Smart business ideas for the holiday season
6. DON’T NEGLECT THE NON-(OR NOT OFTEN)-DRINKERS
Remember that not all Christmas partygoers regularly drink alcohol. Having a good selection of Manhattans, martinis and classic holiday drinks, such as mulled wine or rum and eggnog is important. “You’ll want to highlight some of the traditional stuff because there will be a lot of people who will come into your bar who don’t drink often during the year and don’t want anything too weird, but still want to celebrate,” Walmsley says.
In addition, don’t neglect the nondrinkers. Encourage designated drivers by offering a yummy selection of non-alcoholic beverages – virgin cocktails or ‘mocktails.’
7. KEEP COUNT AND ORDER STOCK EARLY
“It’s a really good time to keep a close handle on stock,” says Walmsley, “but remember that stock isn’t just booze, but glassware too.” The last thing you want is to have a lineup of paying customers at your bar and a dishwasher who can’t run the glasses through fast enough.
Ensure you have enough glassware to get you through the season. Keep an extra supply in the storage room and order early to ensure it arrives before the end of November.
8. PROMPT CHRISTMAS PARTY BOOKINGS
When it comes to booking Christmas parties, your staff is an untapped resource. They know who their regulars are, and they know which offices are going to be having Christmas parties, says Walmsley. Encourage staff to suggest your venue for customers’ Christmas parties, letting them know how and when to book, as well as how many people your establishment can accommodate. This is information each front-of-house staff member should have on-hand.
9. USE THE WEB TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS
Your restaurant’s website should be an integral part of your marketing effort. Ensure your website is up-to-date. Menu modifications, new specials, promotions, blogs, changing hours and even local events are only a few reasons to update your website on a semi-regular basis. In addition, adding a few pictures to convey the feel and atmosphere may make a difference when marketing reps for offices are scanning the web for the right venue for their office Christmas party.
In addition, social networking has proven to be an effective – and free – tool for spreading awareness about your establishment, especially in the younger-than-30 demographic.
“This year we plan to fully utilize the free social networking sites such as Twitter and our Facebook business page to help promote our promotions,” says Chen of Thai House Restaurant Group.
Lastly, encourage guests to take pictures and videos and upload them to Flickr, Facebook or YouTube.
10. MAKE THE MOST OF I T
After a long hard year, it’s important to make the most of the busy season. If you don’t have the systems in place to collect guest data, you should. It’s the perfect opportunity to collect e-mail addresses and business cards to create your guest database. From there, you can start an e-mail marketing campaign and draws for gift certificates. You’ll also have a database for invites.
Take advantage of the fact you have people dining with you who aren’t your regular customers. You’ve got them there. Now make sure they come back.