Time flies when you’re having fun… or when you’re busy running a restaurant! While the holiday season may mean downtime for many, they mean more revenue and endless reservations for restaurants like yours. You already know it’s busy season, but with holiday spend at restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels going up 38.5%, there’s no better time to hack your marketing.
To stand out from competitors and attract more customers, you’ll need the right strategies and creative holiday promotions, We’re here to gift you this guide to making your venue the go-to booking for year-end celebrations.
1. Run holiday specials or festive menus
One of the most effective ways to entice customers during the holiday season is by offering exclusive menu items! Try to get organised in advance — right about now — so you have time to build specials, come up with seasonal items you want to offer and create holiday content for your customers.
Consider crafting a festive menu that blends trendy recipes, seasonal ingredients and traditional holiday dishes. For example, if you’re a Mexican eatery, you could introduce a special roast dinner to be eaten fajita-style with tortilla and nachos. Start shouting these out early on your website and social media channels to get customers excited for a new holiday meal.
2. Lean into the season's flavours and decor
Give your restaurant a snazzy makeover with festive decorations for the season. Summer is in full-swing so customers might enjoy a change in scenery — nipping into a winter wonderland indoors replete with twinkling lights, garlands, and holiday music in the background. Alternatively, go all out with the hot weather mood and brighten up your alfresco seats with cheery umbrellas or party streamers.
Don’t let our summery Christmas dampen your seasonal menu ideas. Barbecues with fresh fruits are a great option, along with seafood platters, bottomless oysters and ham or turkey served cold.
3. Host themed events
Themed events, even small ones, can draw in crowds looking for a unique dining experience or something fun to do with family and friends. Consider hosting a holiday trivia night, a Christmas carol sing-along, or even a New Year’s Eve party.
These events not only create buzz for your venue but also encourage guests to book tables in advance. With Now Book It’s event management feature, it’s easy to create an event booking link which you can promote through your website, email newsletter and social media channels.
4. Cater for bigger groups
The holiday season is a popular time for people to gather, whether it’s year-end office parties or family gatherings. Create group dining menus that cater to larger parties, offering a set package at a fixed price. This not only simplifies the dining experience for guests (waiting for 10 people to order is a nightmare!) but also ensures that your restaurant can accommodate larger groups efficiently.
Another way to optimise your venue for group dining is planning customised layouts ahead of time. For instance, if your restaurant have ten tables of 4, seat guests strategically so that you can join those tables if the next party is a big group.
5. Let customers gift your restaurant
We’ve all experienced it — the rush to find a last-minute gift over the holidays. Selling dining gift cards are a fantastic way to give yourself the gift of more customers.
Consider offering an incentive for gift card purchases, such as an additional $10 for every $50 spent. This not only boosts your sales with upfront revenue but also means you’ve got new customers on the way!
6. Consider adding services throughout the day
The holidays can only mean one thing on the table — the quintessential, loosen-the-top-button, party-worthy festive meals. That said, there’s no denying that there are times we get hunger pangs over the day waiting for the big mealtime, or perhaps simply recovering from one too many cold ciders from the night before.
Many venues will have specials for the main meals, and some customers will even stay home for the occasion. To set your restaurant apart, think about offering off-hour services to help guests hold over their cravings. Snacks over tea time, cocktail hour, or even a cheeky hangover special gives you the opportunity to serve guests looking for a booking between meals.
The best present you can give your restaurant is planning ahead for the holidays
The holidays are hectic, but there’s a lot of time to get ahead and make the most out of the reservations rush before the new year. Put our holiday hacks to use and start the prep for the most wonderful time of the year — or more accurately in hospo, the busiest time of the year.
If you’re a restaurant looking for new ways to simplify reservations, offer gift cards, manage events, we’ve got just the right gift for you.
