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To earn new customers, you need to invest both time and money in your restaurant marketing. But before you focus on that, you have a lot of work to do on building a great menu, as well as beverage program including quality wine, beer, cocktails, gluten-free beverages, vegan drinks, and more.
Although it sounds simple to do, no menu types are easy to create. Once you narrow down the dishes you want to serve at your restaurant, you need to curate drinks that will complement them. Great food and drink pairing options can make a huge difference for any restaurant, resulting in more profits or even a Michelin Star!
People lately are educating themselves more on different diets and are looking for one that suits their lifestyle, health, and preferences. From paleo and veganism to carnivore and keto - there is a lot to cover. And a lot you can use for your restaurant marketing campaigns!
Although not every restaurant should cater to all different tastes and dietary plans, you can think about offering a wide variety of drinks that will satisfy your customers. One of the things to consider is adding gluten-free beverages, alongside vegan wine and coffee drinks with plant-based milks.
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Why Are Gluten-Free Beverages Becoming So Popular?
Gluten comes up in conversations a lot more lately and unfortunately, not for a good reason. An increasing number of people of all ages are discovering they are intolerant to gluten or allergic. Some even struggle with coeliac disease.
Because of all the aforementioned reasons, restaurant customers are looking for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic gluten-free drinks more than ever before. Gluten-free cocktail options and other beverages allow them to enjoy their fine or casual dining experience to the fullest.
Gluten-free beverages are even a desired alternative by people who are looking into living a healthier lifestyle and want to exclude gluten from their diet. They include specialty coffee drinks, teas and matcha drinks, juices, smoothies, cocktail drinks, and even gluten-free wine and gluten-free beer.
Key Takeaway: Use different channels to promote the gluten-free beverages served at your restaurant. Marketing will help you bring in new customers and increase brand awareness, which will result in higher profits.
How to Use Gluten-Free Beverages in Marketing Campaigns
Everyone in the hospitality industry is dealing with a lot of competition. Customers nowadays are constantly looking for something new and exciting to try. They don’t just look for a place to have a lovely brunch (see: what is brunch) or dinner. They are looking for experiences, as well as for businesses that share their values and cater to their needs.
These are the exact reasons why you should use gluten-free beverages, vegan non-alcoholic drinks, and coffee drinks with plant-based milk (and any other special type of drink you serve) to promote your business.
So here comes the tricky part. Once you have curated your gluten-free menu, you should start promoting your newest offers in various ways so you can reach as many people as possible.
Take Advantage of Social Media
One of the best ways to advertise your restaurant and all the food and beverages you serve is via social media. There are many different platforms you can use and create different content to promote your delicious food and tasty drinks.
- Instagram is a platform focusing mostly on visual content. From Reels and Stories to good old picture posts, you can experiment with the different options and showcase the items on your menu in various ways. Try posting regular updates when you add something new to the seasonal menu. For example, if you now add a range of gluten-free beverages, make sure to show them in pictures and video, but also announce them in your Stories.
- TikTok has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years and it’s a great tool for restaurant owners to use for promoting their food and beverages. Take some videos of the bartender making great cocktails, mocktails, and other drinks you would like to promote. When it comes to gluten-free beverages, make sure you show what precautions you are taking to make sure there’s no cross-contamination.
- Facebook, similar to Instagram is a platform where you can create different types of content. From videos and pictures to Stories and longer written posts, you should take advantage of it all. Give your customers information about the new additions to your menu. When talking about gluten-free drinks, make sure to explain what they are made of, the benefits, and how you prevent contact with gluten.
- Twitter can also be used to announce your latest offers. If you just added a new beverage to your menu, make sure you tell all your followers on Twitter about it. Attach a picture of the drink. Make sure you are using beautiful glassware to showcase the beverage in the best way possible.
These are the most popular platforms to use to promote your restaurant business and announce to the public that you are not offering delicious beverages that have zero gluten. However, you can also use LinkedIn, Snapchat, and even YouTube, and Pinterest to post your content and reach more people.
Don’t forget to encourage your customers to tag your social media accounts when they are visiting your restaurant and taking photos. This is a great way to keep your accounts active without creating the content yourself all the time. You can even offer special discounts to people who are sharing pictures when they are enjoying your latest menu additions! It’s a great way to improve customer experience and satisfaction.
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Create a Website
Don’t underestimate the importance of having your own website! Social media is great and in a way, easy to use. But the fast-paced nature of it can be overwhelming and also push back in your post some of the important things you want to say.
Create a website for your restaurant where you can update the menu, show special offers, show people beautiful pictures of the location, and even have customers sign up for a newsletter. When you gather the emails of current and potential customers, you will be able to send them emails when you have new menu items (like tasty gluten-free drinks) and special offers!
Email Marketing
Emails are also something people tend to underestimate. But once you have built a large contact list via your website, you can make a difference for your business by sending regular emails with offers, discounts, and information about the great cuisine and beverages available at your restaurant.
Menu Design and Marketing Materials
Now let’s go back into the real world and see what you can do besides online marketing. To make the gluten-free beverages at your restaurant catch the attention of customers, mark them on the menu in a special way or even create a separate section.
You can even create a separate menu only for your gluten-free options and have your waiters talk about them when serving the tables. People who struggle with gluten intolerance and allergies or related diseases will surely appreciate the fact you have such offers and took the time to mark them properly on the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gluten-Free Beverages at Restaurants
Let’s see what else is good to know about serving gluten-free beverages at your restaurant!
Should I Mark Gluten-Free Beverages in Some Way?
Marking gluten-free and vegan products as such is always recommended. Your customers with gluten intolerance and allergies, vegan lifestyle, and other specific dietary restrictions will surely appreciate the fact they can easily browse food and beverage options and choose something suitable.
Are Gluten-Free Products Niche?
Gluten-free products are now considered mainstream, rather than niche. Many manufacturers are now offering gluten-free products and cater to the needs of people who avoid gluten in the food and beverages they are consuming.
Why Is Gluten Becoming a Problem?
Gluten is causing health problems to people now more than before because of the number of processed foods being consumed nowadays. Before, gluten was not triggering such reactions as often as it does now and it’s important for people who have issues with it to avoid consuming products that contain gluten.