Every year on the 23rd of September, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its founding, honoring a legacy of unity, pride, and progress. For restaurants and cafes, this day presents a unique opportunity to connect with customers.
Data shows spending on food and beverages increases 29.4% during national holidays. Restaurants and coffee shops play a pivotal role in these celebrations, serving as gathering places for families and friends.
It’s a golden opportunity to blend the authentic spirit of Saudi hospitality with a modern dining experience, transforming Saudi National Day celebrations from a fleeting event into a lasting memory.
Dining concepts, including coffee shops, can do so by offering traditional dishes and desserts that capture the authentic flavor of Saudi heritage, alongside modern recreations of the evolving culinary scene.
Creating a festive atmosphere with green and white decor and the sounds of national songs can also elevate the experience. Through this blend of tradition and modernity, every restaurant and cafe becomes a living part of the national celebration and a destination that adds greater meaning to this cherished occasion.
In this article, we’ll cover creative ideas to infuse restaurants and cafes with the spirit of Saudi National Day to attract customers and create unique experiences.
Preparations and Décor Ideas for Saudi National Day
Part of transforming your dining experience is setting the stage in your dining concept. This begins with décor and preparations for Saudi National Day. Colors, music, and visuals aren’t just minor details. They are powerful tools that make guestse feel a sense of pride and belonging. Remember to secure the necessary permits for playing music and other festive elements.
You can use Saudi Arabia’s colors, green and white, in your decor to reflect the spirit of the occasion. Incorporate them through balloons, small flags on tables, or hanging window decorations to give the space a cohesive visual identity.
You can also play national songs to amplify the celebratory atmosphere and create a vibrant ambiance for your guests. Visually, using screens to display scenes of Saudi heritage or the Kingdom’s stunning natural landscapes adds a cultural dimension, connecting guests to their history and making their experience more profound.
Saudi National Day Special Offers, Ideas, and Campaigns
To turn Saudi National Day into an opportunity to boost sales and earn customer loyalty, you can launch campaigns and promotional offers designed specifically for this occasion.
Here are some ideas:
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Exclusive menus and offers
Create limited-time dishes and beverages inspired by the occasion, such as drinks served in cups adorned with the Saudi flag or desserts in the colors of the flag to add a touch of national pride to the menu.
You can also include traditional dishes with a modern twist, reflecting a balance between authenticity and innovation.
For example: Offer a “National Day Cocktail” with a date and saffron flavor in cups featuring the Saudi flag’s colors, along with a small cake with the National Day logo.
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Family and group deals
Turn your guests’ visit into a memorable national celebration with special deals like combo meals for families and large groups. This creates a vibrant atmosphere and encourages guests to spend more time at your restaurant.
For example: Create a “Saudi Family Offer” that includes 2 main courses and 4 free drinks, with a 20% discount on desserts.
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Boost loyalty with your rewards program
You can double or triple loyalty points on every purchase made through your restaurant’s mobile app on this day. This encourages customers to spend more and motivates them to return later to redeem their rewards.
For example: Get triple points on every order placed through the app on 23 September, and redeem them later for exclusive offers.
Further reading: 5 Ways to Increase Online Food Orders for Your Restaurant
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Launch exclusive gifts
Adding a symbolic touch with exclusive gifts bearing the National Day logo can make customers feel appreciated and create an emotional connection with your brand.
For example: Give away bracelets or pins with the National Day logo or Saudi flag or colors for free with every order over a certain amount.
Technology and Foodics Solutions
Technology is an essential partner in managing your restaurant or coffee shop. It can ensure efficient operations during Saudi National Day, which may see a surge of customers and increased pressure on kitchen operations.
Foodics’ point-of-sale system provides you with the best possible customer experience and can help you increase your profits. Here’s how:
- Menu engineering: Track the performance of every dish, drink, and Saudi National Day special through menu engineering. You can precisely analyze the sales of these items to understand customer preferences and make data-driven decisions to focus on high-profit dishes.
- Foodics Pay: During peak hours, payment speed is crucial. Foodics Pay ensures smooth and fast payment processes at every customer touchpoint, reducing cashier lines, especially in quick-service restaurants, and contributing to increased customer satisfaction.
- Self-ordering kiosks: Smart self-ordering kiosks reduce the pressure on and empower your staff, while providing customers with a faster experience. They allow customers to place and pay for their orders. Meanwhile, the kitchen display system (KDS) organizes orders and streamlines the kitchen team’s workflow, ensuring accurate and fast preparation.
- Pay-at-Table: Don’t let the payment process interrupt your guests’ experience. The Pay-at-Table system lets customers scan a QR code on their table and pay directly from their phones, increasing service speed, reducing table turnover time, and helping you serve more customers.
Further reading: Your Restaurant CRM in Action: How to Build a Profitable Relationship with Every Guest
Integrating with the Saudi Vision 2030
Saudi National Day is the perfect opportunity for restaurants and cafes to align their efforts with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy, reinforce national identity, and offer a unique cultural experience to the world. By adopting the latest technologies like self-ordering systems and digital payments, restaurants can embody the Kingdom’s journey toward progress and digitization.
At the same time, menu design psychology and creativity can help you blend Saudi heritage with modern touches. This transforms the restaurant into more than just a place to eat, but a destination for locals and tourists alike.
Furthermore, restaurants and coffee shops can serve as ambassadors of Saudi culture by offering dishes inspired by the Kingdom’s various regions or by reinterpreting international dishes with a local twist. This gives locals a sense of pride and introduces visitors to the beauty and authenticity of the Saudi hospitality sector.
This way, every restaurant and coffee shop becomes a living part of the Kingdom’s journey toward the future, contributing to the realization of Vision 2030.
Final Words
On Saudi National Day, the role of restaurants and cafes extends beyond serving food and beverages. Every dish and every cup or glass becomes a symbol of unity and pride.
It’s an exceptional opportunity to bring the community together around shared values and offer an experience that combines the richness of the past with the promise of the future.
Modern restaurant management systems, like Foodics, help restaurants and cafes achieve this balance. They enable them to honor cherished traditions and heritage while providing innovative technological solutions that increase operational efficiency and profitability.
Learn more about Foodics’ solutions for restaurants and cafes!
