Are you ready for some fall menu ideas for restaurants? When you think of fall, you think of pumpkin spice latte, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, and sweet potatoes. Fall is the season of the cozy meal, and comfort food is the best when plotting menu ideas. People naturally crave fall themes, which will do your marketing wonders. A seasonal menu has many benefits, so let’s help you harness them.
In this guide, we’ll provide you with the best fall ideas for your restaurant menu. Don’t scramble for menu ideas - borrow some of ours. It’s essential to tap into the concept of seasonal marketing; it adds novelty and excitement to your standard business days.
It also provides you with marketing material while encouraging connection with customer wants. Adding just one fall menu idea can do wonders for your restaurant and doesn’t need to cost the world. There are plenty of low-cost ways to invest in seasonal menu features.
Are you ready to embrace some fall inspiration? Here is everything you need to know about revamping your restaurant menu for October.
Why Should You Care About Seasonal Menu Ideas
Firstly, why should you care about seasonal menu ideas? There are many benefits, primarily regarding marketing and the novelty sales technique. These benefits drive profit and increase foot traffic - doing your business a huge favor.
You have to grab seasonal menu ideas quickly, as before you know it, they are gone. But if you harness these fall ideas, you can use transferable skills to apply the concept to other seasons year-round.
That’s our brief explanation, but let’s take a closer look at the benefits of seasonal menus:
- They boost your marketing.
Seasonal menus boost your marketing prospects and allow you to encourage more people to visit your restaurant. A fall menu is exciting to push out, providing you with a different marketing angle.
- They appeal to your customers’ interests.
Seasonal menus speak to your customers’ interest, building a stronger relationship with your customer base. You are meeting a need they have and a desire for comfort food. It is the perfect solution; they feel heard, understood, and excited.
- They build your business skills.
Releasing a quick seasonal product develops you as a business owner. You’ll be doing everything at super speed - you have a month or two to market, perfect, and sell the product. This is great practice for more permanent product releases and helps you build those all-important business skills.
- They drive a profit spike.
Seasonal menus also drive a spike in profit - and who doesn’t want that? You can use seasonal menu surplus profit to reinvest in your business. And take advantage of the spike in visitors to get more sign-ups for loyalty programs and email lists.
When To Launch a Fall Menu vs. When To Start Planning Fall Menus
You now know all the benefits of having a fall menu. When should you start putting all of this into action? In the northern hemisphere, fall menus typically run from late September to early or mid-November. This is an example of a rough timeline that you can use to plan and launch a fall menu:
August: Start considering potential fall menu ideas.
September: Perfect the dishes or drinks you have chosen for your seasonal menu and prep your marketing.
October: Launch your fall menu and use the increase in customers to encourage long-term benefits like email list sign-ups.
November: Draw your fall menu to a close and review the skills and growth points you have gained.
Of course, there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you see this in September, there’s still time to condense the earlier steps. But ideally, this is the type of leisurely process seasonal menu planning should use. The more planning time you have, the better your fall menu will be. You want to take the time to make your fall menu something special.
Top 4 Ideas for a Fall-Themed Restaurant Menu
Are you ready for some fall-themed restaurant menu ideas? Inspiration is the trickiest part of creating menu ideas, so steal some of these ideas. You can develop them or make them your own.
1. Pumpkin Spiced Anything
Pumpkin-spiced products get a reputation for being ‘basic’, but we’ll tell you a secret. Nobody cares, and everyone still loves them. You can opt for your classic pumpkin spice latte or go big with something like pumpkin spiced cakes. The options are endless, but pumpkin spice is a theme to remember.
2. Soups
Soups are a big deal in the fall. It is that typical aesthetic, curled up with a piping hot bowl and sweater. All soup is good, but root vegetables and seasonal produce are massive things to look for. Root vegetables and seasonal produce are the absolute currency of fall soups.
3. Kids Meal and Product Ideas
Another thing to consider is how to appeal to kids if families are a significant part of your customer demographic. Kids’ products could be anything from pumpkin-shaped biscuits to witch decorations or ‘spooky’ hot chocolates.
4. Hot Drinks and Food
Another trend to consider when brainstorming fall menu ideas is hot drinks and food. People want warming dishes, so if your lunch menu is predominantly cold, mix things up in the fall. Things like hot chocolates will be a hit.
Final Thoughts: What Are the Best Fall Menu Ideas for Restaurants?
The best ideas for a restaurant menu in the fall always involve comfort food. These menu ideas should be warm, slightly spiced, and help your customers feel cozy and comfortable. Fall is the season for warm mugs, knitwear, and soups. Stick to that aesthetic and preference; you’ll have a fantastic fall menu. To directly answer the question, the best menu ideas are foods or drinks that instill that classic fall aesthetic. Comfort and coziness should reign supreme. So think soups, sour cream, and pumpkin spice lattes galore.
The psychology behind fall menus is fascinating. And if you have found the concept of seasonal menus intriguing, research the psychology behind marketing as a whole. It is perfect to add novelty to your business plan. Nothing screams excitement like a sparkly new menu just in time for fall.
So, where does WiFi marketing fit into all of this? Well, to capitalize on that sudden foot traffic increase, WiFi marketing is one of the best ways to do so. WiFi marketing can be set up with a captive portal WiFi system and collects contact details for your marketing ventures. A captive portal login is ideal for adding to your restaurant game plan this fall.
Beambox provides a top-of-the-game WiFi platform so businesses can capitalize on foot traffic, including increased visitors in the fall. Beambox’s WiFi marketing program is ideal for long-term use of these fall menu ideas for restaurants. Start your Beambox free trial today. We’ll help you ensure your results are long-term - not just for fall.
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