How Restaurants Can Use Gift Cards to Fill Empty Tables

The Problem Restaurants Face

Every restaurant has slow nights. Whether it’s midweek lulls, seasonal dips, or unexpected cancellations, empty tables mean lost revenue that can’t be recovered. Unlike retail, you can’t “stock” meals for later. Once a night passes with empty seats, the opportunity is gone.

Gift cards are a simple, effective way to solve this. By selling dining experiences in advance, restaurants generate cash flow up front and ensure those empty tables get filled.

Why Gift Cards Work for Restaurants

Gift cards aren’t just convenient for customers — they directly address key restaurant challenges:

• Boosting traffic on slow days – Gift card redemptions often happen during off-peak times.
  
  
• Locking in future visits – Selling gift cards guarantees a customer will walk through your door.
  
  
• Attracting new guests – Many cards are purchased as gifts, bringing in diners who might never have visited.
  
  
• Increasing ticket size – Diners often spend more than the card’s value, boosting per-table revenue.
  
  

Ways Restaurants Can Use Gift Cards Strategically

1. Seasonal Promotions
   
   
   • Around holidays, run campaigns like “Buy a $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.”
     
     
   • Encourages larger purchases and future visits.
     
     
2. Weekday Incentives
   
   
   • Promote weekday-only gift card specials to balance traffic across the week.
     
     
   • Example: “$50 gift card valid Tuesday–Thursday only.”
     
     
3. Group Dining & Catering
   
   
   • Offer gift cards toward group meals, family-style dining, or catering orders.
     
     
   • Helps fill larger tables and boost average checks.
     
     
4. Customer Loyalty & Referrals
   
   
   • Give small gift cards as rewards for repeat visits or referrals.
     
     
   • A $10 card often leads to a full-price meal purchase.
     
     

Marketing Gift Cards for Restaurants

• Menu Inserts – Feature gift cards on printed menus or table tents.
  
  
• Point-of-Sale Prompts – Train staff to ask if guests want to purchase a gift card when closing out.
  
  
• Website Placement – Add a “Gift Cards” link to your navigation with instant digital delivery options.
  
  
• Social Media Highlights – Showcase gift cards as the perfect birthday, anniversary, or holiday gift.
  
  
• Local Partnerships – Pair up with nearby businesses to cross-promote gift cards.
  
  

Best Practices

• Offer both physical and digital cards to cover in-person and last-minute online buyers.
  
  
• Keep terms flexible — allow partial redemptions and make cards valid for all menu items.
  
  
• Track performance — use a platform like Ncentiva to monitor redemptions and understand customer behavior.
  
  
• Promote year-round — don’t limit campaigns to holidays; remind diners that gift cards work for any occasion.
  
  

Final Takeaway

Gift cards transform empty tables into opportunities. By selling meals in advance, restaurants not only secure revenue but also attract new guests, encourage upsells, and build long-term loyalty.

In a business where every seat matters, gift cards are more than a convenience — they’re a smart strategy to keep your tables full and your revenue steady.

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