Get Inspired by these 5 National Observances

—
There are tons of ways you can attract more customers for Easter, April’s biggest holiday this year, but what about the other 29 days of the month? We’ve taken the list of National Days in April 2018 and narrowed it down to our top 5 picks—the ones we think have the greatest potential to make you the most money this month:  

1. National Beer Day 

If your establishment serves beer, you must take advantage of National Beer Day on April 7th. Your competitors will be running all sorts of promotions, so spreading the word about what you'll be offering via social media and email marketing is important! Whether it's a 2-for-1 deal or a special on beer flights, go with it! If you're feeling creative, feature one (or a few) of these 25 Recipes Starring Beer from Bon Appétit.

2. National Siblings Day

National Siblings Day falls on April 10th every year, and is a great way to bring in a larger crowd than usual to your establishment. Try offering a special geared towards siblings that will create a bigger check size, like 2 entrees for the price of 1 for siblings, or a free appetizer for siblings who purchase 2 entrees. To get a buzz going around your social media, encourage your customers to post old pictures of themselves and their silblings with your business hashtagged. Pick a few lucky winners with the best photos to get a free round of drinks!

3. National Pet Day

If you have a nice sized outdoor patio, think about opening it up for the season on April 11th, and inviting your customers to bring their dogs for National Pet Day. The chances are pretty great that your guests will stay longer and order more than usual knowing their fur-baby is safe right by their side. Free water bowls and treats make a great added bonus too! This is also a great opportunity to run a contest like the one mentioned above (who doesn't love pictures of pets?).

4. National Grilled Cheese Day

If there's one thing that people love, it's hot, ooey-gooey cheese melted between two warm & toasty pieces of bread. Lucky for us, not only is April 12th National Grilled Cheese Day, but the entire month of April has actually been named National Grilled Cheese Month. The time to get creative with this American classic has never been better! Check out some of the mouth-watering signature grilled cheese melts offered by our friends at Say Cheese Grilled Cheese Co. right here on Long Island.

5. National Get to Know Your Customers Day

Get to Know Your Customers Day occurs every year on the third Thursday of each quarter, which means it's coming up on April 19th. This is a great opportunity to connect with your guests in a number of ways. Consider asking your guests to fill out a survery asking what they love most about your business, or something they would love to see you offer in the future. For greater success, think about offering something on the house to all participants, like a complimentary dessert.

4 Steps Towards Sustainability in Honor of Earth Day

—
April 22nd was first recognized as Earth Day back in 1970 by the United States. Today, it’s observed across the globe in 192 countries by more than 1 billion people. Despite the growing support for the movement, the harm inflicted on our environment still continues to grow, and the survival of our beautiful planet remains threatened. Believe it or not, your actions as a business and as an individual contribute massively to the state of our environment. Here are a few ways you can make a positive impact and start leading a greener lifestyle today:

1. Did you know that as much as 40% of all the food grown, processed, and transported in the us will never be consumed? Not only is this a huge waste of food, time, and money, but more than 3.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide is emitted during the production, harvesting, transporting, and packaging of the wasted food. Consider offering chefs specials each day of the week using ingredients that you have in oversupply in order to reduce waste.

2. If you're still using incandescent bulbs, make the switch over to higher efficiency compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) pronto. Not only are they better for the environment, but they last 4 times longer than standard bulbs!

3. Plastic waste has caused a number of problems for the environment spanning from injured animals in our oceans to disrupting human hormones, and so much more. In an effort to reduce these issues, the theme of Earth Day 2018 is End Plastic Pollution. Keep the products you purchase for your customers in mind like cups, straws, and to-go boxes and consider using paper instead of plastic.

4. Consider purchasing produce and meats from local farmers; it cuts transportation and usage of fossil fuels as a result. Knowing this, many consumers are actually willing to pay more for locally sourced items, which tend to be a bit more pricey. 

Keep In Mind: Planning
for May

—
For many businesses, May is the start of a very busy season. There’s a lot going on, but planning ahead for the events listed below will help you stay organized and prepare for an amazing summer!

• Mother's Day (May 13th) is one of the busiest days of the year for most restaurants. Use any time you have in April to get your menu together early so that your customers' Mother's Day experiences will be flawless.
• May marks the beginning of the season for many special occasions, like weddings, proms, and college graduations. If you're going to be hiring seasonal staff, now is the time!
• Come May, baseball season will be in full swing and playoffs for the NBA and NHL will be an exciting reason for customers to visit you. Take this time to think about how you're going to get the word out to customers, and how you'll get them to choose your establishment on game day.
• May is National Barbecue Month, National Salad Month, National Salsa Month, and National Strawberry Month! Our mouths are already watering just thinking about all the specials you'll be coming up with.