The Christmas season is an important time for restaurants. For some restaurants, the festivities can account for up to half of annual revenue.
People tend to spend more money than normal during these times of the year. And it is also when most diners come in groups. Therefore, you need to make sure that your restaurant is ready for the holiday season.
How to prepare your restaurant for the Christmas season?
In this post we want to give you some tips to provide a memorable experience for your customers.
INCREASE THE ROTATION OF YOUR TABLES WITH SHORTER MENUS.
If you’re looking for even more ways to get people in and out quickly this holiday season, shorten your menus and serve smaller portions. Don’t overwhelm your customers with too many options.
Consider creating a Christmas menu. Think about what you are serving and how it might fit into the holiday party theme. You can also add themed drinks and Christmas-themed cocktails.
Other points to take into account when facing the Christmas season in your restaurant are:
Do the waiters know how to handle large groups of people in a crowded restaurant?
Is your kitchen staff fully prepared (and properly trained) to prepare holiday specialties?
How would you manage online orders when all your staff is dedicated to serving your customers in the restaurant?
ENCOURAGE MANDATORY EARLY RESERVATIONS.
Encouraging customers to make a reservation has some benefits:
More likely to generate good revenue: When people reserve a table, they are more likely to show up.
Generate FOMO: When you announce that pre-booking is a must, you create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and encourage people to book as soon as possible. You can even consider offering a 5-10% discount on table reservations to further increase FOMO.
Better preparation: When you know how many people are likely to come to your restaurant, you can better schedule your staff, prepare to give a better customer experience.
CREATE A CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE.
The holiday season is a great time to add some holiday cheer to your restaurant, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. A few decorations and a few string lights are all it takes.
Decorating the entrance, hall, and exterior of your restaurant can help keep customers in a festive mood. It can also encourage passers-by to come to your restaurant (for selfies and photos), so keeping a few tables for offline reservations is vital.
You can add a Christmas tree when decorating as it gives a festive feeling. You can reuse items from last year and develop new ideas to make your restaurant look beautiful while saving money on decoration.
Prepare a Christmas music playlist.
Make your staff wear clothes with a Christmas touch, Santa Claus hats, elf hats, etc. Christmas sweaters are another fun option if you want something less formal.
Provide a warm welcome to guests. Your servers should greet everyone at the door with eye contact, smiling, and asking if they would like anything else before starting to eat.
Take especially good care of your employees at this time. Employees often work hard year-round, so it’s vital to show appreciation through small gestures like parties during breaks or something special like cake for their families. This will keep them motivated to work better every day!
Also, encourage your staff to show their creativity. They will help you generate great ideas and make your employees feel more valued!
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