3 warm-hearted grand opening ideas to impress customers

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The stage is set, the time is right, and everything is coming together: It’s your grand opening! Few things are more exciting for business owners than opening a new establishment, whether it’s your first or not. Naturally, to make it right and to add flair—and draw attention—you’ll want to have some variety of grand opening event. That term leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation, so you’ll want to sift through some quality grand opening ideas to make sure things go smoothly and drive business.

Getting your new business’s name out there to attract potential customers is, of course, critical. A grand opening event provides a rare opportunity: You get to start with a blank slate, and make an excellent first impression. So, having a grand opening party that helps create that essential first impression that can give your new business (or new location) a long-lasting sales boost. Customers get excited about new restaurants, so capitalize on that buzz with something more than a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Since there are many different ways to host a grand opening, we’re here to help you with grand opening ideas.

3 grand opening ideas for a stellar first impression

Below you’ll find three grand opening ideas which can be adapted to fit your business model and tips to make sure your big event goes smoothly. These ideas have stood the test of time—and have helped many restaurants start on the right foot.

1. Promote giveaways

Giveaways are a time-tested idea for a grand opening, and they give restaurant owners the opportunity to build their brand quickly. These giveaways can come in the form of free food or free samples, free drinks, and restaurant swag like T-shirts and other freebies.

If your marketing budget includes promotional products like shirts, hats, cups/mugs, or other branded gear, a grand opening is the perfect time to get these giveaways in customers’ hands. The idea behind any of this stuff is to get your name out in public and cemented in your local community’s awareness. Jumping on brand awareness early can lead to a long-lasting business boost that’ll potentially prevent obscurity.

Similarly, giving away free samples can get word of mouth spreading about your food or beverages. And free beer is, well…free beer, which is many people’s favorite combination of words.

As an example, when I opened my establishment, I gave away free samples of selected menu items (which then gave me valuable and actionable feedback) as well as free beer for two hours. Free beverages are a risky venture, as you’re certain to get some freeloaders who may not return. But as the point is to get your name out there, doing something audacious like free drinks is a gamble often worth taking.

2. Organize a fundraiser for a local charity

Giving back to your local community at your grand opening can help cement your organization as a worthwhile part of the neighborhood. A fundraiser can come in the form of a raffle, for example, with some of the ticket proceeds going to the charity. Raffle prizes can come from your business or other local businesses who want to join in. Examples for prizes from your restaurant can include:

• A free dinner for two at your restaurant
• 50% off (or some similar percentage) on a bill
• Promotional materials like T-shirts, hats, or koozies
• A free bottle of wine with a meal

The idea is to give away prizes that encourage customers to return to your establishment. The prize needs to be significant enough to compel people to buy a raffle ticket—not something small enough to be forgettable. Ideally, these raffle winners will return and form part of your loyal customer base.

Donating to a local charity doesn’t have to be a publicity stunt—choose a charity you genuinely want to support, and you’ll be happy to give away a portion of your profits. New customers will remember your kindness and generosity when they think back to your grand opening and will want to come back. Most importantly, you’ll be helping out the community and making your corner of the world better.

3. Hire local artists for the big day

To draw people to your event, hire a local band for live music, commission a painting or mural from a local artist, book a local dance troupe, or bring on any such creative talent. Besides supporting local artists, getting in good with your local creatives is an excellent marketing strategy, since local artists are often well-connected in the area and can help spread the word.

Local businesses partnering with local artists can begin a virtuous feedback cycle, in which the word gets out that your establishment is an artist-friendly place. This can lead to increased attention from local artists, attracting even more customers who appreciate those artists. In many cases, this is how local celebrities are born.

Pro tips before you open

Opening a restaurant carries a lot of weight, so getting that first day just right can take a lot of planning and forethought. Here are some things to consider before you launch.

Consider a soft launch

If you’re not quite ready for a grand opening, you can consider a soft launch or soft opening. A soft launch is often a trial phase for menu items, staff training, and general business operations. Soft launches help business owners figure out just what seems to be working, what needs improvement, and what unforeseen issues arise.

In contrast to grand openings, soft launches are generally not widely advertised, since you don’t want to jump the gun. They can be advertised on social media, with a Facebook event, or simply by word of mouth. You don’t want too many customers at a soft launch, since a soft launch is simply a trial run. Customers are generally quite forgiving in a soft launch, and their feedback is vital—so be sure to pay attention to any feedback you receive.

Promote your special event using influencers

Naturally, you’ll need to get the word out to the public that you’re having a grand opening. Grand openings for restaurants commonly work well on weekends, since those are often the busiest days for restaurants in general.

Getting in touch with social media influencers can be a valuable step for a new small business. Forty-nine percent of diners depend on influencer recommendations to find new restaurants, so partner up with a few foodie influencers in your area. This kind of marketing is especially vital in large cities, where a local influencer can have a broad audience and spread the word far faster than a promoted social media campaign or word of mouth.

You’ll need to pay them according to their rates for any posts they provide, and you can give instructions for hashtags to use and copy for the caption. Partnering influencers can really pay off—if their TikTok video, Instagram reel, or post gets good traction, you’ve essentially hit a homerun before your business even started.

Combining this kind of social media marketing with any of the above ideas can be especially valuable. Imagine something like, “At the grand opening of (your restaurant name), 10% of every bill will be used to buy pet food for the animal shelter.” Even those that don’t attend will still have seen your name and associated it with a positive emotion.

Grand opening success starts with the right tools

Whether you’re giving away freebies, helping support a local charity, or hiring local artists, you’ll need to ensure that your front of house is running in tip-top shape. Having cutting edge software will give both you and your staff the edge you need to make sure your service is smooth and satisfying. Customers will certainly remember that.

Software like Yelp Guest Manager is just the ticket to get a new restaurant firing on all cylinders. The platform streamlines bookings and reservations, waitlist management, table management, floor plans, and takeout orders. Best of all, restaurants that start using Guest Manager paired with Yelp Ads experience up to 2.3X the traffic on their Yelp Business Page.*

Want to see how it works? Curious if it’s right for you? Contact us for a free demo and we’ll be thrilled to show you around. We’d love nothing more than if it helped you nail your grand opening.