3-minute read ---

As the vibrant summer days give way to the crisp, cool air of autumn, restaurants have a unique opportunity to attract customers by embracing the rich, warm themes of the harvest season. Inviting summer guests to return and experience the cozy, flavorful delights of fall can create a memorable dining experience that keeps them coming back.

​Combined with easy-to-update QR code digital menus and integrated Loyalty/Rewards programs, restaurants can garner significant attention and stand out from local competitors with harvest season restaurant marketing campaigns.

Here’s how you can create an inviting atmosphere and capitalize on the season’s offerings…

Add Fall Flavors to Your Menu
The arrival of autumn brings a bounty of ingredients that are perfect for creating comforting and flavorful dishes. Incorporate seasonal favorites such as squash, corn, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger into your menu to evoke the essence of fall. Think of offering dishes like roasted butternut squash soup, creamy corn chowder, or spiced pumpkin pie. These flavors not only celebrate the season but also provide a warm, nostalgic feeling that diners crave as the weather cools. By highlighting these seasonal ingredients, you can create a menu that appeals to both the palate and the soul.

• Use vibrant image-based digital menus that customers can access with a QR code scan from table tents, mailers, or to-go order packaging, encouraging customers to “eat with their eyes” and order additional items from the comfort of their smartphone

Offer Fall Cocktails, Mocktails, and Limited-Time Warm Drinks
Fall isn’t just about food; it’s also a time to refresh your beverage offerings. Crafting seasonal cocktails and mocktails with flavors like apple cider, spiced rum, and ginger beer can add a festive touch to your drink menu. Additionally, offering limited-time warm drinks such as pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, hot toddies, or chai tea can provide comfort and warmth. These beverages not only complement your fall dishes but also encourage guests to visit more frequently to enjoy their favorite seasonal drinks.

• QR codes printed on countertop stickers and local signage provide quick and convenient access to seamless and ultra-convenient self-service ordering and payment solutions, streamlining cafe, bar, and tabletop environments

Emphasize Collaboration with Local Suppliers
Autumn is an ideal time to emphasize your restaurant’s commitment to local and sustainable sourcing. Collaborating with local farmers and suppliers allows you to offer the freshest, highest-quality ingredients while supporting your community. Highlighting these partnerships on your menu can attract customers who value farm-to-table dining and sustainability. Featuring specials that showcase locally-sourced pumpkins, apples, and root vegetables can enhance your menu’s appeal and strengthen your connection with the community. Restaurants can even collaborate with local florists or nurseries to enhance their dining environment with fall foliage, while offering discounts to diners who show receipts from their own nursery purchases.

• Partner with local businesses in mutually beneficial marketing campaigns. Provide QR code-based business cards or flyers to promote special discounts or loyalty/rewards incentives for specific purchases

Focus on Creating an Inviting Indoor Dining Space
As the temperatures drop, creating a warm and inviting indoor dining space becomes essential. Transition your restaurant’s decor to reflect the cozy and rustic charm of fall. Use warm colors, soft lighting, and autumn-themed decorations like pumpkins, gourds, and fall foliage to create an inviting atmosphere. Adding elements such as plush seating, blankets, and a fireplace can further enhance the comfort level, making your restaurant a welcoming refuge from the chill outside. This cozy ambiance will encourage diners to relax and enjoy their meals, creating a memorable dining experience.

• Location-specific QR codes identify where customers are in the restaurant, enabling businesses to enhance in-house services with fast and seamless delivery of food and drinks

Run Promotions Using Loyalty Programs and Gift Cards
To boost foot traffic during the fall months, leverage your loyalty programs and gift cards. Offer double loyalty points on seasonal menu items or exclusive deals for loyal customers. Gift cards can be particularly effective. Consider offering a promo card (smart coupon) with the purchase of a certain amount, which can be used during the holiday season. These promotions not only reward existing customers but also attract new ones, fostering a sense of community and encouraging repeat visits.

• Masa+ from Aldelo Express supports multiple QR code accessible programs: Loyalty/Rewards, Physical and/or Digital Gift Cards, Promo Cards, and Online Ordering

Run Promotions for Delivery, Curbside, and Takeout Services
With cooler weather, some customers may prefer to enjoy your delicious offerings from the comfort of their homes. To cater to this preference, run promotions for delivery, curbside, and takeout services. Offer discounted delivery fees, special takeout bundles, or limited-time offers on popular fall dishes and drinks. Ensure that your packaging keeps the food warm and intact, promoting an ideal at-home dining experience. Highlight these services in your marketing efforts to reach a broader audience and remind them that your fall flavors are just a call or QR code scan away.
​
By embracing the essence of the harvest season and implementing these strategies, restaurants can create an inviting atmosphere that not only welcomes summer guests back but also attracts new patrons eager to experience the flavors and comforts of fall. With thoughtful menu additions, local collaborations, cozy decor, and enticing QR code-enabled promotions, your restaurant can thrive as a go-to destination for autumnal dining.

• Consider distributing QR code Promo Cards (smart coupons) at harvest festivals, farmer’s markets, or school homecoming games and gatherings to reward first-time visits and purchases from your harvest season menu

Easy Manage Fall Menus with Aldelo Express
Aldelo Express offers multiple menu management tools that allow restaurants to easily make menu adjustments in advance or on-the-fly. Whether creating a new menu, updating prices, adding new items, or scheduling automatic changes for happy hour or special event pricing, Aldelo Express’s AI Menu Builder, Advanced Pricing Module, and Matrix Module ensure that every digital menu in the restaurant or on the restaurant’s Masa+ online platform is consistent and up-to-date. Combined with comprehensive back-office reports, restaurateurs can make data-driven decisions to optimize their menu, using detailed insights to determine which items are performing well and which are not.

Combined with QR code digital menus from Masa+, the native Aldelo Express online ordering and digital payments platform, restaurants quickly enhance their harvest season marketing initiatives with image-based digital menus.

Masa+ is a native online ordering and digital platform available with Aldelo Express Cloud Point-of-Sale, and supports:

• QR Code Online Storefronts
• QR Code Digital Menus
• QR Code Online Ordering
• QR Code Digital Payments
• QR Code Loyalty
• QR Code Gift Cards
• QR Code Promo Cards (smart coupons)
• And More!

​Learn more by contacting an Aldelo representative today at [email protected] or 925-621-2410

---

​
​
​​
​Restaurants that use ultra-competitive
Aldelo Pay or Aldelo Partner Merchant Services
obtain access to
a Centralized Multi-Store Restaurant Technology Platform
that includes Masa+ Online Ordering,
Unlimited Software Releases,
​Unlimited Software Upgrades, and 24/7 Technical Support!


***

Please contact an Aldelo representative today for more details, 
including a free Aldelo Express POS demo trial

[email protected] | 877-639-8767 | [email protected]

Learn More About Aldelo Express and Masa+ ...
​

Aldelo Express Stops Theft in Restaurants
with AI Facial Recognition Login Technology
Secure Manager Functions, Payroll, and Time Cards with Biometric Logins

3-minute read ---
Efficiently and securely managing operations is crucial in any business, but especially in the food service industry, where employees and guests frequently come and go. Theft, both internal and external, can truly make or break a restaurant’s profitability and overall success. To combat this inevitable and persistent threat, Aldelo Express offers an innovative AI Facial Recognition Login solution. Since its debut in December 2021, this industry-leading AI Automation Service has not only enhanced security for modern restaurants, but also streamlined operations for managers and employees, offering a robust defense against theft and unauthorized access to the Aldelo Express Cloud Point-of-Sale system.

​Let’s explore how Aldelo Express's AI Facial Recognition technology empowers restaurant operators to better secure their operation:

Read More

How Restaurants and Bars Can Respond to
​Gen Z's Beverage Trends
Effortlessly Manage Drink Orders with Aldelo Express

3-minute read ---
Restaurants and food servicers are witnessing a significant shift in beverage trends, driven by the preferences of those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, also known as Generation Z or “Gen Z” for short. This generation, now in their early to mid-20s, is rapidly redefining consumer demands, particularly in the realm of beverages. From “dirty sodas” and mocktails to energy drinks and flavored sparkling waters, restaurants and food service operators have a unique opportunity to capitalize on this trend by aligning their offerings with Gen Z beverage trends and preferences.

Read More