Memorial Day provides opportunities for restaurants to celebrate with their local community. Not only can you offer special discounts to active and retired military members, but it’s also a great time to launch your summer menu or try out new dishes.

Here are 6 promotion ideas to try out in your restaurant this year:

Military Specials

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that Memorial Day is a time to honor those who have served or are currently serving in our military. One way to do that is to offer specials for military members, such as a free meal or a discounted rate for their families. You can also design a special dessert that each service member gets for free at the end of their meal. Have fun with it and sprinkle in some of your team’s culinary creativity.

Fire Up the Grill

Unofficially, Memorial Day marks the beginning of the grilling season for many families. Join in the festivities and let your chefs take the cooking outside. Having a day during the holiday weekend where you offer a special grilled menu allows your back-of-the-house team to interact with guests. It’s also a great way to attract new customers to your restaurant and turn them into regulars. You may also consider pairing the outdoor grilling with a raffle or games to entice people to show up.

Outdoor Specials

It’s common for customers to choose grilling out at home on Memorial Day weekend instead of dining at a restaurant. Offering a unique dining experience or menu can be tempting enough to draw them in. Instead of just adding a new menu item, try creating a themed menu.

Or, if you want to keep it simple, create a few new dishes and have guests rate which one they would like to see on the menu moving forward. Your team can hand out samples throughout the weekend, and you can announce the winning dish on social media.

Charity Donations

As we mentioned before, Memorial Day really is about our veterans and honoring those who served. One simple but effective way to honor these individuals is by making a donation that helps veterans in your local community. If you want to take it a step further, you can partner with local chapters of the VA or Wounded Warriors to put on an event where you cook a hot meal for veterans and their families. Offering your time and resources to help a good cause will go a long way in establishing ties with the community.

Introduce the New Menu

One unique way to drive more customers to your restaurant during Memorial Day weekend is to debut your new summer menu during the holiday. Showcasing new dishes and offering discounts to try the revamped items can build a lot of buzz in the community and get people excited to dine at your place.

Honor Veterans on Social Media

Social media is another excellent way to get the word out about your Memorial Day specials and promotions. Along with a post about the veterans that currently work at your establishment or their family members, you should create posts thanking service members and invite them out for a free meal at your restaurant.

For business owners who want to engage with their local community, try starting a posting chain on your social media platform. For example, you can create a post encouraging your Facebook followers to share a picture in the comments of their family members who have served in the military.