Trying a new restaurant can be a gamble for customers—no one wants to waste their hard-earned money on a meal that turns out to be subpar. That’s why attracting new customers can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. It’s your job to convince customers that your restaurant won’t disappoint them. But how? Check out these ideas to find out how you can lure first time customers into your restaurant.

Be different.

If you’re one of four burger joints in the same neighborhood, why should customers try your restaurant over the others? What makes you stand out? You need to make sure you clearly differentiate yourself from other similar restaurants. This isn’t to say you need to reinvent the wheel, but something needs to be unique. Whether it’s your atmosphere, the quality of your ingredients, or your impeccable service, you need to have something to draw people in.

Be active on social media.

Post pictures of your food on Instagram, tweet about your specials, and post regularly on Facebook. And, be sure to interact with people. Staying engaged with your community and being open to communication is one way to attract new customers. Social media can have a huge reach, and it can introduce you to many new people.

Word of mouth.

Nothing brings in new customers like the recommendations of their family, friends, and coworkers. One of the best ways you can attract new diners is by keeping your current diners happy. When they brag to everyone about the awesome experience they had at your bar or restaurant, everyone who listens in will be that much more likely to check you out. Best of all? Word of mouth is totally free.

Review websites.

Be sure to scan your Yelp reviews (and other review sites, too). Remember, this is what potential customers will see when they look you up. If there’s a lot of negative feedback, work on correcting your faults. Hopefully by fixing your problem areas, you can make your restaurant a lot more attractive to new customers. And by responding to complaints, you’ll show potential customers that you care about your customer service.

Daily deals.

Daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social are a bit controversial. There’s some debate about whether or not they work, and using them too often can devalue your brand. But if you’re looking to get the word out about your restaurant and entice new customers, it might be a good idea to try out a daily deal site once.

Coupons for first time customers.

Many customers aren’t willing to take a chance with a new restaurant, but if you can offer them a deal, they might be more likely to try something new. Try using coupons that offer deals for first time customers.

Although getting new customers to walk through your doors might seem difficult, it’s definitely not impossible. Try out a few of these tips and see if you can bring in more first time customers!
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