At Delivery First, we are passionate about all things local and small business. And as a small business in the restaurant industry, so are you! Small business Saturday is a day to lift up other small businesses and give them the business and recognition they deserve. 

Small Business Saturday is an American holiday celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. It’s a relatively new celebration which started in 2010. As a counter to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to support brick and mortar small businesses like yours! Especially in the post-pandemic world, local shoppers are looking for ways to lift up small business. Let’s talk about how you can make the most of this year’s Small Business Saturday for you and your small business friends.

Host a “pop-up” event with another small business 

To really capture the spirit of the day, consider hosting an event partnering with your local neighbors and small business friends. There are an unlimited amount of ways you can do this! You can host a shopping event with local creators with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres that use local ingredients. If you’re really involved in the community, you can organize tasting and shopping events with several small businesses! 

Feature Small Business Saturday specials 

If you’d like to keep things in-house, you might offer a menu of creative Small Business Saturday specials. Host a happy hour with an array of post-shopping pick-me-ups if your restaurant is near local shops. This could also be a great opportunity to test out seasonal menu items to see how they perform!

Offer a gift card promotion

For those looking to gift the experience of your restaurant to their friends and family, offer a gift card promotion. This could be a discounted price or a loyalty point reward if shoppers purchase a certain dollar amount in gift cards. 

Be sure to advertise this promotion on your social media and reach out to participants of your loyalty program. Don’t have a loyalty program yet? Small Business Saturday and the holidays are a great time to collect customer emails and start building one! 

Create a social media campaign 

What makes your business special? Every small business has a story, and this is what makes supporting local so interesting! Create a simple social media campaign to tell your story and give customers a glimpse into your work. Talk about your experience and possible struggles in the past year and stress the importance of supporting small businesses during this time. Transparency fosters a closeness with customers that can create a lifetime of loyalty and support! 

We sincerely wish you a great Small Business Saturday and we look forward to celebrating with you in whatever way you decide!