Idea #1: This list building idea comes from Jessica Greene-Pierson, a Marketing Programs Manager here at VerticalResponse.

She went out to dinner with her husband at a local Indian restaurant and in the bill holder there was a survey. Nothing new there, we’ve posted about this idea before. But what got her attention was the fact that they offered a free buffet on your next visit if you coughed up your email address. Clever! Thanks Jess!

Idea #2: Here’s another one I ran across recently. At the end of a great meal, the bartender gave us our bill. On the bill he noted that there were two other restaurants we should visit. I’m not sure if the restaurants were owned by the same owner or if they were swapping offers, either way it’s a great idea to pump up the foot traffic.There was a 7 day expiration date and an offer for 20% off our entire bill if we spent more than $25.

The catch was that we had to save this receipt and show them. Check to see if your point of sale system allows you to customize your message on the receipt. If it does it’s great because you’ll capture the date when the clock starts the expiration ticker. Otherwise you can just use your own printer and give them a monthly expiration. Any other great restaurant ideas? We’d love to hear them!

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