Happy hour is a treasured time when friends and coworkers kick back over discounted food and drinks. For restaurants, happy hour is a great way to increase traffic, boost sales, and build a loyal customer base. That's why it's important to know how to make your restaurant stand out and attract new and loyal customers.
This guide provides actionable ideas for hosting and promoting a successful happy hour event, whether you're offering in-house service or using alcohol delivery options like DoorDash.
Develop creative happy hour promotion ideas
Defining a sound marketing strategy will help you meet your goals. Do you want to reach new customers, build a loyal following, or increase order size? Different promotions can help you do all of the above. Here are some creative ideas for happy hour promotions to grow your business:
Time-limited discounts
Offering time-limited deals can help attract new customers during off-peak hours. DoorDash's Happy Hour Discount, for instance, allows restaurants to offer customers a discount of at least 25% off orders every day between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Keep in mind that bigger discounts often yield higher order volume.
According to internal DoorDash data:
Restaurants that run a 30% off promotion during Happy Hour can increase sales by more than 15%
Restaurants that run a 40% off promotion during Happy Hour can increase sales by more than 30%.
Holiday promotions
Happy hour helps drive traffic and boost sales for your restaurant year-round, beyond traditional holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Check out DoorDash's Social Media Holiday Marketing Calendar for creative ways to drive sales throughout the year. Additionally, here are some key holidays to keep in mind:
Christmas: Offer half-off eggnog or mulled wine in the weeks before Christmas.
Fourth of July: Discounts on select red, white, and blue beverages.
Social media holidays: Why not celebrate National Cocktail Day with deals on signature or specialty cocktails?
Sports events: Host happy hours during major sports games throughout the year, including the NFL playoffs, hockey playoffs, and NBA finals.
Local partnerships
Engage with neighboring businesses to offer joint happy hour discounts for customers showing a receipt from local partner businesses.
Happy hour usually runs between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to capture the after-work crowd. To increase order size and volume, try upselling customers with a 2-for-1 drinks special or a free appetizer with the order of two entrees.
Learn more tips on how to leverage DoorDash Happy Hour promotions and other DoorDash ads and promotions.
Feature the best happy hour drinks
At happy hour, drinks are the star. Include a variety of beverages to suit customers' tastes, from craft beers to house wines to signature cocktails, like a martini, margarita, or whiskey sour. You'll also want to consider alcohol trends, including popular alcohol drinks and ordering data. For example, according to DoorDash's 2024 Restaurant Alcohol Online Ordering Trends report, US consumers say their top beverages for online delivery are wine and champagne, beer, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Consider updating your happy hour menu with discounts on fun, seasonal beverages, like the best alcoholic drinks for summer. Or, if your restaurant serves a high student population, grow sales with a happy hour menu that includes the most popular drinks for 21+ college students.
Follow more tips for designing a restaurant menu to help you stand out from the competition.
Include non-alcoholic happy hour ideas
Don't forget the rising demand for non-alcoholic happy hour ideas. Younger generations are embracing ''sober curious'' lifestyles and are interested in “NoLo” (non and low-alcohol) drinks, both at home and when out at bars or events. According to our 2024 Restaurant Alcohol Online Ordering Trends report, almost a third (29%) of consumers report ordering low-ABV or non-alcoholic beverages. Offering mocktails or specialty beverages ensures that all guests can enjoy their experience, regardless of their preference for alcohol.
Use restaurant marketing tips to promote your happy hour
Once you've nailed down your promotion ideas and designed your menu, it's time to get the word out to new customers. To maximize your happy hour reach, you need a great restaurant marketing plan. Here are some great restaurant marketing tips to boost your happy hour attendance:
Social media: Build buzz and awareness on your social media channels.
Email campaigns: Promote your happy hour or offer your loyal customers personalized discounts through email marketing.
Delivery platform promotions: Grow sales by offering Happy Hour Discount or customized happy hour promotions in the DoorDash app to attract new and loyal customers.
Offer alcohol delivery services to reach more customers
Expand your happy hour beyond your dine-in guests by offering alcohol delivery. Platforms like DoorDash allow you to deliver drinks to customers, enhancing their experience even if they can't make your event in person. Use DoorDash's marketing tools to offer happy hour promotions to increase orders and revenue.
Happy hour case study: Mythical Pizza
West Virginia-based pizzeria Mythical Pizza used DoorDash Promotions and Sponsored Listings — including Happy Hour Discounts — to boost sales during slower times of the year. Their campaign attracted 104 new customers and $6,800 in sales from August to October 2023, achieving a return on ad spend (ROAS) of 6.2X.
"Anything that DoorDash offers, we see if it brings in any business. We've done Happy Hour campaigns, a Monday Night Football discount; there have been some cool promotions to attract more people and keep them coming back."
Host a successful happy hour to improve restaurant sales
You're now ready to host and promote a successful happy hour at your restaurant. Whether you're focusing on creating the best drink offerings or expanding your reach with delivery, these tips will help you attract more customers and keep them coming back. Check out even more ways to increase your restaurant sales.
