How to Increase Restaurant Foot Traffica busy sidewalk bar at night in a warm climate in the evening

How to Increase Restaurant Foot Traffic

Are you looking to increase foot traffic to your restaurant? Many restaurants have seen foot traffic trend down, but we are here to offer encouragement and tips to help bring more guests to your door. Summer is coming, which means more people will be travelling and eating out, or even exploring their own city on foot. This is the perfect time to start thinking about how to welcome guests to your restaurant. Read on for some ideas:

Know Your Customers

One of the best tips on how to increase your number of restaurant sales is to know who's buying. Find out why and when they come in and what they order.


Use platforms such as Thanx and use NPS or network promoter surveys. The data you collect will help you make the kind of food your customers prefer, change your design, create targeted marketing campaigns, and more.

Use Social Media Platforms That Increase Restaurant Traffic

Growing your restaurant without social media is almost impossible today, and it starts with letting customers know where you are. Put an accurate address, hours of operation, and phone number on every platform you use. Claim a free business listing on all the major search engines, including Bing, Yahoo, and Google Business.


Attractive pictures of food on Instagram can whet anyone's appetite and lead to better restaurant food traffic. Use other platforms to communicate with your customers through posts and be responsive in a timely manner to messages on social media.

Reward Loyalty and Referrals

Customers want to feel like they're more than a dollar sign, and a loyalty program can help make them feel valued. Find a way to reward them for repeat visits, whether it's through an app, a targeted campaign or even traditional loyalty rewards program using phone numbers or punch cards.


Rewarding customers for referrals will also increase traffic. You'll have a line of new customers waiting outside because they trust their friends and family to tell them the best places to eat.

Create Signs

The key to better restaurant foot traffic is enticing visitors from all over the area. Fifty percent of customers enter a business because they saw an attractive sign, and 35% of them wouldn't even know it was there without it. They can even make up 80% of your total restaurant income. Options for attractive outdoor restaurant signs include:

  • Open LEDs
  • Digital signs
  • Black and white reversible signs
  • Acrylic table tents
  • Hostess signs

You can also use indoor tabletop signs that let customers know which tables are reserved and table bells that let customers ring in orders. They help service go more smoothly, freeing up room for restaurant visitors waiting outside.

Host Events

Special events are an easy way to increase foot traffic if done correctly. Make sure that they're enticing and fit what your customers are interested in. Schedule them at a time when they'll already be in the area.


Your customers will look forward to a weekly or monthly event, but a limited-time, one-day offer makes them even more likely to visit. Just make sure you have enough food and space to accommodate everyone.


Become part of local community events. Reach out to local fundraisers or organizations to add your name to the list of vendors. Our takeout containers are a great fit to help you participate in community events.

Include Outdoor Seating

Outside seating is a convenient and cozy form of advertising. Everyone who walks or drives by and sees it will be enticed to check it out.

Get the Right Equipment

Increasing prices gives you more revenue in the short term, but working to increase restaurant traffic gives you a steady stream of income from satisfied customers who keep coming back.


Participate in and create local events. Get to know your customers and reward the loyal ones. Get the best equipment you can, including outdoor seating and signs. Contact us about our products today.