Every year during the festive season, the restaurant industry sees a huge number of people choosing to eat, drink and be happy. The last month of the year offers restaurants huge opportunities to drive additional sales, attract new customers and grab their piece of the festive pie.
Unsurprisingly, restaurants that plan ahead, prepare a strong strategy, and invest in tools to help grow their business are the ones that are most likely to succeed in earning that piece of the pie.
Whether your restaurant’s seasonal strategy is well targeted or not, we have some great tips to help you plan ahead. The following list will prepare your restaurant for success this holiday season.
1. Early Posts, Frequent Posts
There is no better time than now. Promoting your restaurant, at least one month before the holidays, through social media can help ensure that your venue is the ideal venue for customers wishing to plan parties or celebrations.
Implementing a specific social media campaign on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook can be a great form of promotion for your restaurant. Social media allows you to directly target your consumers, making a campaign on these platforms the ideal way to reach your audience.
2. Send holiday wishes
It’s the time we feel happy, so what better way than to share that happiness and love with your local businesses and regular customers. Show them that you are thinking of them with a small greeting card , which will affect them positively, leaving a lasting good impression on your restaurant in the back of people’s minds.
You can create free e-cards in minutes through special programs ( ask us about them ), which allow you to easily send e-cards at the touch of a button.
Bonus Marketing TIP: To really show your appreciation, include a coupon for a free drink or appetizer on your e-card to amaze your customers and drive the holiday traffic to your restaurant.
3. Offer a fixed price menu
A fixed price menu is a great choice for your restaurant during the festive season. With the increased demand for food over Christmas, a smaller version of your menu can help you keep your customers happy and your staff stress levels low. Your kitchen staff can better plan the number of guests and you can guarantee the income from each table you make.
Bonus Marketing TIP: If you want to do something really special, try creating different menus with different price points in order to attract a larger customer base.
4. Organize your staff schedule
Limit your promises this Christmas season by organizing your staff in advance. Whether it is hiring and training new employees or planning your current one, make sure everyone is properly prepared to take action during the busy holiday season. If you do not know how much extra help you will need, refer to last year’s bookings to see what time was most popular or the total number of visitors you had.
Christmas is a time for employees to take time off, so apply the principle of priority. Whoever asks first, gets first. It is best to ensure the smooth operation of the restaurant during the busy holiday season, to have the permits properly planned. This way you avoid unexpected absences and / or dissatisfaction of your staff.
Bonus Marketing TIP: Increased pay is also a great incentive to encourage your staff to stay in a time of need.
5. Prepare for bookings
Do you have enough on your plate during the holidays? do not let reservations slow you down. Communication is key, so let your customers know exactly what you need for bookings . In case of delay and loss of table or cancellation, be transparent about what the booking process entails.
Think smart about serving your customers using an online booking system (many of the restaurants we work with find that the return pays off). This system gives your customers the flexibility to make online reservations from your restaurant website or through an app whenever they wish. Do not lead your customers to book on third party websites (eg e-table) that charge you for every booking you receive.
Bonus Marketing TIP: An important incentive to make advance bookings is to offer a discount.
Decorate your restaurant
There is nothing better to attract the eyes of your customers than a place that exudes the Christmas spirit. A warm and festively decorated place is the perfect way to provoke and create the mood of your audience, so that it is delivered in the spirit of the holidays and in your delicious suggestions.
Bonus Marketing TIP: Think in terms of the profile of the company and the audience you are addressing.
Conclusion
MarketEat advises and encourages you to follow the above six tips. Soon your restaurant will be well on its way to increasing its revenue this festive season!
