The Tuesday Night Ghost Town Problem
It’s 6:30 PM on a Tuesday. You’ve got the lights on, the aircon running, and your staff are standing around polished cutlery for the third time tonight. You’re watching the clock, calculating the wages you’re paying out versus the two tables currently eating.
Every restaurant owner in Brisbane—from the high-end spots in Eagle Street to the family-run Italians in Chermside—knows this feeling. It’s the mid-week slump.
Most owners react by panicking. They jump onto a massive discount site, slash their prices by 50%, and hope for the best. But at the end of the month, they realise they’ve served more people but made less profit. It’s a treadmill that’s hard to get off.
I’ve worked with dozens of local hospitality businesses, and I’m going to be blunt: most of what you’ve been told about filling quiet nights is rubbish. You don’t need a fancy 'algorithm' or a 'viral' TikTok dance. You need a plan that puts more money in the till than it takes out of your pocket.
Let’s bust some myths and look at what actually works to get bums on seats when things are quiet.
Myth #1: "Slashing Prices is the Only Way to Get People In"
This is the biggest lie in the industry. When you offer a 50% discount to everyone, you aren't just attracting new people; you’re training your regulars to never pay full price again.
If I know your steak is half-price on Wednesdays, why would I ever come on a Saturday and pay $45? I’ll just wait. You haven't created more business; you’ve just moved your profitable Saturday customers to a day where you make zero margin.
What to do instead: The "Added Value" Strategy
People don't just want 'cheap'; they want 'worth it'. Instead of cutting the price, add something that costs you very little but feels like a win for the customer.Think about: A free glass of house wine with every main. (Cost to you: $2. Value to them: $12). Kids eat free. This is a winner for suburbs like Carindale or North Lakes. If Mum and Dad buy two mains and two drinks, giving away $10 worth of pasta for the kids is a bargain to get a $100 table. Free dessert for locals. Ask for a postcode or ID. It builds a massive amount of goodwill.
Myth #2: "You Need to Spend Thousands on Ads"
I see so many owners throwing $500 a week at Facebook ads without a plan. They 'boost' a post of a burger and hope for the best.
Wait! Before you hand over your hard-earned cash to Mark Zuckerberg, look at who you already know. You have a goldmine sitting in your booking system and your social media followers. You can actually fill your tables by talking to the people who already love your food.
If you have a list of 500 email addresses or phone numbers from past bookings, sending a quick 'Local’s Secret Offer' for a Tuesday night costs you almost nothing and usually results in 5-10 immediate bookings. That’s far more effective than showing an ad to 10,000 strangers who might live in Ipswich when your restaurant is in Sandgate.
The "Local Hero" Method: Why Your Suburb is Your Best Friend
Brisbane is a city of villages. People in Paddington tend to stay in Paddington on a weeknight. They aren't driving across the bridge for a casual dinner.
To fill your slow nights, you need to become the 'default' choice for people within a 5-minute drive of your front door.
1. The School P&C Play
Schools are always looking for prizes for raffles. Don’t just give them a $50 voucher. Give them ten vouchers for a 'Free Bottle of Wine when you buy two mains on a Tuesday or Wednesday'.Now, instead of one person coming in and spending exactly $50 (your money), you have ten families coming in on your quietest nights and spending $80-$100 each. You’ve turned a donation into a massive revenue driver.
2. The Tradie Early Bird
If you run a pub or a casual bistro, your best customers on a Thursday are the blokes finishing work at 3:30 PM or 4:00 PM. They want a cold beer and a decent feed before they head home.Instead of a 'Happy Hour' that ends at 6:00 PM just as the families arrive, try an 'Early Knock-off' special from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. It fills the room during that awkward transition period and creates an atmosphere. Nobody wants to walk into an empty restaurant at 6:00 PM. A few tables of tradies having a laugh makes the place look popular.
Making Your Website Work for You (Without the Jargon)
We talk to a lot of owners who spent $5,000 on a website that looks pretty but doesn't actually help them get bookings.
Here is the honest truth: your website has one job. It needs to tell people your address, show them your menu, and let them book a table.
If a customer is on their phone (which 80% of them are) and they have to 'pinch and zoom' to read your menu, they are leaving. If they have to download a PDF to see your prices, they are leaving.
Make sure your website works on phones perfectly. If it’s easy to book a table in three clicks, you will get more bookings. It’s that simple. You don't need 'responsive design' talk; you just need to make sure your grandma could book a table on her iPhone without getting frustrated.
The Power of the "Themed Night" (Done Right)
Most themed nights fail because they are boring. 'Steak Night' is everywhere. Every pub in Brisbane does a $20 parmy on Thursdays.
To stand out and actually make money, you need to be specific.
The 'Date Night' Package: A set menu for two, including a shared dessert and two drinks for a flat price (e.g., $99). It removes the 'decision fatigue' for a tired couple on a Tuesday. The 'BYO' Night: If you don't usually offer BYO, making Tuesday 'Zero Corkage Night' is a massive drawcard for wine lovers who have a cellar but want someone else to do the dishes. The 'Neighbourhood Table': Have a large communal table? Offer a discounted 'family style' meal where people can bring their neighbours.
How Long Until You See Results?
I’m not going to lie to you—this isn't an overnight fix. If you start a new Tuesday night special today, you might only get two extra tables next week.
Marketing a restaurant is about consistency. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks for a new 'slow night' strategy to really bite. People need to see the offer, think about it, mention it to their partner, and then finally make the booking.
If you give up after two weeks because 'it didn't work', you’ve wasted your time. Pick one strategy, commit to it for two months, and track every single person who comes in for it.
What’s a Waste of Money?
Print Ads in Local Papers: Unless you are targeting a very specific older demographic, these are usually a bin-fire for your cash. General 'Awareness' Social Media Managers: If someone wants to charge you $1,000 a month just to 'post three times a week' without a strategy to get people in the door, fire them. Likes don't pay the power bill. Enquiries and bookings do.
- Massive Discount Apps: As mentioned, use these with extreme caution. They are great for getting people in once, but terrible for building a profitable business.
Your Action Plan for Next Week
You’re busy, so don’t try to do everything at once. Here is what I’d suggest doing first:
1. Check your phone: Look at your website on your own mobile. Try to book a table. If it takes more than 30 seconds or is annoying, fix that first. 2. Pick your 'Value Add': Choose one slow night (e.g., Wednesday). Decide on an offer that doesn't slash your price but adds value (like the free glass of wine or dessert). 3. Tell your regulars: Send an email or a text to your existing customer list. Don't have one? Start a 'Locals Club' sign-up sheet at the counter tomorrow. 4. Update your Google listing: Make sure your 'Google My Business' profile shows your new mid-week offer. Google likes this, and it helps you show up when people search for 'dinner near me'.
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane business owners get more phone calls and bookings without the headache. We don't care about 'impressions'—we care about how many people walked through your door.
If you’re tired of seeing an empty dining room on a Tuesday and want a no-nonsense plan to fix it, let’s have a chat. We’ve helped restaurants all over Queensland turn their quiet nights into some of their most profitable ones.
Ready to get more customers? Contact us here and let's get to work.