Quiet hours cost money
Most restaurants and cafes in the Gulf have the same shape to their day: a busy breakfast or lunch, a long quiet afternoon when the heat keeps people indoors, then a late evening rush. Rent and salaries are the same at 4 pm as they are at 9 pm, so a fuller afternoon is almost pure margin. A happy hour, or any offer that runs at set times, is the classic way to fill those hours. The trouble is running it by hand: someone has to remember to change prices at 3 pm, change them back at 6 pm, and do it on every till and on the menu.
Limited Time Offers in Wink You
In Wink You this is called Limited Time Offers. An offer lowers the item price itself during the hours and days you set, automatically, on the POS and on the QR Digital Menu. When the window ends, prices go back on their own. Nobody touches a till.
Create an offer step by step
- In the sidebar, under Marketing, open Limited Time Offers and click Add.
- Type a Rule Name, for example Afternoon Coffee Offer.
- Pick the Branch, or All branches.
- Choose the Discount Type, Percentage (%) or Fixed Amount, and type the value.
- Set the Start Time and End Time, or turn on All day (24 hours).
- Pick the Active Days: Weekdays, Weekends, Every day, or single days.
- Optionally pick the products or categories it applies to. Leave both empty for the whole menu.
- Keep Active on and click Create.
How it behaves
- The lower price shows by itself on the QR menu and the POS during the window, and the product list in Business Admin shows a Limited Offer chip.
- Times follow the branch’s own clock, so a branch in another time zone runs on its local time.
- An overnight window works. An offer from 22:00 to 02:00 belongs to the day it started, which suits late night and suhoor offers in Ramadan.
- If two offers match the same item, the one giving the lowest price wins. They never add up.
- A fixed amount comes off each item’s price. A percentage cannot go above 100.
- A Branch Manager can create offers for their own branch.
Offer ideas that fit the Gulf day
- Afternoon coffee: 20% off hot drinks from 3 pm to 6 pm on Weekdays.
- Office lunch: a fixed amount off the lunch category from 12 pm to 3 pm, Sunday to Thursday, at the branch near the business district.
- Late night: a lower price on shawarma and grills from 11 pm to 2 am at weekends.
- Ramadan: an offer on the suhoor category through the night, set for the days of the month.
Plan an offer that pays for itself
- Find the quiet hours first. The Hourly Revenue chart on the dashboard shows when sales drop, branch by branch.
- Pick items with a healthy margin, such as hot drinks, juices or desserts, rather than your most expensive mains.
- Tell guests. A banner on your QR Digital Menu or a promo popup that opens once when guests open the menu can announce the offer, and both can send guests straight to the right category.
- Compare before and after in the product sales report for the same hours. If the extra orders do not cover the lower price, change the window or the items.
- Keep the name clear. The Rule Name is for your team, so name it after the hours and the items, for example Weekday 3 to 6 Hot Drinks.
Limited Time Offers or Discounts?
Wink You has both, and they do different jobs. Limited Time Offers lower the price of the item itself during set hours, can target chosen products or categories and one branch, and need no code. Discounts come off the order total (percentage, fixed, volume, or buy one get one), can have a code, a minimum order, a usage limit, customer lists, loyalty tiers and manager approval, but cannot be limited to chosen products. Coffee 20% off from 3 to 6 pm is a Limited Time Offer. 15% off with a code, or buy one get one, is a Discount.
If you have branches in more than one currency
A Fixed Amount offer set to All branches has no single currency when your branches use different ones, so it shows Not applied and does nothing. Pick one branch for a fixed amount offer, or use a percentage, which works in any currency. New fixed amount offers in such a business must name a branch.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up a happy hour on my POS?
Create a Limited Time Offer under Marketing with the hours, days and items. The POS and the QR menu apply it automatically during that window.
Why is my offer not lowering prices?
Check that it is Active, that the time and days match the branch clock, that it is for the right branch, that the item is in the chosen products or categories, and that a better offer is not already winning.
Can two offers stack?
No. When two offers match an item, the lowest price is used.
Can an offer run past midnight?
Yes. Set, for example, 22:00 to 02:00. The hours after midnight count as part of the day the offer started, so a Thursday night offer keeps running into early Friday.
Can a branch manager create offers?
Yes, for their own branch. Offers for all branches are set by the Business Admin.
Offers are part of marketing and loyalty on winkyou.com/products/marketing-loyalty. Watch the setup at winkyou.com/support/menu-and-products/how-to-create-a-limited-time-offer.
