Everyday drinks for daytime dining

A key opportunity for pubs and restaurants is dining on Sunday, which stands out for driving growth for two consecutive years². Sundays are centred around quality time with family and friends. While some customers will be on the lookout for alcohol serves, like the British Mule or Brit Bloody Mary cocktails, others will be looking out for mocktail or soft drink alternatives.

Sunday roasts are also for the whole family and pubs and restaurants should cater to all ages. Offering drinks like Fruit Shoot, which is loved by kids for its great taste, is a good place to start.

Finally, to draw more group bookings in, offer promotions that make it easier and more affordable for families and friends to get together. Offering early bird deals for booking in advance, allows guests to save money and plan in good time.

Many people, and in particular Millennials who represent one in four restaurant visits³, utilise weekend brunch as another way to socialise with friends, instead of a big night out. The idea of getting more for your money with a choice of food dishes alongside a variety of drinks is appealing, so look at linking deals on brunch and lunch with soft drinks. 

Dragon Fruit is a trending ingredient⁴, so you could try our new J2O Dragonberry flavour, using ice and branded glassware to enhance the experience.

Or for an alcoholic version, try offering a pitcher of Lychee Dragon Punch made with J2O Dragonberry, Vodka, Teisseire Lychee and a Lemon Wedge for the whole table to share and enjoy. 

People often need a space for business meetings or team lunches and, if they find somewhere they like, this can result in repeat custom. Pubs and bars can offer lunch combo deals or daily specials, such as a sandwich or soup, and a drink at a discounted price, to attract daytime office workers and maximise the often quieter, midweek daytime opportunity.

Offering popular soft drink favourites like Tango, 7UP, Pepsi MAX® or J2O to go alongside foods at lunch will provide a choice for everyone there.

We’re still seeing more people adopt flexible working patterns and continuing to work from home.

However, consumers may be looking for cafe spaces to change up their environment during the week, so it’s important to make the most of this by offering a loyalty card to encourage repeat visits.

You can cater to all tastes by offering options like a range of syrups to accompany coffees, as well as functional drinks such as Plenish’s range of shots and juices. It will also allow you to tap into those moments where customers are looking for something different and give them the little boost they were after.

Students often have irregular schedules, particularly between classes and they are often looking to use pubs or cafes for socialising during the day. Generation Z is also more health conscious and less likely to drink alcohol (as we explored in Gen Z: Generation Zero Alcohol) than older consumers. But that doesn’t mean they’re prepared to miss out on sophisticated drinks with interesting flavour profiles.

Purdey’s Natural Energy is a great energising pick-me-up for between studying and Aqua Libra are also proving a hit with health-conscious Gen-Zers during the day. Capitalise on this by putting these brands in key spots in chillers and promote them in lunch and snack meal deals.