It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
People are traveling, partying, and shopping. The holiday season is full of fun festivities (and sometimes stressful hustling and bustling) that can really work up an appetite.
Your patrons are ready to spend money at this time of year. Most have been purchasing gifts for their end-of-year holiday gatherings for months.
Is your restaurant business ready to leverage the spending wave of the last quarter? If not, you still have time–the surge can last through January.
It’s not too late. Make these tweaks to boost your holiday restaurant sales.
Create Seasonal-Inspired Dishes
Draw restaurant-goers in with limited-time, season-inspired dishes or drinks that highlight the flavors of the season. Think cranberry, apple pie, peppermint, pumpkin/pumpkin pie spice, pecan, chestnut, white chocolate, gingerbread, eggnog, wassail, turkey, and ham, to name a few.
Your comfort foods can be just what the harried shopper or holiday host craves. You don’t have to overhaul your menu entirely–a few specials can do the trick. Whatever you do, do it well.
Run Promotions
Once you have some solid dishes that are sure to please, don’t forget to promote them. Highlight them on your social media accounts, posters at your storefront and inside, and/or tent cards at the table.
Increasingly, consumers love a story to go along with an advertisement. Promote the story behind your dish when possible–“ Hearty beef stew with biscuits and jam…just like mom used to make.”
“Promotion” doesn’t have to mean a discount, but it can. There’s the tried and true Buy One Get One Free discount, but think beyond that for strategies that don’t involve free meals. Consider free delivery within a particular radius, a small delivery fee, or delivery in under 30 minutes, for example.
This time of year, restaurant-goers get together with extended family or friends in your restaurant or at their homes with your take-out. Many will turn to you to help them feed a crowd. Consider putting together combo party packs for a discounted price.
Work with your Charlotte CPA firm to determine what incentives make the most sense for your bottom line.
Establish Online Fundamentals
Double-check your online information for things that need to be corrected.
You likely have a website. Look for incorrect or missing information. Do the same with your Google locator tag, Facebook account, and other online outlets. Ensure your phone number, menus, and address are correct. Here are the basics to nail down online:
- A brief company description
- Store location
- Updated menu and pricing information
- Special hours
- Holiday offers
- Reservation link
Update any online touch point you can find. Customers are growing increasingly accustomed to seamless online ordering. You can lose customers and gain bad reviews if your site and processes are too friction-filled.
Post pictures of your mouth-watering dishes to your sites. Hire a professional food photographer, or brush up on tips for food photography and try your hand at it.
Invest in Social Media Advertising
Pay for advertising on social media. Free design tools, like Canva, can help you create an attractive ad if you don’t have the time or budget to pay an ad designer. Paid ads help ensure potential customers see your delectable dishes and festive ambiance as they scroll through daily posts.
Many social media outlets have algorithms that reward engagement. Engage with others to become engaging. Answer questions and good-naturedly respond to comments.
Set and Meet Expectations
You can create all the holiday specials, run the promotions, and post the drool-worthy food pictures online. However, you can quickly pile up poor online reviews if you don’t nail the human piece.
Set your standards, considering your company mission, values, theme, atmosphere, and customer expectations. Then, work to meet and exceed those. Ensure that all customer touchpoints–from talking to the hostess to making reservations to ordering delivery–run smoothly.
Get Festive
Consider a few seasonal decorations to show your holiday spirit. You don’t have to go overboard.
Recycle or upcycle older items. Look for deals at your local donation center to add festive pizazz to your usual look without breaking the bank.
Use this spirited time to bond with your staff. Have a holiday party or a meal together to show how much you appreciate them doing their best during the busy holiday season.
A small gesture like a company party can make a big difference in the camaraderie and energy in your business. Your patrons will likely notice and enjoy how well your team works together.
Just be sure to check with your business CPA or tax accountant. They can provide more information on what types of seasonal gifts and parties are tax write-offs for you and don’t obligate your team members to pay extra taxes.
A Holiday Boost
Take advantage of the holiday season to boost sales at your restaurant. Think from the perspective of your patrons: the hurried shoppers who want a quick bite or the busy entertainers who need to feed a crowd by dining-in or taking-out.
Create dishes and meal packs for the holiday season. Highlight and promote those creations.
Invest in social media advertising.
Get festive with holiday decor and parties to pump up your team.
Just don’t ignore the fundamentals–your customers want a smooth ordering experience. And remember to call your CPA to see what tips they have to help you improve your bottom line this season and in the new year.
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Customers are ready to spend during the holiday season, having shopped for gifts for months. Is your restaurant prepared to capitalize on this last-quarter spending wave? If not, there's still time, as the surge can last through January. Check out these tips to boost your holiday sales.
