Two ways to boost your off-peak times

Off-peak trade needs a reason to visit, not another weekly discount. Match your offers to the venues and events around you.

The hours between services are the hardest to fill. A 2 for £20 deal that runs every week does not do it on its own, because regulars have seen it all before.

To bring people in during the quiet times you have to give them a reason worth going out for. There are two good places to find one: your local area and the events calendar.

Check out your local area

Location does most of the work. Spend an hour mapping what happens around your venue during the day, then target the people it sends past your door with offers built for them.

Places to watch:

• Theatre or concert hall: pre-show and post-show meal deals

• Sports ground: pre-match and post-match offers

• Cinema: film-inspired snacks to take away

• Gym: healthy snacks, shakes and smoothies

• University or college: after-lecture meal deals

• Nursery: playgroup offers with snacks for the kids

• Hairdresser or spa: treat-yourself offers after a treatment

Think quick fixes as well as sit-down meals. Sliders, light bites and takeaway deals suit people with a short window between commitments.

An early bird fixed-price menu before 7pm is another reliable one. Families who prefer to eat early will plan their week around it.

Check out the events calendar

If you show live sport, a big tournament like the Six Nations hands you a ready-made midday audience. The trick is giving people a reason to watch it with you rather than at home.

A rugby-inspired afternoon tea works: beer instead of tea, hearty snacks that travel well on a tray. Manchester's Brewski ran a meat-heavy take on the afternoon tea that is worth a look for inspiration. Handheld food like sliders lets people eat without missing the game.

Sport goes with drinks, so run an early happy hour around match times and consider a beer pack offer for bigger groups. One person booking for six is a table you would not otherwise have had at 2pm on a Saturday.

And if sport is not the style of your venue, position yourself as the opposite. Promote the fact that you do not have the match on, and sell the quiet, TV-free meal to the people who want it.

Listing your offers on local events apps and community pages puts them in front of people who are already nearby, which is most of the battle during off-peak hours.

Need a hand promoting your off-peak offers by email and SMS? Get in touch with our team.