Have a fresh new spring menu to entice guests? Technomic research found that over half of consumers say they are more likely to order items described as “seasonal,” which could make your new menu a powerful revenue driver when promoted well.
Doing this effectively requires more than new dishes — it demands urgency, value, and targeted communication. You can create urgency through limited-time positioning. LTOs are increasingly central to foodservice strategy, with launches up 19 percent year over year, according to Technomic. Launch with a clear LTO window and strong visuals.
From there, value messaging continues to be important to consumers when it comes to discretionary spending. While your value messaging could include bundled deals or promotions, your brand may want to emphasize factors like premium ingredients, local suppliers, or the abundance or skilled preparation of a dish to make your offering feel worthwhile.
Finally, go digital-first. The National Restaurant Industry found that 90 percent of consumers say they would use app-based limited-time offers. Loyalty program members tend to spend 20–30 percent more per visit, so using SMS, apps, and email to deliver targeted messages is critical. Social media can help you keep the communication going more broadly from there, with posts that highlight the freshness and seasonality of your menu.

Limited-time offers can revive guest excitement about your restaurant: According to the director of menu research and insights at Technomic, 52 percent of consumers say the availability of an appealing LTO is important to them when they are deciding which restaurant to visit. Restaurants have responded, with LTOs spiking 46 percent at both quick-service and full-service restaurants. But LTOs aren’t necessarily easy to execute. The quality of the planning behind them can help ensure you’re offering not only the kinds of options that your guests will crave, but also ones that help you minimize pain points and maximize opportunities in your business. Here are some questions to ask as you develop new potential concepts: How can you connect this offer to the time of year, or to what’s happening in the world? How can you make it feel exclusive, so guests know they won’t find this offer elsewhere? What about this LTO will pique someone’s interest when they see it on a social media post? What time frame and marketing approach will best motivate people to buy from you right now? How can you use more of the ingredients you would most like to include – and avoid those you don’t? What pain points – e.g., complicated prep – do you want to avoid? How can you use your guest data to craft offers that speak to them? (Technomic found that younger consumers tend to be more willing to try new LTOs, for example, while older consumers tend to lean toward nostalgic tastes.) Finally, how can you mine your guest data to make sure your offer is getting traction – and apply those lessons when developing future offers?