Harness the travel market

Is your restaurant known for its local flavor? Do you (or could you) offer a creative dining experience or other event that could become a memorable part of a person’s vacation or business trip? Consider who may be passing through town in search of a good meal. Skift Research found that 43 percent of tourists plan their travel with food as the main purpose. Tourists and business travelers are often looking for an authentic, local dining experience — and then posting about it to their friends online. Local Airbnb hosts, hotel companies, delivery providers and other complementary businesses can be helpful partners who can connect you with potential customers. Consider DoorDash’s new partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which allows guests at its 3,700 U.S. hotel properties to bypass room service and get restaurant delivery for free from DoorDash member restaurants. (InterContinental Hotel Group already has a similar relationship with OpenTable and GrubHub, while Resy also works in partnership with Airbnb, allowing guests to make in-app reservations at a curated selection of restaurants in a number of cities.) But even without formal partnerships you can get the word out to people visiting your area. At the very least, get to know the travel bloggers who cover your region so you’re on their radar when they suggest local dining options.