My mum opened a 60's diner but we need help....

Question

ok so here how it is..my mum opened a shop a couple months back which is in the theme of a 60's diner. it gets really busy between about 1130 and 2. The only trouble is that not many people come in between when we first open at 8 till 1130. im just wondering if any of you guys know any way of drawing people in between that time. we dont have alot of money so we cant advertise on the radio or nothing like that. please help. even food ideas.

Answer 1

maybe the lunch menu is better than the breakfast menu... u should go outside if there are no customers and give people free samples and get 1st hand feedback, i mean it can't be bad for your business it can ONLY be good. also u can ask them why they don't go to your place for breakfast and what can u do to make them?? the free samples will lure them though....  

Answer 2

It looks like you have the lunch hours down pat.

Now your looking for the breakfast crowd,

You may have to open earlier in the morning. Maybe around 5:30. Everyone is at work already at 8.

I don't know much about advertising but if the food is good, that's the best advertising you can have.

Good luck!

I'll have an Adam and Eve on a raft, Wreck em!

(scrambled eggs on toast)

Answer 3

I think the best way to get people through your door for the first time is to "lead them in by their nose"!

By that I mean - have some tempting, stimulating smells (such as fresh brewed coffee, bacon being cooked, onions / steak frying, cookies being baked, toast, pancakes etc) wafting out onto the footpath.

You can either have an extractor fan from your kitchen and duct the smells to where you want them, or use electric fans to disperse the smells onto the street.

Try it and see - I know it works for me!!

I also think that 'Loyalty Cards'  - where, say, you give a free cup of coffee for 'x ' purchased - are a good idea.

Answer 4

Homemade biscuits with choices of fried chicken breast, bacon, cheese, country ham and sausage is really popular around here for that time frame.

The biscuits need to be really good though.

I live in the South. lol.

Answer 5

maybe have a breakfast special?

sounds like people only wanna start eating there at lunch time, meaning you may only sell lunch type meals.

get some coffee going, bacon and eggs etc :)

goodluck

Answer 6

how about you change your times so that you  open 10:30am since not many people would be interested in going to a diner in the mornings at leats then you are not having to pay any one for hours when you don't really get customer and are not making any profit

Answer 7

If you can't afford doing a radio ad, how about trying the local community newspapers. Their ads are cheaper, and the papers have a wider circulation because it is given away.

Answer 8

Come up with something really special as your "signature breakfast" dish.  Make it the best french toast in town, or something really kitchy, like with chocolate chips...

Not sure, but the bulk of my idea comes in the form of..

Once you've got this great new breakfast idea/concept, print out little cards (even cheapy black and white from the home printer to start) telling people about the new thing, and put one on each tray, along with the bill, for all your lunch customers.

Hey, it's a start!