How to use Wolt Promotions to attract new customers to your restaurant

Promotions can be a great way to introduce your restaurant to new customers, bring a little more energy to a quieter shift or encourage guests to try something new. The key is to give each offer a clear purpose. When you know what you want to achieve, it becomes much easier to choose the right promotion and make your budget work harder.

So, before you switch anything on, take a moment to name the opportunity in front of you. Are you looking to be discovered, turn more browsers into customers, encourage a return visit or build demand at a quieter time? Your answer will guide the offer you choose.

Start with the goal you want to reach

Most promotion goals fall into four useful groups. Here is how to recognise each one.

If you are new to Wolt or still building local awareness, more visibility may be the first priority. This is a discovery goal: help more relevant customers find your venue while they are deciding what to order.

If customers can find you but fewer go on to order, focus on the decision experience. Clear photos, accurate opening hours, easy-to-understand item names and a strong value proposition can make your listing more inviting. A promotion can then give undecided customers an extra reason to try you.

If you want to encourage repeat orders, start with the experience you would like customers to remember. Accurate items, reliable preparation and thoughtful packaging all help turn a first order into the beginning of a longer relationship. When a customer leaves a review, Venue Credit can also help you thank them or respond personally.

If some shifts are naturally quieter than others, timing can be your advantage. A focused offer can help you build demand on a slower weekday or around a specific meal occasion, while leaving busy periods unchanged.

Once the goal is clear, you can choose the format, audience, timing and budget with confidence—and review the results against the outcome you actually wanted.

Choose the Wolt tools that fit your goal

Wolt Promotions can help you attract new customers or re-engage existing ones with a discount, free delivery or a free or discounted item. Promotions can appear in the Offers area, search and your venue page, helping your offer stand out while customers browse. If your goal is extra reach, Wolt Ads can place your venue in prominent positions in the Wolt app. You stay in control of your campaign budget and schedule.

For a focused first-order offer, Fire Deals are designed to reach customers who have not ordered from your venue before. They appear for a limited time in prominent parts of the app and work alongside an active Sponsored Listing campaign.

For customers who have left a review, Venue Credit lets you send a personal thank-you or help make a less-than-ideal experience right. You choose the amount and message, and you only pay when the credit is used. Our guide to choosing the right offer can help you compare Ads, Promotions and Wolt+.

Protect your margin: run the numbers first

A simple margin check helps you choose an offer that supports both customer growth and your business. Before launching, take one dish you might promote and work through the numbers line by line:

• Start with the menu price before the promotion is applied

• Subtract the customer discount

• Subtract the applicable Wolt commission

• Subtract packaging costs

• Subtract food and labour costs

What remains is your estimated margin on that order. It may be different from the headline menu price, so these two checks will help you plan with confidence:

• Check each promoted dish separately. Food, labour and packaging costs can vary a lot between items, so a restaurant-wide average may hide the difference. Choosing dishes with enough room for the offer helps you protect margin while giving customers something appealing.

• Keep your Wolt prices aligned with your in-venue prices. You always decide your menu prices, and consistent pricing can help customers feel confident choosing your venue while also supporting visibility on Wolt. Learn more about consistent menu pricing and visibility.

Set your promotion up for a strong start

Once the numbers work, set your offer up to shine. Pair it with clear photos, searchable item names and accurate opening hours so customers can decide easily. Give the campaign a specific purpose—such as welcoming first-time customers, building a quieter lunch period or highlighting a seasonal moment—and leave enough time to prepare your menu, photos and team. These seasonal promotion tips offer a useful planning example.

Then make the first order memorable for all the right reasons. Accurate items, thoughtful packaging and reliable preparation help a promotional order become a great introduction to your restaurant—and give customers a reason to come back.

Measure, learn and improve

After launch, the Merchant Portal helps you see what the campaign delivered. Review the sales, spend, orders and other metrics available for your campaign, then compare them with the goal and margin you set at the start. Analytics also shows new and returning customers, popular items and sales patterns over time, while our campaign results guide explains the reporting in more detail. Use what you learn to refine the audience, offer, timing or budget next time. Small, well-measured tests can add up to a promotion strategy that feels right for your restaurant.