SEASONAL MARKETING: Halloween Restaurant Promotions Mark Start of Long Holiday Season

As spending on Halloween celebrations continues to rise, restaurant operators look for a piece of the action.

-- Restaurants and Institutions, 10/24/2008 11:13:00 AM

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According to the National Retail Federation, more consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year (64.5% vs. 58.7% last year), with the average person spending $66.54 on the holiday, up from $64.82 a year ago.

Like other retailers hard hit by a downturn in business, restaurant operators hope that spending on Halloween--which kicks off the three-month holiday season that ends on Feb. 1, 2009, with Super Bowl XLIII--will be a welcome treat for the fourth-quarter bottom line.

Halloween ideas, trends and menus from an array of operators.

Operation	Promo	Description
BRASSERIE JO, Chicago	Guess the Pumpkin Weight	Pumpkins, including one impressively giant pumpkin brought in from Michigan by Chef Jean Joho, will be on display for diners to guess their collective weight. One lucky winner will receive dinner for four at Brasserie JO, announced on Halloween.
IHOP	All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes	All-you-can-eat pancakes any time of day or night through October 31.
Eat’n Park Restaurant	Halloween Smiley Cookies	Halloween Smiley Cookies are available at all Eat’n Park Restaurant locations, along with new Halloween Smiley Cookies merchandise, including apparel and shoe charms.
UpStairs on the Square, Cambridge, Mass.	Annual Halloween Party	"Very potent but specially priced" brews for the bar, and a special $35 prix fixe menu all night long--heavy on pumpkins and apples.
Papa John's Pizza	“Spooky specials” and “deals so good they’re scary”	“Halloween is a huge day for Papa John’s, and having it fall on a Friday is a double benefit,” said Jim Ensign, vice president for marketing communications at Papa John’s International in Louisville, Ky., “because we know there will be a lot of big parties.” -- The New York Times, Oct. 14, 2008
Patina Restaurant Group	Mushroom Festival	Through Halloween, Patina Restaurant Group hosts its Mushroom Festival, with special mushroom menus at all of their restaurants in Los Angeles and New York.
Shojin, Los Angeles	Special vegetarian Halloween menu	Halloween menu includes all-organic pumpkin dishes, such as pumpkin soup, pumpkin croquette (l.), pumpkin pasta and pumpkin dessert.
Mango Tree, London, Bangkok, Dubai	Halloween menu	Includes the Freddy Kruger, a main dish of guinea fowl jungle curry with eggplant and fresh peppercorns.
SUSHISAMBA at The Palazzo, Las Vegas	Spooky KaBooki	Spooky KaBooki allows revelers to enjoy the concept of traditional Japanese Kabuki Theater while taking delight in the restaurant's delicious menu.

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