exhibitions,
Food Festivals,
Food Stalls,
marketing
Food Stalls - Give your Food a Wider Audience
8:47 am
Running a restaurant is a competitive and demanding business, however every business has its quiet periods and the catering trade is no exception. With the development of modern technology, marketing has evolved to help build a brand’s recognition and its food’s reputation in an effort to capitalise on extra profits – check out our marketing blog post for more. Whilst social media has a role have you considered the more hands-on method of food market stalls.
Food Fests and Markets
Britain is no stranger to food markets and festivals, with locations up and down the country that offer you the chance to promote your menu to potential customers. As an example, the Weymouth Seafood Festival hosts over twenty local restaurants, inns and cafes along its harbour side during its festival weekend and there are lots more out there for you to take advantage of. For a closer look at food festivals in particular, check out our blog on exhibiting at food festivals.
Whilst food trucks can provide a great way of introducing your meals to large quantities of people, they can be expensive and are not a viable option as a sideline venture. Hiring out a market stall all year round is also an option and gives you the opportunity to provide a marketing source outside of your brick and mortar establishment, with good management and food you can surely recoup your investment and start to turn a profit.
A History of Success
There are plenty of success stories that have emerged from small market stall beginnings, one of many being Arabica Bar and Kitchen from Borough Market, whose Levantine inspired menu won the tastebuds of London shoppers enough for the business to now host its own restaurant. The owners still see the value of their original market stall and use it to this day to garner new customers.The continued success of Arabica’s market stand can also be attributed to the addition of new meals such as mezze and pastries which manage to bring back return customers. Likewise with your own cooking you could offer something that’s not on your menu every day such as sweets or desserts. Since these samples are not made to customer order they provide a great opportunity to experiment with new recipes and ideas, which may just inspire a new dish for your menu.
Some well established businesses have already
started taking advantage of local festivals and market days to widen their
audience. Bristol’s long respected Pieminister and Clifton based meat-house
Grillstock have already made appearances at the St Nick’s Night Market with the
latter returning for the forthcoming Harbour Festival. The draw and appeal of
these events ensures that there will be many more potential customers to charm
than you could ever fit into a restaurant in a single evening.
Something to Think About
As the summer months quickly approach, the number of holiday makers, shoppers and locals visiting high streets and city centres is only going to increase. With them come a steady flow of festivals to take advantage of the hot weather and clear skies, alongside the appetite to favour the prospect of outdoor dining. Whilst your business and reputation are sure to be the things that carry you and your ideas to success, perhaps a few outdoor events could further increase your profits.
0 comments