing so can earn them a free drink. It’s a great opportunity to close on a customer interaction that started when they looked in the window.
These window display ideas can be used whether you have two windows or an entire glass facade. The real decision shouldn’t be space-based, but which direction best represents your brand.
When you’re ready to create a restaurant window display that will turn “next-time patrons” into “let’s eat diners”, the team at LINTEC can help. Contact them today to discuss the types of window displays that might be best for your restaurant.