Restaurant gift cards are a great way to give a boost to your bottom line. In fact, according to a recent National Restaurant Association study, gift cards appeal to 72% of people.

Consumers today are looking for easy gift-giving ideas… and what better way to give someone a special gift, but to gift them a restaurant card?

We love to see our clients building their loyalty programs and in turn sales, and gift cards are a great way to increase restaurant sales. Gift cards are a perfect gift-giving choice because it offers an experience that appeals to any and all demographics. We recently gave our clients proven methods to avoid getting caught in a sales slump and one of the best, and most inexpensive, ways to boost a restaurant’s loyalty, and in turn bottom line, is through offering and developing an engaging gift card marketing campaign.

Start by utilizing your database as the great marketing tool it is. Dig into your database to develop an email marketing campaign to announce, up sell, and offer specifics on how guests can effortlessly order your gift cards. Make it easy for guests to place their restaurant gift vouchers and restaurant gift card orders directly on your website. Clearly highlight your gift card order selections online with its own ‘Gift Cards’ tab on your website, with features spotlighting the most convenient ways to purchase/send either a physical gift card by mail or allow purchasers to choose an eGift card that can be instantly emailed to the recipient (and printed). You can allow guests to purchase an OpenTable gift card for use in your restaurant as well.

Another great gift card point-of-sale option is in-store availability. Carve out a clear point-of-sale area in-store so guests can purchase your restaurant gift cards without any hassle. Train all FOH staff on payment and procedure to further streamline the process.

Get your team excited about up selling gift cards. We promise, it’s a win-win for your bottom line and guest gift-giving ease.