The 4th of July is all about getting together with friends and family, enjoying great food and drinks and celebrating the birth of America. For bars and restaurants, it is also an ideal time to run strategic promotions that will bring in customers. Millions of people will be looking for the perfect place to spend the holiday and you can make your establishment the clear choice by incorporating some of these ideas:
Get Outside
It's summer and people want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Take full advantage of any parking lot space to send the party outside. You can set-up a grill and serve up elevated versions of classic American barbecue dishes like hot dogs and hamburgers. Provide an extensive condiment bar so that diners can customize their food and have a little fun with their toppings.
An outside party allows people to be able to move around more freely and your staff won't have to spend as much time serving customers. Diners will be more likely to hang out longer if they aren't confined to a table, and they can easily get up and socialize. If you really want to go all out, hire a band or DJ to provide entertainment throughout the day.
Hold an Eating Contest
Most major holidays seem to center around sharing a meal, but the 4th of July can feel especially gluttonous with mounds of grilled meats and pounds of potato salad. Why not fully embrace the spirit of the holiday and hold a good ole eating contest? It's a great way to create some buzz, and the event is social media friendly. Raise the stakes with big prizes: You may be surprised to see how much the competitive spirit gets people fired up and ready to push their appetite to the extreme.
Make the Holiday Pet Friendly
Americans love their dogs. If you have an establishment that allows dogs or they will be welcomed at your outdoor party, do a few things to cater to pet owners. Make sure that you have plenty of water bowls on hand and treats to pass out to furry patrons. You might also consider having a dog costume contest and award prizes to the pets who come wearing their most patriotic outfit.
Red, White and Blue
Go beyond just decorating your bar in flags and find different ways to incorporate the red, white and blue color scheme throughout the menu. Consider dessert specials that include colorful fresh summer berries. You can even offer a discount for people who come donned in their favorite flag tee.
Bartenders can also get creative and serve up color themed drinks. The layer frozen sangria can be made ahead of time to save some prep work and keep the beverages flowing. This simple recipe relies on natural foods to combine vibrant colors. Raspberries and white wine can be mixed to create red. Blueberries will create a blue/purple color that will look great and just plain white wine provides the white layer.
Have pitchers of the different colors of sangria mixed up. Then, you simply pour the layers into a glass to create a colorful, refreshing drink that celebrates the holiday and capitalizes on summer flavors.
Some people will be holding their own backyard parties, but a lot of people want to enjoy a party without all the prep work and clean up. Give them a great place to celebrate the 4th of July with some simple promotional events and discounts. You don't have to throw a block party to attract customers and have an excellent holiday.