Slow summer months in dining services equals less revenue. Looking for ideas to increase revenue? Here are some ideas worth stealing for your college campus during the summertime.

• Try an International Salad Theme – To increase variety, customer satisfaction and revenue, implement a four-week cycle salad bar rotation. This keeps your customers coming back again and again to see what is new.
• Offer different price ranges for diners – Offer two kinds of sandwiches daily – an artisan version and a more straightforward sub.
• Hot dog cart during summer – Utilize a hot dog cart during the summer while there are no meal plans. Increase your options with an all-beef hotdog and vegan tofu hotdog, as well.
• Multipurpose stations – While summer is a slow time, use one station for made-to-order omelets, then at lunch/dinner utilize the same space for a pasta station. This will help control staffing and expenses.
• Drive business from the community – Using a venue that has accessible parking, invite senior citizens in your community to dine at your cafe. Offer specials, such as $5 Senior Dinner Club. This drives business to your locations, while making your café a dining destination in your community.
• Outdoor dining – Every Friday during the summer, try an outdoor barbecue dining experience. Your staff can get creative using delicious seasonal products while incorporating live-action cooking demos.
• Offer breakfast all day – 54% of consumers say they would order breakfast food items more often if they were offered all day. Consider having one station offer breakfast all day on a specific day each week.
• Midday discounts – Encourage customers to come to your retail locations during the slow time between lunch and dinner with a happy hour promotion. As an example, offer a 5% discount on all menu items from 2 pm to 4 pm on weekdays.