I’ve watched thousands of restaurant owners throw money at promotions that not only fail to bring customers back, but actually hurt their business in the long run.
“Buy one, get one free!” “50% off appetizers!” “Happy hour all day!”
Sound familiar?
These promotions might pack your restaurant for a week, but here’s what happens next: customers disappear until your next discount. You’ve trained them that your food is only worth eating when it’s cheap.
That’s not a promotion. That’s a slow death spiral.
After 25 years and owning 6 restaurants and helping over 5,000 restaurant owners create successful promotions, I’ve learned something crucial:
90% of restaurant promotions fail because they’re built backwards.
Most owners focus on what they’re giving away instead of what they’re getting back.
The 3 Elements Every Successful Promotion Must Have
If you want to create promotions that actually bring customers back (instead of training them to wait for discounts), you need these three non-negotiable elements:
Element #1: Psychology Over Discounts
The best promotions don’t compete on price – they tap into human psychology.
Think about it: when McDonald’s runs Monopoly, are people excited about saving money? No. They’re excited about the possibility of winning.
When Starbucks brings back Pumpkin Spice Lattes, customers aren’t looking for a deal – they’re looking for an experience they can only get at a certain time.
The most powerful psychological trigger? Curiosity.
People will drive across town to satisfy their curiosity, but they’ll skip a 50% off deal if they’re not in the mood. Curiosity creates urgency that discounts never can.
Element #2: Simplicity Beats Complexity
Here’s where most restaurant promotions die: complexity.
“Download our app, create an account, enter this code, share on social media, tag three friends, and you’ll get 15% off your next visit if you spend over $25 on Tuesdays between 3-5 PM.”
Your customers gave up reading halfway through that sentence.
The best promotions have one simple rule that anyone can understand in five seconds or less. If you need a paragraph to explain it, you’ve already lost.
Element #3: Future Commitment Creates Return Visits
This is the secret most restaurant owners never figure out: successful promotions don’t just reward the current visit – they guarantee a future visit.
Most promotions work like this: “Come in today, get a discount today, goodbye forever.”
Successful promotions work like this: “Do something today that requires you to come back later.”
This creates what psychologists call a “commitment device.” Once someone commits to returning, they’re far more likely to follow through than if you just hope they’ll remember you exist.
The Breakdown Of The Perfect Restaurant Promotion
Let me show you how these three elements work together with a promotion that’s generated $506 million in additional sales for restaurant owners over the past 18 years.
It’s called the Red Envelope promotion, and it hits all three elements perfectly:
Psychology Over Discounts: Instead of offering money off, you hand customers a sealed envelope with a prize inside. The envelope is stamped “No Peeking – Open in January.” The psychological trigger isn’t savings – it’s curiosity. What did I win? Customers literally cannot resist finding out.
Simplicity: The rule is so simple a five-year-old could understand it: “Bring this back in January and see what you won.” No apps. No codes. No complicated terms. Just pure, irresistible simplicity.
Future Commitment: Here’s the genius part – you’re using your busy December to guarantee packed tables in January. Every envelope handed out in December becomes a commitment to return in January. You’re not hoping they’ll come back. You’re ensuring it.
Tom from Sluggo’s Sports Bar increased sales to $190,000 in his slowest month using this exact system. Cheryl from Gianelli’s Pizza increased sales by $90,000. Patrick from Ajo Al’s calls it “the promotion that continually makes January one of our busiest months.”
Other Promotions That Work (Using the Same 3 Elements)
The Red Envelope isn’t the only promotion that works. Here are other examples that hit all three elements:
- Birthday Club with Future Rewards: Collect birthdays, but the reward comes next month (future commitment + psychology of special treatment + simple signup)
- Scratch Off Cards: Same concept as Red Envelope but different delivery.
- Seasonal Menu Previews: VIP customers get to try next season’s menu early (exclusivity psychology + simple invitation + commitment to return for full launch)
Notice none of these compete on price. They all create reasons to return that have nothing to do with discounts.
The Promotion Mistakes That Kill Restaurants
Before you create your next promotion, avoid these fatal mistakes:
❌ Making it about price: Discounts attract bargain hunters, not loyal customers
❌ Overcomplicating the rules: If you need fine print, start over
❌ Focusing on one-time visits: Every promotion should create a reason to return
❌ Copying what everyone else does: “Buy one, get one” isn’t a strategy
❌ No follow-up plan: What happens after the promotion ends?
Your Next Steps To A Successful Promotion
The difference between restaurants that thrive and restaurants that barely survive often comes down to one thing: understanding that promotions aren’t about giving stuff away – they’re about creating reasons for customers to keep coming back.
The Red Envelope promotion has been the annual blockbuster for thousands of restaurant owners because it does exactly that. It transforms January from the worst month of the year into one of the best, using nothing but psychology, simplicity, and smart commitment devices.
We handle everything: design, printing, stuffing, and shipping. You just hand them out in December and watch your January transform.
Ready to see how restaurant owners are turning their slowest month into their most profitable?
Don’t spend another year hoping your promotions will work. Use the three elements that guarantee they will.
Michael Thibault
Known as “The Done For You Marketing Guy for Restaurants.” International Speaker on Restaurant Marketing. Published contributing author of 4 Marketing Books. Industry expert on Google Searches and Review Sites. Recovering Independent Restaurant Owner and Caterer of over 21 years. And, all-around good guy.
