The Customer
Il Vicolo Trattoria is a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Oak Park serving homemade pasta, Neapolitan pizza, and traditional Italian dishes. Since 2011, it has brought the flavors of Naples to the Oak Park community with a focus on good food and welcoming hospitality.
The Challenge
Major construction in Oak Park overtook Il Vicolo’s expanded outdoor space and patio. The loss of summer seating put pressure on revenue, cutting into its huge summer business.
In Oak Park’s competitive dining market, Il Vicolo needed a clear reason for new guests to choose their restaurant. Social Gold focused on turning local interest into reservations to support business during construction and create opportunities for repeat visits.
The Approach
To celebrate the end of summer on a sweet note, Il Vicolo is giving guests another reason to book a table with a complimentary scoop of its small-batch, locally sourced gelato with every dinner entrée when they dine with a reservation.
Social Gold built the campaign around complimentary gelato with dinner, a generous and relevant offer tied to Il Vicolo’s character and local sourcing. The small-batch, locally sourced dessert added value to the dining experience while reinforcing the warmth and hospitality guests could expect.
To drive awareness and action, Social Gold supported the promotion with coordinated digital marketing aimed at nearby local diners and connected that discovery directly to reservations through OpenTable.
Every first-time diner represented an opportunity for Il Vicolo to turn a timely incentive into a lasting customer relationship. The campaign also reached the restaurant’s existing audience, balancing new guest acquisition with an invitation to return.
The Results
The promotion generated 878 covers across 286 completed or seated reservations. First-time guests accounted for 75.5% of those reservations.
- 216 first-time guest reservations, representing 661 covers
- 70 returning guest reservations, representing 217 covers
The campaign introduced 487 new diners to Il Vicolo during a challenging period and gave existing guests another reason to visit.
The client was especially pleased to see the restaurant introduced to new audiences. Those visits gave more people a chance to experience Il Vicolo’s food and hospitality, creating an opportunity to become part of their regular dining rotation.
Looking to reach new diners and turn local interest into reservations? Social Gold helps restaurants build campaigns around what makes them worth visiting. Let’s talk about your restaurant.
Offer reference: Free gelato
