Should a restaurant discount the whole bill?

Rarely. With thin margins a percentage off the bill can wipe out the table's profit. A free dessert or drink costs less and still feels generous.

What prizes work for restaurants?

A free dessert or drink, a starter on the next visit and free delivery for takeaway orders. Rewards for the next visit bring guests back on quieter days.

When should a restaurant run promotions?

On quiet nights and in quiet weeks, such as early in the week and in January, not on full weekends.

How does a restaurant run a prize wheel?

Print the game's QR code on receipts or table cards. Guests play on their phone, winners get a single-use code, and staff mark it used from a PIN-protected link.

Promotion ideas

Promotion ideas for restaurants

A restaurant fills tables on some nights and not on others. Promotions that work fill the quiet nights and bring guests back, without discounting the busy ones.

The margin you are working with

US listed restaurant companies report a net margin around 9 percent on average. A 20 percent discount on the bill can wipe out the profit on that table.

Individual items differ a lot: desserts and drinks usually cost far less than mains to produce, which makes them the cheaper thing to give away.

How deep to discount

Avoid discounts on the whole bill. Give a specific item instead, so the cost per table is small and known.

Tie offers to quiet times: an offer valid Monday to Wednesday fills seats you would not sell anyway.

Prizes that cost little

A free dessert or drink on the next visit costs little and brings the guest back. A free starter for a table of four brings a group.

Print the game's QR code on the receipt or the table card. Guests play while they wait for the bill, and staff mark the code used when they return.

The moments that matter

Weekly patterns matter most: quiet early-week nights and late afternoons.

Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and year-end parties are full anyway, so use them to collect contacts for the quiet weeks that follow, such as January.

Mistakes to avoid

Discounting Friday and Saturday, when tables fill at full price.

Ignoring delivery platform fees. A discount on top of a platform commission can turn a delivery order into a loss.

Industry figures are averages for US listed companies (Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern, January 2026). Your own shop's margin will differ.

A prize wheel for a restaurant

Low-cost items and rewards for the next visit, never a discount on the whole bill.

Free dessert
Free drink
Starter on your next visit
Free delivery

Suggested chance of winning: 35% of spins land on a prize. Make the most valuable prize the rarest.

Spin this prize set Check a discount against your margin

Questions

Should a restaurant discount the whole bill?: Rarely. With thin margins a percentage off the bill can wipe out the table's profit. A free dessert or drink costs less and still feels generous.
What prizes work for restaurants?: A free dessert or drink, a starter on the next visit and free delivery for takeaway orders. Rewards for the next visit bring guests back on quieter days.
When should a restaurant run promotions?: On quiet nights and in quiet weeks, such as early in the week and in January, not on full weekends.
How does a restaurant run a prize wheel?: Print the game's QR code on receipts or table cards. Guests play on their phone, winners get a single-use code, and staff mark it used from a PIN-protected link.

Run a prize wheel for your shop

DealCraft puts a prize wheel on your website or at your counter as a QR code. You choose the prizes, the chance of winning and a hard budget, and every winner gets a single-use code. The free plan gives you 200 plays a month and needs no card.

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