Got a restaurant grand opening coming up? Use these tips and templates to write the perfect “restaurant opening soon” message.
All the hard work you’ve put into getting your restaurant ready to open is about to pay off.
Your grand opening is coming up, now you’ve just got to get people in the door. What do you say? And once you’ve written your grand opening announcement, how do you send it out?
Luckily, we’ve come a long way since the days of banners and sign-spinning employees. Now, you can market your restaurant’s “opening soon” message in front of thousands of eyes at once.
Whether you’re most comfortable with social media, text messaging, emails, or even good old-fashioned flyers, you have plenty of options on hand for attracting customers to your new restaurant or location.
We’ll break down how to write the perfect “opening soon” message for your restaurant, along with some tips and options for how to send it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
First things first: what goes into an effective restaurant grand opening announcement?
Although the content depends on how you choose to send your message, there are a few components you’ll want to include no matter how you write it up.
It sounds a bit obvious, but it still needs to be said. Let people know the date and time when you’re opening your restaurant (and remember to include your business hours) so they can plan to attend.
Again, basic details on where you’re opening your restaurant are a must. This is even more crucial if you have more than one location or if you’re located among a lot of other storefronts.
Consider including parking instructions as well to make things even easier for your attendees.
By “strong,” we don’t mean “order people to show up at X hour on X day.” We simply mean that you should end your announcement with an invitation that interests the reader and compels them to celebrate the grand opening with you.
This could be something like, “Join us for good fun and exclusive offers,” or, “RSVP at the link below for a special coupon.”
You’ve got the basics. You’ll be off to a great start if you include those three pieces.
That said, there are a few other pointers to consider if you want to take your grand opening invitation message to the next level.
Now that you know how to write your announcement and what to include, it’s time to plan out how you want to send it.
You have plenty of options for sending an opening soon message for your restaurant. Let’s compare a few.
Want to catch a lot of eyes even if you don’t have a lot of existing people to advertise to? Write up a short press release and send it out to local news outlets.
Not sure where to start, or never sent a press release before? There are plenty of free press release distribution services across the Internet to help you get started.
Email is a good way to make important announcements if you’ve already got a list of people to receive them.
Services like Evite will help you put together a visually appealing, professional invitation in just a few steps.
You can then load your email into an email marketing platform to make sending — and tracking engagement afterward — a snap.
Of course, if you’re looking to bring your community together for your restaurant opening, your best move is to get out into your community and spread the word.
Consider posting flyers on neighborhood bulletin boards in local businesses or other popular spots in town.
If you’re opening a second or third location for your restaurant, include your opening soon announcement in the window of your original location or on the menus.
Mobile marketing is our favorite method for sending out invitations and other big news (surprise).
With an online SMS service, you can create your announcement and schedule it to send to hundreds or thousands of contacts at once.
SMS also allows you a lot of space to be creative. Include an image of your new restaurant or an RSVP link where contacts can register to attend (sending an MMS message with images also allows you 1600 characters to play with instead of 160 with SMS).
Pro tip: Don’t have many text contacts yet? Send out a keyword through email or on your storefront so that customers can sign up to receive your announcement over text.
Now you’ve got all the knowledge you need to create the perfect opening soon announcement for your restaurant.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or still don’t know where to start, we totally get it. For some easy inspiration, use these message templates.
Let your existing customers know that they’ll soon have a new location to visit for the food they love.
Annie’s Diner is coming to Midtown!
Join us Friday, March 18th, at 5:30 PM for the opening of our 8th Street location.
We’ll be:
Raffling gift cards
Debuting new specials
And more…
5645 N 8th Street
Come out and celebrate with us!
Send your grand opening announcement out in a way that’s sure to make your contacts notice.
Get your opening soon message out to the community in places where they already gather.
We’ve got exciting news!
Good Day Deli opens next Saturday, August 8th, at 12 PM, and we invite you to celebrate with us.
Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun and great food (and a few special surprises).
Text GOODDAY to (856) 654-7865 for updates and an exclusive coupon.
We’ll see you there!
Since you’ve got some creativity flowing, here are a few more promotional ideas to help ensure that your restaurant’s grand opening is a success.
Restaurants are a social and family hub within the communities they serve, so double down on your community engagement.
That might mean helping out with local food banks or fundraisers, sponsoring a local 5K run, or partnering with community charities. You could even give out samples at your nearby farmer’s market to get people excited to try your menu.
Bottom line: You want to get your brand out there as one that’s invested in the community at large and in doing some good ahead of your opening.
Don’t forget your flyers when you go out to volunteer or help at an event. You can invite fellow participants to grab a bite to eat at your grand opening.
Other (non-competitive) businesses are your best resource for generating interest and positivity before you open your restaurant.
Get creative here. Partner with home services providers and advertise their website at your grand opening. Let your local dog shelter show off some of their adoptable pets in your outdoor seating area.
However you choose to do it, make sure you partner with businesses and organizations that tell people who you are and what’s important to you.
Be sure to give out some extra perks to guests who attend your grand opening.
Consider offering their next meal free, special coupons, reward program enrollment, or a punch card with three free punches to get them closer to their next treat.
Incentives will help your grand opening guests get excited to come back, not just for your amazing food, but to cash in on the perks you gave them, too.
This is an important tip for getting the word about your restaurant and all it has to offer.
It’s also pretty simple to set up. Create a hashtag for your restaurant and encourage attendees to post on social media using the hashtag, or offer a discount to the first few dozen people who comment on your next social post or follow your Facebook page.
Just be sure to include a card or table tent that outlines all these social engagement opportunities.
Nothing starts your restaurant out on the right foot like a stellar grand opening celebration. If you want a big crowd, you’ll need to draw them in with an eye-catching, welcoming announcement.
We hope these tips and templates have given you a strong start as you craft your opening soon message.
Want a head start on sending your message to the masses? Get started with a 14-day trial of SimpleTexting, completely free.
Lily is a content marketing specialist at SimpleTexting. She specializes in making helpful, entertaining video content and writing blogs that help businesses take advantage of all that texting has to offer. When she’s not writing or making TikToks, you can find Lily at roller derby practice or in a yoga studio in the Seattle area.
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