Restaurant Winter Promotion

Objective: To support Fairfax County restaurants through the winter months through both takeout and dine-in.

Campaign Dates: December through Valentine’s Weekend

Cost to Participate: FREE!  There is no cost to participate for any Fairfax County restaurant

Campaign Overview: Virginia is for Restaurant Lovers.  Show your favorite restaurants love this winter and support them by visiting or ordering takeout. 
 

How to Participate

  • Complete the safety protocols section of FXVA.com via the Visit Fairfax Extranet portal.   [Here is a Quick reminder how to access.]  Doing so will mean that your restaurant is included in the list of “safe restaurants.” 
  • Let us know which categories apply to your restaurant:  Takeout, Delivery, Dine-in, Outdoor Heated Dining.  You can add this information in the same section as your safety protocols using the Visit Fairfax Extranet portal.
  • Sign up to be included in the Visit Fairfax Restaurant Trail if you haven’t already.  Sign up here.
  • Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food during a pandemic.  Put a spotlight on your offerings by highlighting one menu item that features chocolate in some way.  It can be anything, ranging from desserts to cocktails to an entrée to beer.  You can add your chocolate menu item here.   We will need an image of the chocolate item and a description that would motivate a consumer to want it.  
  • Optional Opportunity:  Each week, Visit Fairfax will feature one restaurant on our social media platform that reaches tens of thousands of consumers.  Consumers will be encouraged to “share the love” by tagging someone in the comments to tell that person what they love about them for a chance to win a $25, $50, or $100 gift certificate to a featured restaurant.  Restaurants that would like to be featured can do so by providing a $25, $50, or $100 gift certificate to Visit Fairfax.  Please contact Jackie Franchi at jfranchi@fxva.com for more information. 

 

Campaign Message and Promotional Elements

Primary Message:  Local restaurants need your support to get through the winter months!

  • Promoting Takeout (ads will launch every Thursday):  It’s “Little Friday” and you deserve to treat yourself.  Why cook tonight?? Order takeout from your favorite restaurant.
  • Promoting Dine-in through specialty menu items:  Did you know that chocolate is a symbol of love and commitment?  Treat yourself this winter and show your favorite restaurant some love by enjoying our “Chocolate Favorites.”  Visit our participating restaurants to enjoy their special version of chocolate and let us know your favorite.  [FXVA.com will list each restaurant that offers a chocolate favorites menu item]
  • Mobile – the Fairfax County Restaurant Trail:  Support your favorite local restaurants through the Visit Fairfax Restaurant Trail [this is the next evolution of the current Takeout Trail which currently has approximately 3,000 downloads].  The downloadable technology for mobile phones will serve restaurant lovers this winter by helping them find:
    • Takeout offerings
    • Delivery offerings
    • Outdoor heated dining offerings
    • Chocolate Favorites menu offerings
    • Safety measures at our restaurants
  • Establishing Consumer Confidence:  We put safety first!  Our restaurants are prioritizing your safety and have added many safety protocols to their operations.  FXVA.com will include a way for consumers to find restaurants that have added safety measures.
  • Gamification Element:  Spread the LOVE!  Tag someone you know, or your favorite restaurant, in the comments section and tell them what you love about them.  Everyone who does that will be entered into a weekly drawing for a $25-$100 restaurant gift certificate so you can keep spreading the love at a local restaurant.

  

Participation Benefits Overview

Restaurants that participate will be widely promoted via Visit Fairfax marketing and public relations efforts, including:

  • Inclusion in “Chocolate Favorites” press release & media gift
  • Media opportunities as available
  • Inclusion in a robust social media marketing campaign
  • Inclusion in digital marketing of the Visit Fairfax Restaurant Trail “app”
  • Potential inclusion in blog articles featuring local chef recipes
  • Restaurant listing on dedicated campaign landing page reaching thousands of consumers
  • NOTE:  There really is such a thing as a free lunch.  There is NO COST to participate in this program.  Complete your participation checklist today!

 

Additional Resources

  • We are happy to share this winter preparation guide for restaurants that our partners with Streetsense recently produced:  Winter Dining Guide
  • Find the Visit Fairfax team contact information here.  We are here to help!
  • For additional support and marketing resources, visit our Stakeholder Toolkit.