Are you using scent marketing in your restaurant yet? Restaurants these days are looking for USPs to make them stand out from their competitors. The Australian restaurant industry is becoming so competitive that a great menu and arty food photographs are no longer enough to convince discerning diners.
As a result, restaurants are increasingly using scent as a way of improving their offerings and increasing their customer appeal. But what is scent marketing, and how can you use it effectively in your restaurant? Here we discuss everything you need to know about scent marketing for restaurants.
What is scent marketing for restaurants?
Scent marketing is a subtle way of making your restaurant more appealing to customers through harnessing the power of aroma. It has been used in other industries for many years – for example, when you’re trying to sell your house, a real estate agent will often advise you to brew a pot of coffee or bake bread before an open home, to reinforce the notion of your house being a pleasant place to live.
It is also used to great effect in the car sales industry. Even second hand cars are given the “new car” smell in the showroom, to convince you that you’re buying a quality product. Spas and beauty salons also recognise the power of scent marketing, often burning incense or essential oils to create a calm and relaxing ambience.
However, scent marketing for restaurants in Australia is a relatively new phenomenon. Previously, restaurant owners have concentrated on the flavour of the food and its attractive presentation on the plate, rather than the aroma of the restaurant. However, when your restaurant smells good, it is much more likely to appeal to customers, making them choose your restaurant over competitors in the area.
Which scents should restaurants use in their scent marketing?
If the food in a restaurant smells delicious, customers are more likely to walk in when they’re passing by. They are also more likely to stay for longer, and return to your restaurant again in the future. So, the ideal scent marketing products for restaurants are those that contain beautiful food-based aromas.
You might choose to use a scent which subtly highlights certain ingredients you use in your menu, such as Lemongrass or Vanilla and Coconut. To create a fresh and enticing ambience, you could infuse your restaurant with a Watermelon and Wild Apple fragrance.
For a welcoming feel, spray a Chocolate Ganache fragrance around the entrance to your restaurant. This will get customers thinking about delicious desserts as soon as they walk in!
What are the benefits of scent marketing for restaurants in Australia?
Scent marketing has a number of important benefits which restaurant owners can tap into:
1. It attracts more customers
All restaurants rely on attracting passing customers. If they can smell a delicious aroma coming from the open doors of your restaurant, this will instantly tempt them to step inside. They will also be more likely to stay longer, as they will want to sample more of your menu.
And, as they can’t possible eat everything on the menu on their first visit, they will return to you again and again!
2. It reinforces your brand identity
By choosing a “signature scent” to use in your restaurant, you can reinforce your customers’ memory of your brand. Sense of smell is extremely powerful in invoking memories, so every time a customer smells that fragrance, they will think of your restaurant and want to return.
This is particularly effective if you have a chain of restaurants, as you can infuse them all with the same scent, creating a strong association with your brand.
3. It disguises unpleasant odours
Your restaurant offers a delicious menu, but not all the ingredients will smell as good! If there is a particularly strong-smelling item on the menu, or if something in the kitchen unfortunately gets burned, a signature scent is the ideal way to cover this up. Your restaurant will smell great at all times, making the dining experience much more pleasant for your customers.
Find out more about scent marketing for restaurants
At Angel Aromatics, we are experts in finding the right scent to give your restaurant a boost! We offer a wide range of different fragrancing products to suit all tastes, and we’re always happy to discuss the individual needs of your business. Please contact us for more information.