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In the Bag: Leveraging Restaurant Delivery Inserts to Boost Customer Loyalty and Revenue

Your delivery bag is a captive marketing channel that extends the dining experience into the customer's home. By strategically using "bag inserts"—from QR-coded loyalty invites to personalized recipe cards—restaurants can drive repeat orders, increase the average check size through upselling, and build a community-focused brand identity.

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There’s a lot more to restaurant delivery and take-out packaging than simply being vehicles for carrying food. Leveraging delivery bags as marketing tools can be a powerful way to boost customer loyalty and increase revenue.


Here are some strategies to employ:

Promotional Offers: Include flyers announcing special deals or discounts exclusively for delivery or takeout customers. This could be a percentage off the total bill, free items with a pre-set purchase amount, or bundle deals.


Limited-Time Offers: Create a sense of urgency by promoting limited-time offers or seasonal specials on inserts to encourage customers to place orders sooner rather than later.


New Menu Items: Introducing new menu items through printed inserts can help entice customers to give them a try. Highlighting exclusives for delivery or takeout can create excitement and drive off-premise sales.


Cross-Promotions: Partner with other local businesses to offer joint promotions. Collaborate with a nearby wine and spirts shop, for example, for a special combo deal or team-up with local movie theaters for fun family or date night events.


Referral Programs: Use printed inserts to encourage customers to refer friends and family by offering incentives like discounts on future orders or free items for each successful referral.


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Online Ordering: Promote the convenience of ordering online through your website by including QR codes or easy-to-follow links printed on inserts.


Customer Loyalty Programs: Reward repeat customers with loyalty points or discounts by encouraging sign-ups for your loyalty program with an appealing advertising insert included in customer orders.


Community Engagement: Customers appreciate businesses that give back to the community. Use printed inserts to showcase your restaurant’s involvement in local charity initiatives or events.


Personalized Messaging: Boost customer loyalty by tailoring inserts with personalized messages or offers based on customer preferences or past orders to demonstrate your business’s attentiveness.


Feedback Encouragement: Encourage customers to provide feedback on their dining experience by including feedback cards in your takeout bags. This can also help you gather valuable insights and improve your service.


Upselling: Utilize inserts to recommend additional items that complement the customer’s order, such as appetizers, sides, or drinks. By clearly displaying these options on the insert, you up the chances of increasing add-on sales.


Special Occasion Messages: Customize paper inserts with special occasion messages for holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries. These small, but personal touches make customers feel valued and appreciated.


Recipe Cards: Share recipes for popular dishes or signature cocktails from your restaurant’s menu, adding value to the customer experience by encouraging customers to recreate their favorite dishes at home.


Local Community News: Include local community news or updates to keep customers informed about happenings in the local area. This can help foster a sense of community and strengthen your relationship with customers.



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Take Away

Restaurant take-out a delivery bags are powerful marketing tools that provide a cost-effective method for engaging with a captive audience, enticing existing customers to come back for more. By implementing these strategies effectively, maximizing the impact of delivery and takeout packaging is in the bag!

 

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By Eileen Strauss

Frequently Asked Questions

Inserts are perfect for strategic upselling. By including a card that suggests specific appetizers, sides, or signature drinks that complement the customer’s current order, you plant the seed for their next visit. Highlighting “Limited-Time Offers” or seasonal specials also creates a sense of urgency that encourages customers to add more to their cart sooner rather than later.

Include a high-visibility insert with a QR code that links directly to your online ordering portal or loyalty sign-up page. To maximize conversions, offer an immediate incentive—such as “Scan to get 10% off your next order”—to turn a one-time delivery customer into a tracked, repeat guest.

Absolutely. Use inserts for community engagement by showcasing your involvement in local charities or neighborhood events. You can also include “Local Community News” or partner with nearby businesses (like a wine shop or cinema) for cross-promotions. This fosters a sense of local connection that goes beyond just the food.

Small gestures like personalized messaging based on past orders or “Special Occasion” cards for birthdays and anniversaries make customers feel valued. Sharing a recipe card for a popular side dish or a signature mocktail is another “surprise and delight” tactic that adds value and keeps your brand top-of-mind at home.

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