How Can Restaurants Prepare for Peak Season in Dubai - Playbook Tips & Tricks

Dubai’s upcoming peak season, from October to March, brings a significant influx of foot traffic and prime opportunities for restaurants! So how can restaurants prepare for peak season in Dubai? Drawing on real-time data and insights from 1,000+ leading restaurants and F&B venues in Dubai, Playbook offers essential strategies to help you stay ahead of the competition. Discover proven marketing techniques employed by Dubai’s top-performing venues to maximise revenue and make the most of this high-demand season.

Marketing Initiatives used by Restaurants to Prepare for Peak Season in Dubai

Personalised Marketing Campaigns

A crucial aspect of taking advantage of the influx of traffic during the peak season is launching the right marketing campaigns to target potential customers, both residents and visitors. By leveraging historical customer data, restaurants create personalised "peak season" campaigns that resonate with your specific customer persona, driving both engagement and loyalty.

In recent seasons, personalised campaigns on marketplaces like Playbook have become a popular and effective choice for many businesses, due to the ease of execution and strong alignment with targeted customer personas.

Pre-Launch Marketing Campaigns

To stay ahead of the curve, restaurants build anticipation and hype through pre-season, pre-opening, or pre-launch campaigns that highlight upcoming changes, special events, and exclusive promotions. Preferred channels of distribution are boosted social media posts, e-mail campaigns, F&B focused media platforms, SEO-friendly articles, and influencer collaborations.

ZOCO’s rebranding and relaunching is a prime example of how generating hype behind a change can reinvigorate your brand. 

Creating Seasonal Promotions & Hosting Seasonal Events

Aligning your marketing efforts with seasonal events is crucial during Dubai’s peak season. Holiday-themed offers, special menus, live music nights, and masterclasses can help create memorable experiences that attract customers. Alongside personalised campaigns, hosting themed events for occasions like Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve boosts engagement and drives repeat visits. Between January and December of 2023, Dubai welcomed over 17.2 million visitors, an almost 20% increase over the 2022 period’s visitor inflow! During these high-traffic periods, in-house promotions like happy hours, brunches, and set menus are key.

For inspiration, check out our Playbook, Pizza & Spritz event at Acquasale by Cucina the Palm to see the impact of creative seasonal promotions.

Attracting Customers with Geo-Targeted Campaigns

Geo-targeted campaigns for restaurants in Dubai are another excellent way to attract customers during busy times. By taking advantage of geolocating tactics, restaurants can push promotions to customers nearby through targeted ads, ensuring that your offers are seen by those most likely to visit. This strategy is especially useful in a bustling city like Dubai, our local market with over 3.6 million eager residents.

With Playbook’s insights and tools, F&B venues can implement successful geo-targeted campaigns that drive local traffic and increase sales.

Accommodating Large Group Bookings

Your customers are your number-one priority in the restaurant business, anticipating and meeting their needs is a top priority, especially during this busy season. Large group bookings in Dubai's restaurants become much more commonplace, with the potential to significantly boost revenue, all from one single booking. During peak season, many visitors and residents look to celebrate special occasions, making this a crucial strategy. Our experience in linking restaurants with customers helps you develop group booking strategies that cater to large parties efficiently, maximising your seating capacity and revenue.

Enhancing Outdoor Seating

With Dubai’s weather cooling down during the peak season, making outdoor seating available is incredibly desirable for customers. Enhancing your outdoor spaces with comfortable furniture, shading, and ambient lighting helps create a welcoming atmosphere for your customers; promoting it through your channels can also attract potential customers looking to enjoy alfresco dining.

SEO-friendly articles and targeted social media exposure are both excellent ways to promote your outdoor spaces - have a look at how we supported Twenty Three and La Coco in the same way!

Engagement Enhancing Events

Another way to maintain engagement is by running giveaways and contests, offering creative prizes, such as date nights, team brunches, and exclusive dining experiences to encourage participation. Promote these contests on social media alongside ads to maximise reach and visibility to over 52% of Dubai’s 3.6  million residents who seek out F&B experiences.

Our team has successfully executed such campaigns for brands like Expo City's Brunch City, Pub in The Park, and Barasti Beach, resulting in increased engagement and new customer traffic.

Leveraging Expertise in Streamlining Marketing Efforts

To truly capitalise on peak season, seeking expert assistance is invaluable. Playbook offers tailored marketing approaches and tools to optimise your efforts and give restaurants an edge over competitors. By attracting high-intent customers and leveraging existing platforms and media, businesses can streamline their marketing campaigns and ensure maximum impact.

As Dubai’s peak season nears, implementing an effective seasonal content strategy for restaurants to maximise customer engagement and revenue is key for preparation. From personalised marketing to geo-targeted promotions for restaurants in Dubai, there are countless ways to make your restaurant the go-to destination in Dubai. 

With Playbook, you can focus on delivering value to your customers while we handle the rest. Don’t miss out on the hottest opportunities in Dubai as the weather cools down — contact us today to learn how we can help your restaurant thrive this peak season.