How to Use Promo Codes to Grow Your Irish Food Business

Promo codes feel like a blunt instrument — you cut your margin to get an order. Done without a strategy, that is exactly what they are. Done well, they are one of the most precise tools for changing customer behaviour.

The goal is never the discount itself. The goal is what the discount achieves: a first order, a channel switch, a return visit.

The Four Jobs a Promo Code Can Do

1. Acquire a First Direct Order

Your biggest competitor for direct orders is inertia. A customer who already orders through Just Eat has no reason to change unless you give them one.

A first-order promo code — "10% off your first direct order" — gives them a reason. Once they have ordered direct once and experienced the flow, many will continue without needing further incentives.

2. Win Back a Lapsed Customer

A customer who ordered twice last month and has gone quiet is worth re-engaging. A targeted promo — "We miss you, here is €3 off your next order" — reactivates at a fraction of the cost of acquiring a new customer.

3. Increase Average Order Value

A basket-size promo — "Free side on orders over €25" — lifts average order value without giving margin away on every order. Customers who were going to spend €22 stretch to €25; you make more per order while spending less in discount value.

4. Drive Volume in Quiet Periods

A time-limited code valid only on Tuesday and Wednesday lunch shifts demand from busy periods to quiet ones — using your kitchen capacity more efficiently without adding overhead.

What to Avoid

Always-on discount codes. If customers know a code exists and use it for every order, you have permanently reduced your margin without changing behaviour. Rotate or retire codes regularly.

Codes with no expiry. Create urgency. A promo with no end date trains customers to wait for a deal before ordering.

Discounting items you are already selling well. Reserve promos for shifting behaviour on new items, slow movers, or quiet periods — not your bestsellers.

Tracking What Works

Every promo code should have a measurable goal. Track:

• How many times was it used?
• What was the average order value on those orders?
• Did those customers return without a code?

The last question is the most important. A good promo code acquires a habit, not just an order.

VOID's promo code system lets you set codes with expiry dates, minimum order values, and per-customer usage limits — so you stay in control of what you are giving away and why.