Business Ideas - Deals to draw diners

Continuing our regular series, Mark Taylor looks at more ideas hosts have devised to swell their coffers

One-hour lunch promise

Where: The Digger's Rest, Woodbury Salterton, Exeter.

How it works: As a way of attracting business people for lunch, the Digger's Rest has introduced a system where people can email their order via the pub's website to save time.

Manager Dave Coventry says: "If people on business lunches or people entertaining clients know when they are going to be in the pub and want a reasonably quick and tasty lunch, they can pre-order via email and we'll have it ready for the time they get here. It's certainly going to be something we'll push in the next few weeks. We're very close to a business park so we're hoping people who work there will start using it. We have to check the emails morning and afternoon before service and if they leave contact details, we get back to them and confirm. Thankfully, we haven't gone over the one-hour promise yet!"

Gourmet Burger Evening

Where: The Swan, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

How it works: Available every Wednesday evening, the Swan's popular Gourmet Burger Evenings have proved very successful with customers.

Running alongside the pub's usual à la carte menu, there is a choice of four burgers on offer: minted lamb, tarragon and beef, Thai spiced chicken and chilli mixed beef. The basic burger costs £5 and there are seven toppings available (costing an additional £1 each) and four sauces (50p each). Owner Stephen Hall admits that he got the idea after visiting London's Gourmet Burger Kitchen. "It's worked really well," he says. "We get between 30 and 60 people ordering burgers every Wednesday night, which is great because they also stay for drinks."

All of the burgers are made on the premises, using meat and poultry supplied by a local butcher. The beef is from Hereford cattle and all the chicken is English and organic, and despite sourcing such high quality produce, he still achieves a healthy 65% gross profit (GP). He says: "As

with any promotional idea, you take a cut on your GP, but you have to look at the bigger picture and if it means your pub is packed on a wet January evening, then it's worth it."

The Swan's burger night is just one of the pub's regular promotion nights, which also include live music evenings and speed-dating events.

Quick one-pot lunches

Where: Queens Head, Bramfield, Suffolk

How it works: Time-poor customers looking for a quick lunch at the Queens Head can order from the main menu or go for the £4.95 "one-pot lunch". The choice changes each week, but recent one-pot dishes on the special lunch menu have included pork chop braised in apple and cider, chilli con carne, braised beef in red wine, beef and vegetable casserole and lamb tagine. Barman Mark Stopher says: "People really like the idea because the dishes are usually half the price of some main courses so those people in a hurry can eat very well, relatively cheaply." The Queens Head has also just started Friday night Paupers Evenings, where customers can have a three-course meal for £12.95. There is a choice of two starters, three main courses and two desserts. These are always fully booked a week or two in advance.

50+ Privilege Card

Where: The Puffing Billy, Exton, near Exeter, Devon

How it works: Puffing Billy customers who are over the age of 50 are entitled to the 50+ Privilege Card, which gives them a 10% discount on food ordered between noon and 3pm on any day of the week at this Michelin-rated gastro pub. Each card is individually numbered and may only be used by the cardholder. The scheme has been an enormous success, with more than 750 people owning the 50+ Privilege Card. Owner Martin Humphries, who came up with the idea, says: "It's been amazingly successful and people now come in clutching their cards." Martin says that running the loyalty scheme allows him to keep in contact with his customers, something that has been very useful in alerting them to other offers at the pub.

"In this industry, very few people have the chance to get to know who their customers are. I've built a database so whenever I have a special offer on, I can communicate with them.

"We've also just run a 'two for the price of one' offer for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I did a mail out to 1,700 people and we've been full every day.

"This is a retail business. Pubs are shops where you eat or drink. We have to respond in a way that matches what other retailers are doing."