5 Things Every Restaurant Should Do to Prepare For Christmas and the New Year!
This season is to be jolly, merry, glittery, and – if you work at a restaurant – stressed. The last two weeks of December seem to have everyone on a festive frenzy. It can either drive you crazy or, if you prepare well enough for it, it can be extremely profitable for your business.
Here are 5 things every restaurant should do to prepare for Christmas and the New Year!
1. Make a seasonal menu
Your restaurant needs to exude holiday spirit all around, from your decorations, to the music, all the way to what you serve your customers. Curate a special menu with unique seasonal dishes and lure your customers with fantastic smells of peppermint, cinnamon, ginger, and cranberries, as you give them a taste of Christmas with every bite!
2. Optimize your labor
December is a month like no other and it can get quite overwhelming for your staff. Make sure you are preparing them properly for the high season, arranging their schedules accordingly, paying extra hours, hiring more employees to prevent understaffing, and training them well for all the changes.
Using a staff management software can save you from a lot of chaos in times like this. Apps like Mr. Tomato offer a digital scheduling platform, interactive checklists, and even a training system for your employees to learn your menu, cocktails, and policies easily and fast while increasing their productivity.
3. Offer catering services
Christmas is not Christmas without gigantic plates of food. Among so many hugs and gifts, everyone’s biggest wish really is to fill their bellies with deliciousness.
Fortunately for us restauranteurs, many people can’t cook at all. Expanding your cuisine services by catering for holiday events is an excellent idea for increasing your restaurant’s income and generating more jobs!
4. Throw special promos
Even if we all feel like big spenders in December, there’s nothing that makes people’s eyes sparkle more than the chance to save some bucks.
Offering special meal packages, limited time offers, and 2×1 discounts are always infallible to draw traffic to your restaurant. It may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s worth remembering for such a high and profitable season!
5. Celebrate with your team!
Never forget to thank and reward the people who always have your back during simple and tough times! Shut down your restaurant for a night and throw a staff party with a delicious meal, presents, team bonding activities, and wrap it all up with a motivational speech to get people in the spirit for an exciting new year together!
