Trends & Industry Insights

Creative CNY Concepts to Promote Your Restaurant

With Chinese New Year (CNY) just around the corner, you may already be looking for creative CNY concepts to promote your restaurant.

After all, CNY is one of the most lucrative holidays there is, with an estimated annual spending of $149 billion worldwide. This amount is expected to grow tremendously, especially with lockdowns being lifted. 

Hence, it makes perfect sense for restaurant owners to use this opportunity to gain new diners, which in turn will boost their revenue. To really capitalise this holiday, here are three creative (yet budget-friendly) ideas that you can try to incorporate into your restaurants;

1. Festive packaging

Red packaging for takeaway foods.

The colour of prosperity, as we know it, is red. This specific hue naturally marks the celebration of CNY. To really showcase your CNY spirits, why not switch to red packaging? 

This strategy, though it may seem minor, can really illustrate just how much your restaurant awaits and celebrates this holiday. It does not have to be something grand or complicated, you can adjust this according to your budget too.

If an all red packaging is hard to get, consider adding some red elements for your takeaway food such as; red food containers, red straws, or even red paper bags. 

2. Modify your menu

CNY dishes

The heart of any restaurant is essentially its meals selection, so adjusting your menu to the occasion has never been so crucial. Help your customers celebrate CNY by providing some of the most spectacular CNY dishes for their taste buds to relish in.

Yee Sang

For instance, include the prosperity toss, (also known as yee sang) into your menu. Use its Malaysian origin to your advantage and hop onto this symbolic CNY activity. This raw fish salad tossing tradition will definitely attract diners with large parties and help them strengthen their bond this lunar new year. 

CNY meals.

If you’d like to be extra daring, go ahead and create your own CNY meal! Combine your signature dish with any of CNY’s elements. You can take inspiration from the famous Yee Sang and incorporate some of its ingredients into your main dish.

Additionally, if your existing menu includes a steamboat, why not curate a special CNY steamboat for your celebrating customers? Among the widely known and well-loved ingredients to put into your CNY steamboat would be; prawn dumplings, wanton, ngoh hiang, yong tau fu, beancurd skin rolls, and many more.

3. Paint your restaurant red

CNY decorations

In commemorating this special occasion, decorate your restaurant in red! From red table cloths, wall hangings, to even menu covers, try your best to add some CNY elements into each of them. Incorporate some gold to your decorations too. This way, your guests will surely be in the mood for festivities upon entering your restaurant.

CNY lanterns for decorations

Ultimately, there are many CNY items that you could use for decorations. From Chinese lanterns, firecrackers, paper cuttings and door couplets - there are so many options. Each of these items showcase different meanings and symbolism, which will make your guests feel all the more welcomed. 

CNY-themed decoration for restaurants.

For more inspiration on how to creatively decorate your restaurant this CNY, why not give this article a read? Not only will it make your restaurant stand out from the rest, it will also leave a lasting impression on your diners.

There you have it - all the creative concepts you need to know to promote your restaurant this CNY!

Regardless of which method you end up choosing, we sure hope that this upcoming lunar new year will bring your restaurant endless prosperity and liveliness. Also read how your menu can be elevated during the holiday season.

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