The festive season is a hectic time of year for everyone, including owners and managers in the hospitality industry. It can be incredibly difficult to juggle the needs of your staff, diners and your bottom line during this time.
While the festive season can seem difficult to survive while you are experiencing it, it is also one of the most important times for maximising your profits.
There are plenty of different factors to consider when it comes to managing the festive season and all that comes with it. We have assembled a comprehensive guide to help you make it through the festive season in one piece.
Create a festive atmosphere
First things first – create an atmosphere of festivity! Decorate your restaurant with a fresh new look for the holidays. Put up the Christmas lights, bring out that Christmas tree and put up new signs that are both warm and welcoming.
Develop a holiday menu
Nothing entices customers more than fresh menu options. Offering holiday bar and restaurant specials is a great way to celebrate seasonal flavours.
Whether you are adding cranberry and turkey or including pudding and gingerbread on your dessert menu, guests love the opportunity to try something new, exclusive and delicious.
Start building your holiday menu now, and make sure that your staff knows about upcoming specials. This will provide a smooth transition for your workers and customers. Seasonal drinks are also a crowd favourite.
Take advantage of this holiday trend by adding seasonal beverages to your holiday specials.
Focus on customer engagement
Get on your social media and let your customers know that you are open for business this holiday season. If you plan to host any celebratory kind of event, it is a great idea to have a landing page where your customers can sign up with a link to your social media page.
Post your holiday hours and must-try menu items to incite curiosity. Interact with customers through your platform, and respond promptly to feedback and suggestions.
Prepare the summer touches
Whether it means adding gazpacho and refreshing cocktails to appease seasonal tastes or opening windows to evoke a patio feel, it is important to make sure you are ready to appeal to customers’ season-specific mindsets.
Keep your menu fresh and interesting by updating it with summer-inspired specials. Make sure you have your plans laid out for both food and decor.
Offer take-home meal kits
The holidays are a time to be with family and friends and often that means eating at home. Offering holiday take-home meal kits gives your guests a break from cooking themselves and gives you a profitable revenue opportunity.
You can choose from hot, ready-to-eat family meals or meal kits with cold ingredients that can be prepared and heated at home.