Restaurants need a lot of things to be successful.
Stellar dishes and drinks. Dedicated staff members. Easy-to-use restaurant tech.
The list can go on.
But none of that really matters if you’re missing the most important ingredient in the recipe for restaurant success:
Paying customers.
A steady stream of paying customers coming through the door is a beautiful sight for any restaurant… but the truth is that the stakes are higher than usual right now.
When you consider that:
- 97% of operators say rising food costs are an issue for them
- 98% of operators say rising labor costs are an issue for them
- 38% of operators say their restaurant wasn’t profitable in 2023
… then attracting new customers quickly becomes a “need,” not a “want.”
So, if you’re among the 30% of restaurant owners concerned about sales volume this year (despite doing all you can to attract new customers)... don’t panic.
If your current efforts aren’t attracting the customers you want — and need —then it’s time to think outside the box, and try something you might not have thought of before:
A community restaurant partnership.
Salad and Go x North Texas Food Bank.
What are Community Restaurant Partnerships?
A community restaurant partnership is a collaboration between you/your restaurant and another organization, business, or individual in your local community.
What that collaboration looks like, though?
Well, that’s up to you!
One of the most beautiful things about community restaurant partnerships is that there’s nothing “one-size-fits-all” about ‘em.
You and your partner each offer a range of unique skills, expertise, knowledge, and values, and you decide how you leverage those capabilities in your partnership.
To better illustrate just how diverse a community restaurant partnership can be, here are 3 top-notch examples:
- Salad and Go x North Texas Food Bank: When Salad and Go opened their Plano location in 2021, they donated 2,000+ salads to the North Texas Foodbank in their first week. The salad brand supports a new nonprofit weekly, which you can read about here.
- Greater Goods Coffee Co. x Austin Pets Alive!: For every 12 oz bag of A.M. Rescue and Take Me Home Greater Goods sells, they donate $1.12 to Austin Pets Alive!, an animal shelter offering lifesaving programs for homeless pets facing euthanasia.
- Eat’n Park x Grist House Craft Brewery: Eat’n Park’s strawberry pie and Grist House’s craft beer are both Pittsburgh staples. So, when the two businesses teamed up to create a sour ale called “Strawberry Pie Forever,” it’s no surprise it was a hit with the locals!
Greater Goods Coffee Co x Austin Pets Alive!
A community partnership can lead to brand-new customers. Our Restaurant Marketing Guide teaches you how.
What are the Benefits of Community Restaurant Partnerships?
Now, the definition of a community restaurant partnership is pretty straightforward…
But it’s still missing the “why.”
Why are community restaurant partnerships worth exploring? What do you and your partner gain from it? What does the community gain from it?
Those are good questions.
And luckily, we’ve got good answers.
Here are some benefits of community restaurant partnerships for you, your partner, and your shared community/communities.
(Spoiler alert: there are tons.)
1. Increased Brand Visibility and Awareness
When you start a community restaurant partnership, the “joining forces” bit refers to your audiences, too. Working with a community partner means gaining access to their audience, getting your restaurant in front of brand-new people who could eventually become brand-new customers. Plus, customers referred to your brand by others have a 37% higher retention rate!
2. A Stronger Reputation for Doing (and Being) Better
From expecting brands to take a stance on social issues to happily paying more for eco-friendly options, people want to support businesses working to do better — something that’s easier with a community partner in your corner. Partnerships can offer more resources, support, and opportunities to actually do better, making a difference and building trust within your community.
3. Improved Access to Local Community Assets
Success isn’t about “who you know”... but connections never hurt. You and your partner can expand your now-shared network by making introductions to suppliers, venues, and other relevant contacts that propel your efforts forward. After all, people trust small businesses more than any other corporation — why not work with the local folks your community already trusts?
4. A More Cost-effective Approach to Marketing
While restaurants typically spend 3-6% of their gross sales on marketing, the high price tag of certain efforts means 3% might not get you as far as you’d like (especially since Facebook ads cost ~$0.52 per click). Community restaurant partnerships are a great, low-to-no-cost way to get your business in front of new eyes; they don’t have to cost you anything but time and effort!
Working on increasing your brand visibility through a community partnership? Our Restaurant Marketing Guide shows you the ropes.
Considerations Before Developing a Community Restaurant Partnership
While that list of benefits probably got you a little more on board with community restaurant partnerships… don’t start reaching out to potential partners just yet.
Community restaurant partnerships can be extremely beneficial.
But only when they’re done right.
So, to make sure you and your future community partner will 100% be on the same page, check out this list of considerations (and keep it handy going forward!).
- Your history with the partner
- Do you know this business/organization/person?
- Do you enjoy their vibe? Their personality? Their quirks?
- Do they have an audience you want to attract/that fits your ICP?
- Your collaboration preferences
- Are you in each other’s local trade area?
- Are you on the same page with communication style/preferences? (i.e. email, text, Slack, etc.)
- Will your schedules and personal commitments make planning easy or difficult?
- Your financial capabilities
- Can you both equally contribute funds to partnership endeavors?
- Who will be responsible for managing partnership-related funds?
- Your personal skills and knowledge
- Does this partner have skills that fill gaps in your own? What about vice versa?
- Is this partner willing to learn new skills to support the partnership? Are you?
- Do you have experience in their industry? Do they have restaurant experience?
With this list of considerations — and whatever other considerations you have that are specific to your restaurant — not everyone will be a perfect partner match.
And that’s okay!
The more aligned you and your community partner are, the more fruitful the partnership and its efforts will be — for everyone involved.
How Community Partnerships Fit Into Your Marketing Plan
Now, there’s no doubt that community partnerships can do a lot of good for your restaurant.
But I’d be remiss to leave out this one, important detail:
You probably already have a jam-packed marketing plan, with a million and one other things you want to do for your restaurant.
So, how does this new thing fit in?
Pretty easily, actually.
Deena McKinley — the Managing Partner and Founder of Maverick Marketing Solutions, LLC. and a friend of Craver — recently collaborated with Craver on a guide called “Restaurant Marketing 101.”
In Section 3, Deena explains that every good marketing plan outlines your restaurant’s specific marketing strategies, A.K.A. “the tactics you will use to achieve your goals.”
And, one of the first marketing strategies she recommends you start with?
Community restaurant partnerships.
“Whether you’re giving back to local organizations making a difference or partnering with a long-time community favorite, you’re making yourself a pillar of your community,” says Deena. “[People] who love where they live want to support businesses that feel the same way.”
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