Looking to make your dessert parlour dreams into a reality, but unsure how to make your open day the best it can be? First impressions are paramount to securing long-term, loyal customers, so your open day should certainly be one to remember. That’s why Joe Delucci’s will be running you through our top five tips for ensuring your dessert parlour opening day runs as smoothly as possible – after all, we’ve opened a few stalls and storefronts in our time!
Master The Marketing
An open day would be incomplete without customers – but how do you intend to make your prospective customers aware of your business? It can be difficult to attract people to your opening event if you’re a brand-new business, so it’s important to use all available tools and your existing network to create as much buzz and excitement as possible about the big day! Here’s a few ideas on how you can spread the word:
- Plan and distribute a press release to local newspapers and community websites
- Distribute leaflets locally with information about your open day, with incentives to come and see the new business and a focus on supporting local businesses
- Social media allows you to expand your reach for free, but paid advertising can be a great way to boost brand awareness prior to launch. This can help you target the best audience for your dessert parlour
- Consider investing in an a-frame sign that can be placed outside your storefront in the days leading up to your open day. Make sure the information you put on this advertising is clear, concise and piques the interest of passers by
- Tell everyone you know about your launch and ask them to pass on the message. Word of mouth can be a powerful tool, and referrals and brand advocates can have a huge positive impact on your business in the longer-term.
An Opening Offer
If your business hasn’t opened yet, you won’t have a loyal customer base, so you must try your best to get people through the door to show them why your dessert parlour is worth re-visiting. Many businesses choose to put on time-sensitive promotions that are simply too good to refuse as a means of getting customers through the door. For dessert parlours, this could include giving away free food, providing exclusive discount codes, designing your own dessert, or winning a large prize such as a month’s worth of free desserts. Many dessert parlours may wish to kick off their business with the introduction of customer loyalty cards, with ‘stamps’ or ‘points’ being accrued with each visit to encourage return custom in anticipation of a free or discounted treat. Although this may not be profitable in the short term, it can certainly increase brand awareness, get customers through the door, and show that you value your loyal clientele!
Impressive Interiors And Exciting Exteriors
When it comes to making a good first impression on your opening day, your customers will likely judge the value of your business before they even step through your front doors. The exterior of your storefront should tick a few boxes to maximise appeal – here’s what you should keep in mind…
- Clear: what do you sell? What will your customers be able to purchase?
- Branded: recognisable when compared to other storefronts and dessert parlours. It can be especially helpful to establish a USP that makes your business stand out from the rest. Does your business have a theme? Are you open at different times to your competitors? Is your produce award-winning? Make sure it’s visible and obvious to passers-by!
- Welcoming: your shop should feel inviting, with clear incentives to step through the doors (such as delicious gelato and special launch-day offers!)
It’s vital that you continue these themes through to the inside of your dessert parlour to make your customers stay once they step through the door. Many businesses are choosing to make their interiors more exciting by including specially designed ‘social media’ zones where aesthetically pleasing backdrops and foliage are set out to encourage customers to take and distribute photos of their desserts or themselves at your establishment. This is especially important considering the surge in dessert parlour popularity – you will have to pull out all the stops to obtain and retain loyal customers in such a competitive market.
Ready For Open Day?
Always dreamed of becoming a business owner in the food industry, but not sure how to get there? Joe Delucci’s is more than just your regular gelato company – we provide unrivalled advice, assistance and equipment to get your business running smoothly! Whether you’re looking for the best freezers to stock your Deluccious gelato, looking to expand your dessert offerings, or simply looking for advice, we’re here to help make your dessert parlour business a success, one scoop at a time. For further information on what we offer, fill in the form below and a member of staff will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
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