The holiday season comes with the excuse for people to come together, eat, drink and be merry, so the last of the year will traditionally offer restaurants the opportunity to make a potentially big sale and attract new customers. In this article, we have compiled some creative tips to help get your restaurant ready for the holiday season and the year-end festivities.
First thing first! Create an atmosphere for festivity. Decorate your restaurant with a fresh new look for the holiday – Put up the Christmas light, bring out that Christmas tree, put up new signs that are both warm and welcoming. Include a sense of the holiday season, spice up the menu by adding holiday type imagery into your logo, menu, and even window signs. Next, turn up the music! Nothing puts people in a festive mood than seasonal sounds. Layer holiday music with your existing soundtrack and select this music in a style that appeals to your restaurant atmosphere. You can choose from genres like pop, old-school funk, jazz, etc.
A well-planned menu is a necessity in the holiday season, and since there is always an increase in demand to eat out during the holidays, creating a slimmed-down version of your menu can keep your customers happy and reduce the stress level of your staff. Add new exotic meals to your menu as customers are looking for something fresh at a reasonable price. Attract customers by offering specials on desserts, bread rolls, or breakfast pastries, and if you serve cocktails in addition to food, offer a few holiday-themed drinks which will help your customers unwind and relax. Accommodate customers looking to restaurants to fill up gaps in terms of a meal by encouraging the use of the online ordering option in your point of sales for either pick up at or delivery. If you would like to set up a Point of sales system that enables online ordering and delivery services, contact pos@posshop-ng.com
To avoid mishaps, make sure you plan for all the required inventory you need for your events and specials, call your suppliers, and confirm the status of your delivery and the days they will be closed for delivery. Prepare also for “what if” scenarios based on your previous experience and come up with backup plans for these scenarios
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 item to incite curiosity. Interact with customers through your platform, respond promptly to feedback and suggestions, and take it a step further by having a social media advertising budget spent on promoting these special events at your restaurant.
Your staff can make or break the customer experience so it is imperative to make sure that your old and seasonal staff members are well-trained on your point of sale system (POS), online ordering, handling orders, menu recommendation, and your restaurant values and mission statement. Proper training and exceptional service mean that your customers – new and regular – will most likely have a positive experience, become repeat customers, and best of all, recommend your restaurant to family and friends.
Sending your customers a personalized email is an inexpensive way to show your customers you care while reminding them about your business. You can also include a special offer on the card as a form of holiday promotion to motivate customers to visit your restaurant. This shows thoughtfulness and increases sales.
Give your guest a memorable dining experience while making great holiday sales by planning adequately for this festive season. For inquiries on how to set up a point of sale system, send an email at pos@posshop-ng.com