There is an interesting quote by an unknown author: “Live your life as an exclamation – not an explanation.”
That same thought can be applied to your restaurant marketing efforts, turning ordinary days into something to celebrate and a reason for customers to visit or for employees to be reminded of just how much you care. There are numerous “holidays” throughout every month of the year which can be turned into a party, promotion, interesting subject to Tweet about, a Facebook contest, or an easy excuse to do something great for your staff.
The idea here isn’t to tie in to every holiday imaginable, but to look at the list and be creative in coming up with themes and promotions that best reflect your own individual brand and audience. For example, give every member of your staff working on “National Random Acts of Kindness Day” a $10 bill and get them to commit to just one random act of kindness per table they service during the shift. Or, May 1st – for Loyalty Day – recognize the employees and vendors who have been with you the longest. For Boston Tea Party Day, offer a free premium tea to every customer that comes through your doors as a no-strings-attached Thank You.
If you think creatively there you can find a number of days to make your own and build in to your holiday marketing program (hmmm….maybe I should endeavor to do a blog post for each and every holiday below and give three ideas for each? Maybe a little too ambitious; but let me know what you think).
Make each event something to exclaim about!
Okay, here’s the list:
January-1 New Year’s Day
January-4 Trivia Day
January-5 Twelfth Night
January-8 The King’s Birthday (ELVIS)
January-9 Balloon Ascension Day
January-12 National Pharmacist Day
January-12 Stephen Foster Memorial Day
January-12 National Clean Off Your Desk Day
January-16 Prohibition Remembrance Day
January-16 Religious Freedom Day
January-18 Maintenance Day
January-19 Federal Lands Cleanup Day
January-19 Martin Luther King Jr.
January-20 Inauguration Day
January-22 Chinese New Year
January-27 National Activity Professionals Day
February-2 Groundhog Day
February-8 Boy Scout Day
February-12 Lincoln’s Birthday
February-14 St. Valentine’s Day
February-16 President’s Day
February-17 National Public Science Day
February-17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
February-22 George Washington’s Birthday
February-24 Mardi Gras
March-2 Texas Independence Day (Texas)
March-3 National Anthem Day
March-4 Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March-6 Alamo Day
March-7 Peace Corps Day
March-12 Employee Day
March-12 Girl Scout Day
March-14 Pi Day
March-16 Black Press Day
March-16 Freedom of Information Day
March-17 Camp Fire Boys & Girls Founders Day
March-17 St. Patrick’s Day
March-22 to March-23 North American Wildlife Celebration
March-23 Liberty Day
March-26 Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March-30 Doctor’s Day
March-30 Seward Day
March-31 Cesar Chavez Day (California)
April-1 April Fool’s Day
April-2 Reconciliation Day
April-4 Daylight Saving Time begins
April-6 National Tartan Day
April-6 First day of Passover
April-9 Good Friday
April-10 Salvation Army Founders Day
April-11 Easter Sunday
April-13 Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
April-15 Income Tax Day (also Accountant’s Day)
April-15 Rubber Eraser Day
April-16 Librarian Day (School)
April-18 Paul Revere Day
April-18 to April-24 Administrative Professional’s Week
April-21 San Jacinto Day (Texas)
April-21 Administrative Professionals Day (formerly Secretaries Day)
April-22 Earth Day
April-22 Oklahoma Day
April-22 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
April-24 Astronomy Day
April-26 Confederate Memorial Day
April-30 National Arbor Day
May-1 Law Day
May-1 Lei Day
May-1 Loyalty Day
May-1 May Day
May-1 Save the Rhino Day
May-4 National Teacher Day
May-5 Cinco de Mayo
May-6 National Day of Prayer
May-8 V-E Day
May-8 World Red Cross Day
May-9 Mother’s Day
May-10 National Receptionist Day
May-15 Peace Officer Memorial Day
May-15 Armed Forces Day
May-15 Police Officers Memorial Day
May-16 National Bike to Work Day
May-19 National Play Day for Health
May-21 National Waiter/Waitress Day
May-22 National Maritime Day
May-25 National Missing Children’s Day
May-31 Memorial Day
June-5 Boone Day
June-6 D-Day
June-6 Child Health Day
June-14 Flag Day
June-17 Bunker Hill Day
June-19 Juneteenth (Milwaukee, Wisconsin & Texas)
June-20 Father’s Day
June-21 Summer Solstice
June-28 World War 1 Day
July-4 Independence Day
July-14 Bastille Day
July-20 Moon Day
July-22 National Hot Dog Day
July-27 Cross Atlantic Communication Day
July-30 System Administrator Appreciation Day
August-4 Coast Guard Day
August-5 Atomic Bomb Day
August-8 Family Day
August-15 to September-15 Hispanic Heritage Month
August-16 King’s Death (Elvis)
August-19 National Aviation Day
August-20 National Homeless Animals Day
August-26 Women’s Equality Day
August-27 Petroleum Day (Texas)
September-6 Labor Day
September-12 National Grandparent’s Day
September-16 Mayflower Day
September-16 Rosh Hashanah
September-16 Stepfamily Day
September-17 Citizenship Day
September-21 World Gratitude Day
September-22 American Business Women’s Day
September-25 National Hunting & Fishing Day
September-25 Yom Kippur/Atonement Day
October-1 Techies Day
October-2 World Farm Animals Day
October-6 National German-American Day
October-6 Physician Assistant Day
October-9 Leif Erikson Day
October-11 Columbus Day
October-14 Peace Corps Birthday
October-16 Boss’ Day
October-16 Dictionary Day
October-16 Sweetest Day
October-18 Alaska Day
October-24 United Nations Day
October-27 Mother-in-Law’s Day
October-27 Navy Day
October 31 Daylight Saving Time ends
October-31 Halloween
October-31 National Magic Day (for Houdini)
November-1 All Saint’s Day
November-1 Sadie Hawkins Day
November-2 All Soul’s Day
November-2 Election Day
November-3 Sandwich Day
November-9 Berlin Wall Opening Day
November-10 Marine Corps Birthday
November-11 Veterans Day
November-15 America Recycles Day
November-18 Mickey Mouse’s Birthday
November-18 Great American Smokeout
November-19 US Marine Corps Day
November-22 John F. Kennedy’s Assassination
November-22 National Stop the Violence Day
November-25 Thanksgiving Day
December-7 Pearl Harbor Day
December-8 Chanukkah begins
December-10 Human Rights Day
December-10 Nobel Prize Day
December-12 Poinsettia Day
December-16 Boston Tea Party
December-20 Louisiana Purchase Day
December-21 Forefather’s Day
December-21 Winter Solstice
December-25 Christmas Day
December-26 Kwanzaa
December-31 New Year’s Eve