St. Patrick’s Day Promotion Ideas for Your Bar or Restaurant
St. Patrick’s Day is a huge marketing opportunity for the bar and restaurant industries, one of the biggest since New Year’s Eve. March 17 is the day, and typically promotions will run the entire week leading up to it. If St. Patrick’s Day falls on a weekday, the weekend before is when the party is. You don’t have to limit the celebration and promotions to that day or week; the party can last all month long. People celebrate the holiday in different ways, but food, drink, and music are the holy trinity for the day and accompany any good party. No matter how your customers recognize the holiday, you want to make sure you run promotions that will bring them in for a glass of stout, some great food, and Irish music. Read on for some St. Patrick’s Day promotion ideas for your bar or restaurant.
Give Away Green Gear
Make March 17 the center of the promotion, no matter what weekday it falls on. Offer some great specials and hand out all things green to customers as they come in the door. The little effort it takes to provide fun party favors will go a long way toward building your establishment’s reputation as a fun place to be. Pass out shamrock necklaces, leprechaun hats, and other fun giveaways, then cover everything that will sit still in green St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
Bring in the Pipers
People enjoy traditional Irish music, and it will keep them in your place beyond just one round. Bring in a band for the day to entertain the crowd. Set your event apart by booking a band that features bagpipes. If you have space limitations, then book an acoustic band; they aren’t as loud as electric guitars or bagpipes, and they can set up anywhere because there are no power needs to meet.
Hide Clovers Around the Space
Turn the day into a scavenger hunt by hiding some lucky four-leaf clovers around your place. Put them in places that are findable but not necessarily out in the open. Offer a prize to whoever is lucky enough to find one, like 25 percent off their bill or a free appetizer. Advertise it on social media so customers know that if they come in, they have a chance to win a prize.
Offer Clever Discounts
Set up a promotion around green drinks like apple martinis or green beer. Offer on-the-spot discounts to whoever is wearing the greenest or the most Irish outfit. People love fun holiday promotions, so get creative. Just make sure to check local laws if giving away promotions on drinks.
Have a Special Menu
As the holiday approaches, start offering a special food menu to commemorate the day. You can offer the Irish staples like shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, or bangers and mash (that’s Irish sausages and mashed potatoes). These are menu items not normally found the other days of the year, but people seek them out on St. Patrick’s Day, so give the people what they want.