Market With Gift Certificates

There is a great little restaurant down the street from me. They have good food and friendly service, but it's a shoestring operation that has to keep on their toes to make payroll. They did a very smart thing during the holiday season.

When I went to the cash register to pay my tab the waiter handed me a $15 gift certificate. "That's a gift to thank you for coming in each week," he said. How can this struggling restaurant afford to give away gift certificates?

I noticed a big pile of these gift certificates next to the cash register. Obviously they were handing these freebies out to all their customers.

It's a very smart move. While $15 is a nice amount, my tab always comes to more. I'm sure that is the case for almost all their customers. During the cold, dark months of January and February when others restaurants have lots of empty tables, this little restaurant is packed with customers returning with their gift certificates. The amount deducted from each tab is considered a small price for having the place filled during otherwise slow months.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.

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