Reviewing This Certificate as a Restaurant Owner Would
When you look at a gift certificate for a restaurant, three things matter: does it show the room, does it show the brand, and can the staff fill it in fast? This one answers all three.
The Room
The left half of the card is a photograph of a restaurant interior: wooden tables set for service, deep red chairs, large windows, woven pendant lamps and a waiter crossing the floor. It is a real room, not a plate of food, and it sells the experience of being there. The photo is cropped by the diagonal edge of the design, so it flows into the right half.
The Brand
The right half is charcoal, with sharp yellow triangles at the top and bottom. A circular badge with a gold fork and knife sits at the top, next to the words RESTAURANT NAME and Business Tagline in yellow. A thin white diagonal line runs across the card. The title Restaurant & Dining appears in yellow script, followed by GIFT CERTIFICATE in white capitals.
The Staff View
Four yellow lines are ready for quick filling: TO, FROM, AMOUNT and VALID UNTIL. They are short enough for a waiter to complete with a pen in seconds. The certificate is 3.375 x 2.125 inches in landscape, the size of a credit card, so it fits in a till drawer or a card holder at the host stand.
Making It Match Your Restaurant
- Replace the fork and knife badge and RESTAURANT NAME with your own logo.
- Edit the Business Tagline, or delete it.
- Click the photograph and choose Replace Image to use your own dining room.
- Change Restaurant & Dining to Pizzeria, Steakhouse, Cafe or Bistro.
- Recolour the yellow accents to match your signage, if the template allows.
Policy Notes Worth Printing
Decide whether the certificate covers tips, alcohol or specials, and put one short note on the back. Record each certificate in a notebook or a spreadsheet by number, because the template has no number line. You can add one by retyping the line beside AMOUNT, or by writing a number in a corner.
Presenting the Restaurant Voucher
The dark colours look best on matte card stock, 250 to 300 gsm. Slip the finished certificate into a small envelope with your business card for a polished gift. For busy weeks, print a stack in advance and fill in only the names on the day.
Seasonal Uses for the Dining Certificate
Restaurants sell more gift certificates around Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and the winter holidays. A good approach is to prepare a stack in advance and keep it at the host stand. You can also offer certificates to local businesses as staff rewards, and to charities as raffle prizes, which brings new guests into the restaurant.
Because the photo shows a room in use, it is also a handy way to advertise your seating and style before the guest arrives.
For a festive version see the Christmas restaurant gift certificate. For a retail alternative see the retail store gift certificate. More are in gift certificates and vouchers.
