A grand opening gives a new restaurant one night to show the room, the menu and the service to people who have not tried it yet. This guide covers the planning, the soft opening and the promotion.
What the opening is for
It is the first impression for neighbours, local businesses and anyone who has watched the build-out. Treat it as a test of the whole operation with an audience, not just a party.
Run a soft opening first
Invite friends, family, suppliers and a few regulars before the public night. Service, menu timing and the till get tested while the stakes are low. Collect what went wrong and fix it before the real opening.
Plan the evening
- Decide who you are inviting and how they get in: invitations, a booking link or an open door.
- Set the menu. A short menu cooked well beats a long one that slows the kitchen.
- Work out how many covers the room and the kitchen can handle at once.
Take orders online
Some people will want to order before the night or take food away. A restaurant online ordering plugin such as FoodMaster (formerly WooFood) lets customers order from your website, and you can take pre-orders for the opening so nobody misses a dish.
Promote it
Use the channels you already have: social media, an email list, a note to local media and local influencers. Say the date, the address and what is happening. One clear message repeated beats a scattered campaign.
Make the night an event: live music, a few dishes that are only on the opening menu, or a local guest. Anything that gives people a reason to come on that date rather than later.
After the opening
Keep the details of the people who came and ask them back. The opening is one night; the bookings after it are what the night was for.