How to Promote Earth Hour or Earth Day at your Restaurant, Cafe or Bar
Earth Hour and Earth Day are global events that encourage people and businesses to turn off their lights for one hour to show support for sustainability and protecting our planet. Restaurant Earth Hour celebrates what hospitality businesses are already doing to recycle and reduce power, water, gas, and resource consumption. Sharing information about your environmental activities can be a powerful way to generate word-of-mouth marketing.
Even if your cafe or restaurant isn’t open during the switch-off time at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23rd, you can still do many things to support the event. And as with most one-day events, don’t leave publicity until the last minute – try to start the promotion at least a week in advance, talking not just about what the business will do but also asking people to share their plans.
Here are 10 simple and effective ways to help your business celebrate, promote environmental action, and encourage customers to participate in the event at home.
Restaurant Earth Hour at Your Venue
Earth Hour Specials: In the lead-up to Earth Hour, offer special menu items featuring locally sourced or sustainable ingredients. Highlight those you already have, and don’t forget that powerful menu word ‘local’.
Candlelight Ambience: If you’re open during Earth Hour, create a candlelit atmosphere to provide a special dining experience. It could be candles on each table and a large candelabra (which is always useful for special dinner events).
Share Your Year-Round Green Activities: Use the occasion to highlight the variety of sustainable practices you already use, such as composting, recycling, or renewable energy sources. If some of them are challenging (e.g., affordable home-compostable packaging), talk about this as well—it’s not all easy! See > How to Promote your Business as Green, Sustainable and Successful.
Explain Your Energy Conservation Challenges: Share details of the business electricity, gas, and water bills – most people have no idea what a massive expense this is. This is also a great opportunity for your team to Understand Energy Use and How to Lower Costs.
Build Ongoing Engagement With Your Team: This could launch a deeper involvement with your employees – many school science and social studies subjects have an environmental focus, so they’re already primed and interested! Sometimes, they wonder why a business does not take this more seriously! Appointing a person as your in-house Sustainability & Recycling Champion can be a great way to keep this going.
Social Media Campaign: Use your social media channels to spread awareness about Earth Hour and share what your business is doing to support it. Share a variety of posts and feature your team – real faces massively increase the response to social media posts. The chef shows how they are reducing oil use and food waste, the bar staff shows their new environmentally friendly cleaning products, and the floor staff shows the candles they will be lighting at 8:30 p.m.
Restaurant Earth Hour in the Community
Ask People to Share Their Earth Hour Activities: Not everyone comes to your venue, but many are involved. This is a great opportunity for them to tag you on Instagram or post photos on your Facebook Page. Ask some friends of the business to post early and get the ball rolling. #earthhour
Educational Materials: Provide customers with information brochures or table cards about Earth Hour and how they can participate at home. Google ‘how to celebrate Earth Hour at home’ for ideas, or ask ChatGPT to assist.
Support Local Organisations: Partner with local environmental groups to host pre-Earth Hour events and promote their activities. You’ll be surprised how many groups there are… and they’ll appreciate your interest.
Encourage the Use of Public Transport: If you have local buses, trains or ferries, encourage people to use them on the day – add information about this on your website. Provide safe storage for bicycles where possible.
Post-Earth Hour Engagement: After Earth Hour, share photos or stories on social media about your business’s participation and encourage customers to continue sustainable practices. There are so many ‘small stories’ that can be shared on Instagram and Facebook, in your email newsletter, and on your website. One hour is just the start!
Earth Hour and Earth Day are global events that encourage people and businesses to turn off their lights for one hour to show support for sustainability and protecting our planet. Restaurant Earth Hour celebrates what hospitality businesses are already doing to recycle and reduce power, water, gas, and resource consumption. Sharing information about your environmental activities can be a powerful way to generate word-of-mouth marketing.
Even if your cafe or restaurant isn’t open during the switch-off time at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23rd, you can still do many things to support the event. And as with most one-day events, don’t leave publicity until the last minute – try to start the promotion at least a week in advance, talking not just about what the business will do but also asking people to share their plans.
Here are 10 simple and effective ways to help your business celebrate, promote environmental action, and encourage customers to participate in the event at home.
Restaurant Earth Hour at Your Venue
Earth Hour Specials: In the lead-up to Earth Hour, offer special menu items featuring locally sourced or sustainable ingredients. Highlight those you already have, and don’t forget that powerful menu word ‘local’.
Candlelight Ambience: If you’re open during Earth Hour, create a candlelit atmosphere to provide a special dining experience. It could be candles on each table and a large candelabra (which is always useful for special dinner events).
Share Your Year-Round Green Activities: Use the occasion to highlight the variety of sustainable practices you already use, such as composting, recycling, or renewable energy sources. If some of them are challenging (e.g., affordable home-compostable packaging), talk about this as well—it’s not all easy! See > How to Promote your Business as Green, Sustainable and Successful.
Explain Your Energy Conservation Challenges: Share details of the business electricity, gas, and water bills – most people have no idea what a massive expense this is. This is also a great opportunity for your team to Understand Energy Use and How to Lower Costs.
Build Ongoing Engagement With Your Team: This could launch a deeper involvement with your employees – many school science and social studies subjects have an environmental focus, so they’re already primed and interested! Sometimes, they wonder why a business does not take this more seriously! Appointing a person as your in-house Sustainability & Recycling Champion can be a great way to keep this going.
Social Media Campaign: Use your social media channels to spread awareness about Earth Hour and share what your business is doing to support it. Share a variety of posts and feature your team – real faces massively increase the response to social media posts. The chef shows how they are reducing oil use and food waste, the bar staff shows their new environmentally friendly cleaning products, and the floor staff shows the candles they will be lighting at 8:30 p.m.
Restaurant Earth Hour in the Community
Ask People to Share Their Earth Hour Activities: Not everyone comes to your venue, but many are involved. This is a great opportunity for them to tag you on Instagram or post photos on your Facebook Page. Ask some friends of the business to post early and get the ball rolling. #earthhour
Educational Materials: Provide customers with information brochures or table cards about Earth Hour and how they can participate at home. Google ‘how to celebrate Earth Hour at home’ for ideas, or ask ChatGPT to assist.
Support Local Organisations: Partner with local environmental groups to host pre-Earth Hour events and promote their activities. You’ll be surprised how many groups there are… and they’ll appreciate your interest.
Encourage the Use of Public Transport: If you have local buses, trains or ferries, encourage people to use them on the day – add information about this on your website. Provide safe storage for bicycles where possible.
Post-Earth Hour Engagement: After Earth Hour, share photos or stories on social media about your business’s participation and encourage customers to continue sustainable practices. There are so many ‘small stories’ that can be shared on Instagram and Facebook, in your email newsletter, and on your website. One hour is just the start!
Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…
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