How to successfully launch a new menu item at your restaurant
If you’re planning on adding a new dish to your menu, there are several factors to carefully consider other than the food itself. When adding a new menu item, it’s imperative to promote it so that people coming into your restaurant know about it.
The first and foremost step, imperative to any sort of promotion, is to take high-quality photographs and videos of your dish. Creating professional photos of your dishes is essential to capture your customers’ attention and showcase your new dish in the best light. Start by plating the dish artfully, focusing on balance, color, and texture.
Use natural lighting whenever possible, or invest in a softbox for an even glow that avoids harsh shadows. Incorporate props like clean utensils, napkins, or fresh ingredients to enhance the visual story. Editing tools can then refine the image, ensuring it looks appetizing and professional. These visuals will be used across all promotional material, both offline and online. Here are 5 ways to successfully launch your new menu item and make sure people try it out.
1. Create a special printed menu for it
You can start building up hype even before you launch your new menu item. Create a menu insert which is a small, standalone card or sheet added to the main menu to highlight your new item, or a tent-card. You can place these on the tables of your restaurant so any customer who comes in can see. Use your professional photos to design these cards, and make sure your graphics use eye-catching colors and fonts, while staying true to your brand.
2. Set-up promotional material in your restaurant
Similar to the menu cards, you can utilize other printed promotional material to use in your restaurant, for example flyers, banners, standees, placards or chalkboard signs. To make things easy, you can use online designing tools to not only create professional looking graphics but also to create a design once and resize it to different sizes based on your requirements. You can do this on PosterMyWall by first choosing from restaurant flyer templates, customizing to make them your own, and then resizing to different sizes in one click.
3. Create buzz on social media
Use your professional designed visuals to build hype on your social media pages. You can start before you launch by posting teaser content and a countdown to something special coming. You can also utilize video marketing by posting close-up shots or behind-the-scenes videos, paired with captions that spark curiosity. Use Instagram Stories or Reels to create engaging, short-form content, like asking followers to guess what’s the new addition.
On launch day, showcase the dish with high-quality photos or videos, emphasizing its unique features, like fresh ingredients or mouthwatering textures. Encourage interaction by asking followers to guess the flavors or tag someone they’d share it with. Boost engagement further by hosting a giveaway, offer a free meal or discount for customers who share your post or tag friends.
4. Hold a launch day with special promotion
The day you launch your new menu item, create excitement by running a special discount to encourage customers to give it a try. For example, offer a 20% discount on the new dish for the first few days or make it an exclusive launch-day deal. This creates urgency and makes customers feel like they’re getting a special treat. Train your staff and waiters to actively promote the new item to customers. They can mention the special offer when taking orders or recommend the dish as a must-try. If possible, have small samples prepared so diners can taste it before deciding. It’s a great way to win them over and boost orders.
5. Partner with local influencers
Working with local influencers is a great way to spread the word about your new menu item and connect with your community. Find foodies, vloggers, or lifestyle creators in your area who have a solid following. Invite them over to try the new dish on the house or join an exclusive tasting event.
Ask them to share their honest thoughts, photos, or fun videos of the dish with their followers. Their recommendations feel real and relatable, which gets people curious and excited to check it out for themselves. You can even plan something creative, like a giveaway or a fun challenge featuring your new item, to get even more buzz going. It’s an easy, laid-back way to reach more people and make your launch memorable!
When launching a new menu item, it’s important to create excitement and encourage customers to try it out. Offering a special promotion can attract attention and entice people to give the dish a chance and engaging your staff and using in-store promotions will make customers more likely to order. With the right approach, your new menu item can quickly gain popularity and become a hit with your customers. Let’s start cooking.
