What:
Your restaurant can host a fundraiser to help give back to a community organization as well as bring in additional sales and guests to your restaurant.
Why is this important?
Helping a group raise funds can spark an emotional connection with your restaurant and show the community you give back. This will in turn help make guests want to support your restaurant in the future.
Research Needed Prior to Execution:
- Google schools, non-profit organizations or other relevant groups in a 3-5 mile radius of your restaurant.
- Start a list and plan out good times to reach out (ex: schools in August, Breast Cancer Walk in October, etc)
- Know what dates you are able to commit to hosting a fundraiser in your restaurant (Monday-Wednesday during a normally slower time is ideal)
Execution:
There are several ways to host a fundraiser in your restaurant. The easiest is a “Spirit Night” where you select a night to host a local school or community group.
During a Spirit Night:
- Work with a contact
from the organization to select a day (at least 30 days in advance) that works
well for you both to have their guests come into the restaurant. You will
donated back a certain percentage from the guests they bring in (generally
15-25%).
- Note: While you can post on social media, most of the advertising for the event should be done by the organization. They are responsible for bringing people in.
- We can provide flyers and posters from them to print to distribute if needed.
- Ensure your staff is aware the event is happening, and keep receipts from that group separate, to tally up the total amount to be donated back at the end of the evening.
Some Examples of good groups to work with:
- Elementary schools
- Teams from a high school (cheerleading team, football team, etc)
- PTA or PTO at a school
- College fraternities or sororities
- Local non-profit arm of a larger group
- Pet shelters
- Fire department
- Libraries
- Local sports teams
- Anyone who is raising money for a specific cause
As a general rule, the group should be able to bring in at least 50-100 people during the evening. That way, it’s good revenue for both sides.
- A few tips:
- Have fun with the event! Decorate in the school colors, have members of the group help serve dishes, have the team mascot come, have the band perform outside, etc. The more fun, the more memorable for all involved.
- Don’t tell everyone there it is a fundraiser, you should only be donating back to those that came specifically for the event.
- Get creative! Have a frat and sorority who both want to do something? Have them compete against each other to raise the most funds and give the winner a bonus! If it’s Halloween, do a costume contest! As long as it is in line with your restaurant brand, make it a night to remember.
- If the group is very successful, schedule them again for later in the year.
- Do you have catering? Let them know that’s included as well.
- You don’t have to do a
percentage back fundraiser. If something else works better for a group (selling
tickets to get a meal, selling one of your menu items at an off-site event for
a profit, etc) see what works!
- The fundraiser should help the group, but also bring in new guests to your restaurant as well as build sales for that evening and beyond. Make sure it is mutually beneficial.