Friday, October 9, 2009

Restaurant Marketing Strategy: Go Green

Today, there are around 80 percent Americans who consider themselves as concerned about the environment. Moreover, more than 60 percent would like to eat in an eco-friendly or green restaurant. Simply put, it is already a given that one of your most powerful restaurant marketing strategies is to position your restaurant as socially responsible.

Here is how you can make your restaurant green:

Avoid the use of plastics.

Plastics do not decay at all but instead add to tons of garbage that pollute the earth today. Thus, as part of your green restaurant marketing strategies, you may want to avoid the use of it. Rather, go for clean ceramic or porcelain ware. They tend to last very long too and are elegant to look at. Moreover, rather than using plastics for take-out, consider paper bags.

Have vegetarian or organic food options.

Customers who are eco-friendly would surely love the idea of eating fresh fruits and vegetables for their meals. Do not forget to add them into your menu options. If you are not a completely vegetarian restaurant, you can consider coming up with at least 5 dishes that your customers can choose from.

Obtain a certification.

It is very easy for you to say that you are green, but it can be quite difficult to really prove it. To enhance your credibility, it is best to have yourself certified by organizations such as Green Restaurant Association. So far, there are three different types of certificates handed out: for existing restaurants, new ones, and events produced. Every year, you need to have your restaurant evaluated by the organization before you can get yourself an updated certificate. It is going to be quite a long process, but the reward is worth it. You can proudly display your certificate in your restaurant.

Maintain your own garden.

There are three benefits you can get out of this. First, you can save on costs, since a good number of your ingredients can be yours for free. Second, you can bring the prices of your goods down because of less expenses on raw materials. Third, it is a good restaurant marketing technique since you can mention it to your environmental-conscious customers.

Work with the local government.

Is your government creating environmental-friendly programs? You can create tie-ups or partnerships with them. For example, if they are promoting proper waste management, you can set up garbage bins outside your restaurant where customers can throw their garbage in the designated cans. You can also offer freebies or discounts to any guest who participates in the initiatives of the government to keep your locality clean and green.

Teach your customers how to go green.

You can display different tips on how to conserve energy or save Mother Earth in different areas of your restaurant. You can also come up with free cooking demos or lectures on how to prepare delectable organic food or how to choose the freshest produce.

Do not miss out on your social responsibilities. Incorporate doing green business in your marketing strategies.

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