With the winter almost over, now is a great time to identify new ways to entice your customers into your eatery with a little bit of spring flavour.

From fresh flowers to Easter themed menus, spring is the perfect time to start a new marketing chapter for your restaurant.

1. Reconnect with existing customers

You may have bamboozled your guests with festive offers over the Christmas season, but after a quiet January, now is the perfect time to reach out to them again.

The launch of a new spring menu, for example, is a newsworthy event, and one that your newsletter subscribers will want to hear all about.

An upbeat email with a link to your website or a pdf is all you need. If you have chosen your spring menu well enough, just a little nod in the right direction should get a good few mouths watering.

2. Offer All New Promotions

A new season is perfect for a new round of promotional deals. As the weather starts to improve, you clientele may start to feel more inclined to pop out for a spot of lunch, and will be buoyed on by a bit of a bargain.

Don’t waste this opportunity to get them through the door. Flyers, email offers and social media posts will all grab the attention of your customers if they like the look of your new spring menu.

3. Organise An Event

With the weather getting warmer, why not hold an event that both promotes and compliments your new Spring menu?

A cocktail evening, wine tasting, party night or a spot of live music are all great examples of event based marketing that really works.

This is a great time of year to try it, as your customers will be feeling flush again with the tough months of January and February now behind them.

4. Use The Holidays To Your Advantage

Spring brings Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and the Easter bank holiday along with it.

All of these occasions offer great opportunities to run promotions across social media.

Design a Facebook campaign asking your followers to guess how many eggs are in the basket, or to share the reasons why their mum is the best mum ever, and you will instantly strike up an online conversation with customers new and old.

5. Open Up Your Garden Areas

March and April offer complete contrasts when it comes to the weather. A warm sunny day in March will bring t-shirt clad customers to you in their droves, whereas a spot of April rain will send them all back to the safety of their sofas again.

Attend to your outdoor areas in time for the spring. Update your outdoor seating and find a suitable covering to protect against April showers.

After a quick spruce up, the opening of your new and improved garden becomes a worthy occasion to promote.

6. Bring The Spring Indoors

Finally, don’t forget to carry on promoting your business even when the customer is enjoying their meal. Add flowers on the tables and promote fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables on your specials board.

The spring is a great time to relaunch your restaurant in time for the busy summer period. Get your marketing just right from the get go and the warmer weather could be your biggest bonus this year.