For restaurants & cafés
How restaurants and cafés use Red Rock Trade
Red Rock Trade is a local business trade network for St. George, Washington County and Iron County businesses. A restaurant or café earns credits by serving other members during slower hours, then spends those credits on things the business needs, like printing, signage, equipment repair or accounting. One credit is $1 of purchasing power with members. Credits are spent only inside the network.
Why it works for restaurants
Restaurants run on tight margins and have a clear, recurring problem the network is built for. Empty weekday tables and slow afternoon hours are capacity you never get back. The food cost of an extra cover is a fraction of the menu price, so filling a quiet Tuesday with members turns slow time into earned credits, while the cash you would normally spend on suppliers and services stays available for payroll and rent.
Earn credits
The easiest credits come from seats and hours you already have but are not filling. A few ways restaurants put that capacity to work:
- Fill quiet weekday lunches and slow afternoons with members.
- Sell catering for member events, office lunches, and meetings.
- Keep covers steady through your off-season.
- Offer private dining or large-party bookings to members.
Spend credits
Each credit is $1 of purchasing power with any member business, not just the one that ate with you. Where restaurants tend to spend them:
- New signage and exterior refresh.
- Printed menus, flyers, and to-go packaging.
- Equipment repair and routine maintenance.
- Bookkeeping, tax prep, and payroll help.
- Marketing, photography, and social media.
- Staff appreciation meals and gifts.
An example of how it adds up
Illustrative scenario, not a guarantee
Here is one way it could look. Say a café fills 15 extra weekday covers a week through the network at an average ticket of 20 credits. That is about 300 credits a week, or roughly 1,200 credits over four weeks, earned from tables that were sitting empty. Unspent credits roll forward month to month, so over a few months that balance could cover a new sign, a season of printed materials and the café's bookkeeping, all without writing a check. Your actual numbers will depend on your hours, capacity and how active the local network is.
Restaurant FAQ
- How does a restaurant earn credits?
- A restaurant earns credits by serving other Red Rock Trade members. Members book tables during weekday lunches, slower afternoons or the off-season, and pay in credits at the same price a cash guest would pay. Catering for member events, private dining and large-party bookings are common ways to earn faster. Credits post when the member confirms, or on their own after 7 days.
- What can a restaurant spend credits on?
- A restaurant spends credits on the goods and services other member businesses offer. Common examples include new signage, printed menus and to-go packaging, equipment repair, bookkeeping and tax prep, marketing and photography, and staff appreciation meals. You can spend with any member business, not only the ones that ate with you.
- Do I have to take credits at every table?
- No. You choose which offers take trade and when, so you can keep trade to slower hours. Cash guests stay exactly as they are, and you can pause new trade customers anytime with one switch.
- Is trade income taxable for my restaurant?
- Yes. The IRS treats trade income like cash income in the year the trade happens. After year end, Red Rock Trade sends each business a Form 1099-B for its trade. Your normal tax obligations stay with you, so see IRS Topic No. 420 and confirm the details with your CPA.
New here? Read how Red Rock Trade works, how credits work and taxes on trade. Related industries: retail shops and boutiques, marketing and print shops, health and wellness businesses.
Ready to fill your slow tables?
One monthly price with no transaction fees. Plans start at $59 a month, and every new owner gets starter credit to spend with any member.