Summer might be in full swing, but before you know it, class will be back in session. With close to 6,000 colleges and universities across the US, odds are that your restaurant isn’t far from at least one or two. In cities and towns with large student populations, the college crowd contributes significantly to the local economy, particularly in the retail, food service, and entertainment sectors.
The spending power of college students is significant, given their collective demographic and consumption patterns. With an estimated combined spending power of over $200 billion annually, a large piece of that pie is allotted to food and entertainment.
Attracting college students to your restaurant involves a mix of targeted marketing, an understanding of preferences, and appealing incentives.
To attract more college students to your restaurant and capitalize on their spending power, we've put together this study guide to help you make the grade with this crowd.
1. Offer Student Discounts
Offer Discounts: Provide special discounts for students, such as a 20% discount with a student ID.
Students Happy Hours: Schedule happy hour deals during times when students are likely to have breaks or after classes.
2. Special Delivery
Extended hours: College students tend to stay up late, whether studying or socializing, and they tend to get hungriest at the least convenient times. Be the restaurant that everyone on campus knows as the go-to late-night delivery spot by promoting your extended hours on social media and creating targeted ads during the weeks leading up to midterms and finals.
Cramming Specials: Offer special discounts and menu items during the busy "cramming for finals" season to attract students "pulling all-nighters."
Direct Online Ordering and Delivery: College kids are a busy bunch, with very little time to plan meals or cook for themselves. Make it easy for students to order online through a user-friendly website and offer free or discounted delivery fees.
Parent Gift Cards: Offer parents-student gift cards that can be uploaded onto your website so students can simply place their online delivery order without having to add a payment. Promote this offering during parent weekends or during move-in season.
3. Create Loyalty Programs
Points System: Create a loyalty program where points can be earned with each purchase and redeemed for discounts or free menu items.
Referrals: Offer bonus points to students who refer friends to your restaurant.
4. Targeted Menu Options
Affordable Options: Include affordable, student-friendly items that appeal to the college crowd such as pizza, fries, and burgers.
Healthy Choices: These days, even college kids are getting into the health craze. Offer healthy and trendy food options, such as vegan or gluten-free items to attract this smarter-than-ever bunch.
5. Host Campus Activities
Sponsor Campus Events: Engage with the student activities office to sponsor events, clubs, or sports teams. Create a content calendar that helps keep track of the goings-on around campus around which you can create promotions.
On-Campus Promotions: Set up promotional booths on campus, giving out free samples or coupons. Be sure to get permission from the university first.
6. Digital Presence
Social Media Marketing: Maintain active profiles and post regularly on platforms popular with students such as Instagram and TikTok. Be sure to engage with followers and respond to comments promptly.
Targeted ads: During move-in and move-out times, finals, and midterms, run targeted ads on Google or social media to capture the attention of the busy college crowd.
7. Student Ambassadors and Influencers
Hire Student Reps: Employ college students as brand ambassadors to promote your restaurant on campus.
Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with social media influencers with a significant following on campus can help boost your presence with students.
8. Host Events
Event nights: Organize events like karaoke nights and trivia tournaments.
Live music: Hire local bands to perform music that attracts students.
9. Study-Friendly Environment
Become the Campus Hangout: Offer free Wi-Fi , plenty of places to charge devices, and comfortable seating to create a space where students can study and hang out.
Keep the volume on low: Be sure to keep the volume down to allow students to concentrate and study.
10. Collaborate
Partner with Other Local Businesses: Collaborate with other businesses popular among students for joint promotions such as movie theaters, gyms, and convenience stores.
Create Bundles: Create collaborative bundles that combine menu items with school supplies during midterms and finals when items like highlighters, pens, and notebooks are in need of replenishment.
11. Feedback and Flexibility
Feedback Loop: Implement a suggestion box and conduct surveys to gain insight into student preferences and adjust your menu offerings accordingly.
Be flexible: Stay open to adapting your menu, pricing, and services based on the feedback you receive from student surveys.
12. Community Engagement
Community Space: Designate areas in your restaurant for student organizations to host meetings or events. Contact campus organizers and let them know that your restaurant offers these designated spaces and that you charge very little to nothing. You’ll make up for it with the food and drink purchases.
Build goodwill: Support causes that are important to the student community to build goodwill and foster loyalty.
13. Marketing
Targeted Ads: Purchase ads on social media and search engines that target the student demographic.
Flyers and Posters: Distribute flyers and hang posters in the student union, apartments, and dorms.
14. Spirted Offerings
Uncomplicated and affordable: Attract college students to your restaurant by keeping it simple with beverages that are cheap, easy, and uncomplicated.
Sharable offerings: Because a majority of student drinking is tied to socializing, offer options that cater to groups such as sharable pitchers of beer or flights of mixed drinks.
Offer popular options: Close to the top of the list for best alcohol for college students, hard seltzers such as White Claw and Truly are dominating the scene. The classic college drink, beer is only the top adult beverage choice for many students with the top preferred brands including Corona, Bud Light, and Coors.
NOTE: It’s important to be aware of the legal drinking ages and other laws surrounding the serving of alcohol to younger consumers.
Take Away
Leverage the spending power of college students by keeping menu items simple and affordable, offering student discounts, and creating comfortble spaces to study and socialize can help your restaurant make the grade with the college crowd.
By Eileen Strauss
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