10 tips for attracting customers to your terrace and restaurant in the summer

The warm weather is finally here! And sunshine means terraces. But it's also time to prepare your restaurant to attract customers during the summer season. With local customers going on vacation, tourists arriving and temperatures soaring, you need to adapt your restaurant and your communications!

Gone are the fireplaces and the roast Camemberts, in favor of fresh produce and terraces. Many people want to eat or drink outdoors, but it's often difficult to know where. The arrival of the summer period is therefore the ideal opportunity for restaurateurs to make adjustments to attract and satisfy summer customers. Here are 10 tips for adapting your restaurant to take full advantage of this period and boost your sales!

1. Adapt your restaurant menu to suit the summer season

A seasonal menu: Opt for fresh, local ingredients to create delicious, appealing summer dishes. By choosing local produce, you're not only promoting quality, but also contributing to the local economy and the preservation of the environment.

• Find the best suppliers near you, thanks to the Stoquemarket marketplace!

Freshness and lightness are the order of the day: cut down on hearty portions and hot dishes, and opt instead for light, refreshing options. Incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as melon, watermelon and cucumber, brings freshness to your plates. Depending on the season, your customers' gastronomic preferences vary. In winter, they tend to opt for unique, warm and comforting dishes. However, with milder temperatures, expectations turn to lighter, fresher dishes, both in terms of flavor and texture.

Dishes for sharing : Summertime is all about fun and relaxation, with guests looking to enjoy themselves to the full. What better way to promote this warm, friendly atmosphere than with dishes to share? 

Must-have cool drinks: Add summer drinks such as ice coffee, rosé pool wine and spritz to your menu, not forgetting non-alcoholic cocktails, which are very much in vogue at the moment.

Self-service water carafes in your restaurant: To welcome your customers in hot weather, offer water carafes. You can even go one step further and add fresh fruit and plants. A refreshing touch that's sure to please!

2. Design your restaurant's terrace to attract customers and create a relaxed atmosphere

A comfortable, well-decorated terrace: Choose pleasant furnishings and add a touch of sunshine to the decor, to attract customers to your restaurant. Plants can also enhance the space! But choose carefully to avoid unpleasant odours or attracting mosquitoes. And don't forget umbrellas in case of hot weather. Leave nothing to chance!

A magical play of light : For a magical touch when night falls, and to maximize the appeal of your evening service, add lighting such as string lights, lanterns or candles. These little details add an extra touch to your restaurant's terrace.

A chill playlist in the background : play relaxing music in the background to complete the ambience of your terrace!

Foggers and fans: Anticipate hot weather by installing foggers on your terrace and fans inside your restaurant.

3. Inform your customers of summer opening times

Adjusted schedules and informed customers: The days are getting longer, the sun is setting later. Adapt your opening hours to the rhythm of summer and your customers. Customers tend to dine later and extend their evenings. Then make sure you update your opening times on all the platforms where you exist online, and notify your customers via social media. 

• To find out everything you need to know about updating your restaurant's opening hours, why it's important and how to go about it, follow us HERE.

Closing for summer vacations: If you plan to close during the summer vacations, let your customers know in advance. This will encourage them to visit you before you close. Also, don't forget to mention it on Google and other directories to improve your referencing, and to avoid Internet users finding themselves in front of your closed door.

4. Adapt your keyword strategy to seasonality

Seasonally relevant keywords : Update your SEO strategy by using popular summer keywords such as "rosé", "terrace", "sun"... to position yourself at the top of searches carried out by summer customers. Internet users no longer search for "heated terrace" or "raclette" during these sunny months!

• Discover HERE the SEO calendar of the most searched keywords by time of year.

No. 1 in search results : To move up the results for your new summer keywords, and attract customers online, you need to use them wisely. Include them in the captions of your Google publications, as well as in your responses to customer reviews. In this way, you'll optimize your SEO.

• Discover HERE our 16 tips on how to make your restaurant's listing rank No. 1 in search results.

5. Liven up your social media with sunny summer content to attract customers on Instagram and Facebook

A sunny photo shoot: Highlight your terrace and your new menu with a professional photo shoot. Be sure to prepare a briefing before the shoot so you don't forget anything.

• Want to create your own content? We've got all our tips for unprofessional food photographers HERE

Attractive content : It's sunny, it's vacation. Reflect this sunny, jovial atmosphere in your Instagram feed. To do this, use bright colors and luminosity in your photos and videos. Set aside dark, wintry moods.

Summer events to capitalize on: Many local events take place in the summer, so take advantage of them to attract customers on those specific dates! The Fête de la Musique, for example, is the perfect opportunity to boost your sales in just one evening!

6. Focus on your terrace to attract more customers

The terrace, star of your social media : Regularly share photos and news highlighting your restaurant's terrace on Instagram, Facebook, Google. Internet users need to know that you have a terrace when they arrive on your online pages. 

Your terrace highlighted in your keywords: Searches for "terrace" are becoming increasingly popular as the weather warms up. If you want to reach customers looking for a good time outdoors, you need to appear in their search results. Use the word "terrace" and its derivatives in your keyword strategy.

Sponsorship : To reach an even wider audience, sponsor content on Instagram and Facebook that showcases your terrace. Don't hesitate to use wording such as "Come and enjoy an alcohol-free cocktail on our terrace"... 

The ability to choose a space when booking: Add the customer's choice of room to your booking system: indoor, bar, terrace, no preference. Offering the possibility of reserving a place on the terrace is bound to make your customers happy!

• It's easy to synchronize from within Zenchef !

7. Attract foreigners during the tourist season

Listing in foreign directories: This time of year represents an opportunity for your restaurant to attract a new clientele: tourists. Promote your restaurant by registering in the most popular local and tourist directories during the summer season.

• Find out HERE where to list your restaurant!

Website and menu translation: To convert tourists, you need to provide them with the information they're looking for. And in their language! Make your website available in several languages, as well as your restaurant menu.

• Plus 10 tips for attracting foreign customers HERE

8. Boost your business with one-off restaurant events

Summer afterwork in your restaurant: Take advantage of the warmer weather to launch a one-off afterwork event (1/week), with a special Food & Beverage offer and why not a DJ set. You'll be attracting locals who haven't (yet) gone on vacation, and who are eager to relax and socialize.

Extended happy hour: It's official aperitif time! With longer days, more people are inclined to go out for a drink at the end of the day than in the middle of winter. So maximize your appeal at this time of day, and offer an attractive happy hour to entice customers to come in and consume more.

Communication : Inform your customers about your summer program by publishing news on Google, inserting in your responses to customer reviews what you're organizing for the next few days ahead, sharing posts and stories on social media. You can also invite influencers to take part in your special evenings to increase your online visibility.

9. Maintain a takeaway and delivery offer

Distance selling for picnic enthusiasts: With the return of the sun, picnics in the park or by the water are all the rage! Continue to offer a takeaway or delivery option for your customers who want to eat on the go or enjoy a meal al fresco. It's just as attractive when you run out of space on your terrace!

10. Anticipate busy periods on your terrace

Setting up a digital menu : Gain operational efficiency with digital menus. You'll relieve your staff's workload, especially when your terrace is at its busiest! And when drink orders...

Extra staff : Hire extra staff in advance to manage the crowds on your terrace and guarantee quality service.

By following these tips, you can adapt your restaurant to the summer season and offer your customers an unforgettable summer experience. Be prepared to welcome new customers as well as regulars who will appreciate the adjustments you've made to your establishment.