Thread: Promoting the Restaurant?

I'm looking for ideas on how to get people into the restaurants where I schedule dancers. Here's the background:
1. Its Maine. Forget the whole winter-hibernation factor & just consider that year-round it is a humble, mellow, and very white (2nd most caucasian state in USA).

2. Restaurant 1: a large Greek brick-oven pizzeria, greek restaurant & bar. Has nightly themes & does "My Big Fat Greek Sunday Brunch", a fixed price
($12)all-you-can-eat brunch buffet w/ live music & belly dancing. Owner efforts: The owner runs ads in the local weekly paper & promotes heavily on radio stations. Now I know its brunch, and that is not the time you typically think of going to see a dancer. The brunch gig will take off in summer months as its in a beach town with lots of tourists.

3.Restaurant 2: local greek restaurant that is more "typical". Dinner schedule on Fri & Sat. no pizzeria, just greek food. DJ, not live music. Lots of greek regulars. That owner doesn't promote the dancers, but then again doesn't advertise much at all.

4. Our efforts at both: I teach dance & offer a 10% merchandise discount to students who come to see me when I'm scheduled & have suggested other dancers I schedule to do same. The venue is promoted on our website & on local networking boards.


In general. for those with successful restaurant gigs, how do you promote the venue? I know from growing up in San Francisco & Bay Area that some markets just work better for dancers but...keeping the circumstances aside, how would you suggest increasing traffic?

One of those vegas hip-swerving neon lights outside :P

i think it's incredibly smart of you (and generous) to help promote your restaurant but what is the OWNER doing to help that? i'd say unless you are making a nightly commission on all the dinners he sells, he should pay for any advertising efforts. Or..unless you are getting paid bookoo bucks to schedule dancers, or get paid yourself to dance

back in Colorado our instructor would hold student nights once a month for all the students to dance. the place was packed. but i believe she requested some kind of compensation from the owner for bringing in so many mouths to eat.

Originally Posted by amity

One of those vegas hip-swerving neon lights outside :P

love it. it would fit right in in Old Orchard Beach!
Seriously though, I don't mean promoting dinner sales, but a busy restaurant benefits my dancers as much as it benefits the owners. I view the relationship as a partnership of sorts. when the business is empty the dancer has to labor through 3 dismal sets, makes nothing in tips & if the business stays slow, the dancers will eventually get cut from the budget. its in my best intrest to promote the venue or I risk loosing the income in generates for my dancers. The pizzeria restaurant does advertise (see o.p.)...it just doesn't bring many folks in or something.
I'm aksing how other dancers have seen their venues promoted and how they self promote.

Originally Posted by nayastrance

love it. it would fit right in in Old Orchard Beach!
Seriously though, I don't mean promoting dinner sales, but a busy restaurant benefits my dancers as much as it benefits the owners. I view the relationship as a partnership of sorts. when the business is empty the dancer has to labor through 3 dismal sets, makes nothing in tips & if the business stays slow, the dancers will eventually get cut from the budget. its in my best intrest to

I like the way you think! I agree that it's beneficial for the dancer to help the restaurant promote the fact that it offers dancing.

Have you considered a full-color poster displayed in the window of the restaurant?

Have you handed out business cards for your students that have the restaurant's address? Or flyers?

Would the restaurant consider offering a 5% off the price of an entree coupon for you to give your students?

Do you have a page of your web site that prominently promotes the restaurant?

Have they tried to entice the local newspaper to do a story about the restaurant?

I've gone past Jimmys; that would be a great place for a sign-especially during OOB season. Or at least wording on his changable sign. I like Shira's 5% off idea. We also made table a-frames to talk about the dance and how to "enjoy" the dancer (aka tip!), those got people more into the dancers if they were there already.

I have table frames all ready to go! I had left over clear plastic photo frame/stands from the table numbers at my wedding & I knew thay'd make perfect table toppers for the restaurant w/how to enjoy & TIP on one side & our troupes contact info & private booking options on the other!!
Am planning to suggest a quarterly student showcase or hafli also.

Promoting the restaurant you dance at means promoting yourself. I never think of it as I am doing the owner's job. I want people to come see me, because that means I will continue to have a job and will make more tips. And I rather dance in a full restaurant than in an empty one.
I don't spend money on advertizing though, that IS the owner's job, unless it's very inexpensive.
Craigslist - people do look, I have gotten gigs from there, and people would look at my site from the page I advertize on. - it's free and easy, so even if it doesn't seem to help, it will not hurt.
Your website: put it on your schedule with a description and emphasis - make it inviting.
If you teach, or other dance studios: make flyers. - other dance studios: ask for permission. I wouldn't offer a discount though, for someone to see me. They should come because they want to have fun, eat Greek food, see a belly dancer and dance (socially) especially if you have live music or dj - there are hundreds of belly dance students out there who want to go somewhere with Arabic music and dance.
Coupons: if the restaurant has them, make sure you have a stack of them, and give them out.

I'm sure there other local online places you can place ads, since they're free it never hurts to take a few minutes. You can create an ad in Word, and everytime you advertize just cut and past - that's how I do it. Also you are not only advertizing the restaurnt, but yourself, too, if you include a link to your site.
Web presence - verrrrrrry important.

If you schedule other dancers you should encourage them to invite everyone they know, friends and family to come see them dance. They can take it upon themselves to advertize on their own (the nights they are there).
One of the reason the restaurants / clubs have different dancers, musicians and djs is to have diversity: these entertainers will / should bring somewhat of their own following, so they bring in more people.

Originally Posted by Marianna

Promoting the restaurant you dance at means promoting yourself. I never think of it as I am doing the owner's job. I want people to come see me, because that means I will continue to have a job and will make more tips. And I rather dance in a full restaurant than in an empty one.

I completely agree with this. I would also add that most restaurant owners are pretty smart - if they see YOU bringing people in to their restaurant to see YOU dance, and if you do this regularly, they'll find it a lot less tempting to hire a Suzy Nippletassels undercutter when she comes sniffing around trying to take your job away.

What about passing out coupons for your students for a free drink, etc.

I found helpful a fancy jar for a place to put tips for dancers for those who are more shy too or a small jar at each table with your tripod ad.

Don't forget to email me the info too!

You are welcome to post about your shows on
nebellydancecalendar : New England Belly Dance Calendar
(it's free!)

If the restaurants have websites, post them to the links section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nebell...calendar/links

Belly Dance Venues in New England
Links to resturants and clubs in New England that feature Belly Dancing

You can also post them in the database section
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nebell...endar/database

New England Belly Dance Venues
Call before visiting to confirm details

You can also list your performance dates in the calendar section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nebellydancecalendar/cal