Jan
22

Café and Restaurant Packaging Ideas to Increase Sales

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Ash Bennett

Have you ever thought that some simple packaging solutions could increase your sales? Here are some ideas for doing just that. You can’t anticipate the needs of your customers every day. You can only give them options. You can also spruce things up with some added details that will charm them into returning time and again.

Street Eats

Got a big city-wide event approaching like the Melbourne Cup or Arts Festival? While you may not be able to take your restaurant to the street, you can offer meals that customers can take with them. Food cones are a fun way to highlight meals that buyers can walk out the door eating. Balancing a plate in one hand and utensil in another while standing can be cumbersome, holding a cone shaped dish is far easier. Paper cones work excellent for cold items while bamboo cones house hot meals for on the go eaters. Stuff them with salad, noodles, fried snacks, or fruit. The sky is the limit.

Grab and Go Lunches

Pre-packaged meals from your restaurant or café can draw in customers while they are between activities, on their way to work, or on their way home but don’t want to cook. The number of customers looking for pre-packaged lunch options is increasing every year. The morning rush is an excellent time to package up a few grab and go meals with quality items that appeal to customers.  Make it clear on your menu that these items are available, so customers don’t walk by because they think they have to wait. Salads, fruit, and noodles can be kept in a case ready to dish into a take away box.

Hidden Details

When you customers leave your café or restaurant, ensure they come back by going that extra mile. In addition to healthy and quality food, add decorative tissue to the take away boxes, or even a charming photo of your restaurant. Throw in a paper menu so they will remember how good the food is. Within your grab and go lunches, wrap sandwiches in brown paper or foil sealed with a sticker with your logo on it. Provide utensils with the meal, so customers aren’t reaching around other patrons to get what they need. They will remember the experience and become a return customer.

Sustainability

Sustainability sells, more so with each passing year. Go with eco-friendly take away packaging to increase your sales, and draw in a new market. There are so many options, from bamboo to Kraft-fiber, to simple biodegradable cardboard; restaurants with biodegradable options send the message that they are committed to eco-friendly values. Make it known to everyone entering your café or restaurant that you’re working toward sustainability, and they will respond by being committed to you.

Packaging can increase your restaurant sales by appealing to customers with busy schedules and eco-friendly values. Adding reminders of where they got the delicious food, even after they’ve long left the café, will keep them coming back. Customers that find your establishment on their way to work will quickly become regulars when they realize they can get a quick and healthy meal.