The rain has finally reached Delhi, and every restaurant owner knows what comes with it. The first few showers bring people out to celebrate. After that, the waterlogged roads, the jams on the Ring Road and the uncertainty of getting caught in a downpour keep a lot of families at home. Weekday evenings in particular can go very quiet.
You cannot change the weather. But a monsoon restaurant promotion, planned properly and pushed out at the right moments, can give people a reason to make the effort, or to order in from you instead of someone else. Here is how we approach it with restaurants.
Start with the food, not the discount
The monsoon is one of the few times of year when almost everyone in North India wants the same kind of food. Hot chai, pakoras, samosas, bread pakoda, corn on the cob, soups, maggi, jalebi, kulhad chai, garlic bread with a hot drink. Even restaurants that serve continental or Chinese food can find something that fits the mood.
A small monsoon menu works better than a blanket discount. Pick four to six items that feel right for a rainy evening and that your kitchen can turn out quickly. Give the menu a simple name. Price a couple of combinations sensibly, such as a pakora platter with two cups of chai, or soup and garlic bread for two. Now you have something specific to talk about, which is far easier to promote than “20% off”.
People don’t go out in the rain for a percentage. They go out for a plate of hot pakoras and a table by the window.
Post when it is actually raining
This sounds obvious, but most restaurant Facebook pages schedule their posts days in advance and then forget about them. The monsoon rewards being quick. A photo of your monsoon platter posted at 5pm while it is pouring outside will get far more attention than the same post on a sunny morning.
We suggest keeping a few good photos ready to go, taken in your own restaurant with your own food. When the clouds come in, whoever handles the page posts one with a short, relaxed line. Something like “Raining in Rajouri? Pakoras and masala chai are ready. Table by the window is free.” No hashtag soup, no long paragraphs.
With Facebook page reach falling for most businesses this year, you may want to put a small budget behind the best of these posts. Keep the targeting tight: people in the localities around you, in the age group that actually visits, and people who already like your page. A small boost aimed at people within easy reach of your door is worth more than a big one spread across all of Delhi.
Make ordering in easy
On the worst days, many people will not come out no matter what you post. That is fine, as long as they order from you.
- Put your delivery number in every monsoon post, in text, not hidden inside an image.
- Make sure the phone is actually answered during peak hours. A missed call on a rainy evening is an order that goes to the next restaurant.
- Be honest about delivery times. If the roads are flooded, tell people it may take longer. They will usually understand, and they will not leave an angry review later.
- If you are listed on online ordering sites, check that your monsoon items and timings are updated there too.
SMS: useful, but follow the rules
Many restaurants collect phone numbers through feedback forms and billing. A short SMS on a rainy afternoon can bring regulars back. But there are rules, and they matter.
Under TRAI’s regulations, promotional messages cannot be sent to numbers registered on the Do Not Disturb list, and they can only go out between 9am and 9pm. Use a registered bulk SMS provider that filters DND numbers for you. Avoid cheap senders who promise to deliver to everyone, because that kind of shortcut can get your sender ID blocked and annoys the very people you are trying to win back.
Keep the message simple. Your restaurant name, one line about the monsoon menu, the phone number, and the timings. Send it on a day when rain is expected in the afternoon, not after the evening is already lost.
Don’t send one every time it drizzles. Two or three well-timed messages over the season are plenty. More than that and people start ignoring you.
Update your listings
When it rains, more people search on their phones for places nearby. Make sure what they find is correct. Check your listing on Google, which Google has just moved into its new Google My Business dashboard, along with Zomato and Justdial. Confirm your timings, phone number, and whether you deliver. If you have a covered seating area or valet parking, mention it. On a wet evening, those details decide where people go.
Add a few fresh photos of the monsoon menu to your Zomato listing and your Facebook page. People decide with their eyes, especially for comfort food.
Give people a reason to come in
For restaurants with seating that suits it, a small rainy-day experience can work well. A few ideas we discuss with clients:
- A fixed time slot for a “chai and pakora hour” on weekday evenings.
- Live music on one weekday evening if you already have a regular performer.
- Bringing old Hindi film songs about rain onto the playlist. It costs nothing and people notice.
- A simple offer for groups who come in during a downpour, like a free plate of pakoras for tables of four or more.
None of these needs to be elaborate. The point is to give regulars something to mention when they call a friend and say “let’s go out anyway”.
Keep an eye on what works
Monsoon promotions are a good chance to learn about your customers. Ask staff to note how many people mention the monsoon menu, how many delivery orders come in on rainy days compared with dry ones, and which posts get calls. You don’t need software for this. A register at the counter is enough.
By the end of September you will know which items sold, which messages brought people in and which days were worth pushing. That makes next year’s monsoon much easier to plan.
If you would like help putting together a monsoon menu post, photos or a small Facebook campaign before the next heavy spell, get in touch. The rain does not wait, so the sooner it is ready the better.
