Driving Fine Dining Reservations and Guest Loyalty During the Shoulder Season

CHALLENGE: 

Angelina’s Ristorante is a premier fine dining restaurant in Southwest Florida, known for its exceptional service, authentic Italian cuisine, and award-winning wine tower. As with many regional dining establishments, Angelina’s faces a seasonal slowdown during the summer months and has historically opted to close on Monday nights, the slowest night for dining during that time.

To address this challenge, Pushing the Envelope, Inc. (PTE) developed a strategic campaign that would encourage more guests to dine during the slow season, participate in the restaurant’s special offerings, and increase loyalty program participation.

OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES:

The “Mondays Are for Friends and Fine Dining” campaign included the following key objectives:

• Generate awareness around Angelina’s being open 7 days a week over the summer, earning more covers compared to restaurants in the region facing the same seasonal challenges.
• Boost interest in the Prezzo Fisso offering by extending it all evenings on Mondays rather than limiting it to the seasonal dining window of 4 to 6 p.m.
• Grow the Friends of Angelina’s loyalty program to provide long-term benefits beyond the slower months, increasing both email open and click rates.

PTE executed a multi-channel strategy to reach engaged, year-round diners and maximize the campaign’s impact. The strategy included:

• Utilizing a combination of paid and organic social media content to highlight the limited-time offer, driving engagement and reservations.
• Leveraging the loyalty program to promote the exclusive Monday offer via a dedicated email campaign, ensuring that high-value guests were the first to know, and thus, further positioning the program as an added benefit.
• Designing and distributing a targeted email through Florida Weekly, reinforcing the campaign messaging, and ensuring the promotion reached a broader audience of local diners.

RESULTS:

The campaign delivered outstanding results, exceeding expectations across all key performance metrics:

• According to OpenTable, Angelina’s had 26% more covers during Q3 than the average number of covers restaurants reported in SWFL.
• Pageviews to the Prezzo Fisso landing page increased by 93% compared to the same period in 2023, demonstrating strong guest interest in the offering.
• Compared to the same period in 2023, Angelina’s gained 12% more email subscribers, email open rates increased by 14%, and click-through rates improved by 22%, reflecting stronger engagement and a growing audience. Additionally, Angelina’s open rate was 10% above the industry average, and the click rate was 75% above the industry average. 

CONCLUSION:

By strategically targeting year-round diners and enhancing visibility through a well-balanced mix of digital and loyalty-driven marketing, Angelina’s successfully increased reservations, maximized engagement, and strengthened guest retention—proving that even during the shoulder season, the right approach can generate powerful results. The success of this campaign underscores the power of strategic marketing in overcoming challenges and driving measurable growth.