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5 last-minute ways to make the most of Halloween at your restaurant

If you're reading this article, your Halloween plans are probably late in coming together. Don’t sweat it. Embrace the festive spirit and bring guests through the doors with a few last-minute strategies.

October 25, 2016

By Laura Price, manager of contentTeam, hotschedules

Many people don't think of Halloween as a "restaurant night." I beg to differ. Before the all-out sugar binge, parents want their kids to eat real food. And after wrangling stubborn kids into costumes, parents don't want to cook a meal. They want to eat quick and start ringing doorbells.

Likewise, young people and folks with grown children need a quick bite before a night of party-hopping. And, later in the evening, they might want a snack to recharge (because for some strange reason, they feel a little tired and dehydrated).

So, Halloween is actually a great opportunity for restaurants. If you're reading this article, however, your Halloween plans are probably late in coming together. Don't sweat it. Embrace the festive spirit and bring guests through the doors with these last-minute strategies:

1. Decorate

On Halloween, restaurants without holiday spirit are a buzzkill. You need to decorate the inside and outside of the restaurant. This tip might sound obvious, but too many restaurants put a pumpkin outside and call it a day. That won't cut it. String cobwebs around the place, place jack-o-lanterns, hang ghouls from trees, get a cackling witch, or put up whatever decorations you can still find in stores. Try to buy decorations you can reuse year after year.

2. Set the mood 

Decorations create the outward visual that will bring people through the doors. To give them a real Halloween experience, though, set the mood. Play some Halloween music — Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube will have some great playlists for the occasion. You get bonus points if your crew sings aloud to the Ghostbusters theme song. Double bonus points if you do a group dance to Michael Jackson's “Thriller.” Triple points if any guests join in. 

3. Let employees wear costumes

No one wants to work when everyone else is celebrating Halloween. Instead of letting the team feel demoralized, celebrate. Encourage the crew to dress up and announce a costume contest with a $25 gift card for the winner. You can offer smaller gift cards and prizes for team members who snap a picture and post it to social media with your Halloween hashtag and an invitation. “Come trick-or-treat at [your restaurant]!” and a funny photo can bring in visitors. If your crew gets into the Halloween spirit, guests will feel and appreciate the enthusiasm.

4. Offer Halloween specials

Offer Halloween specials for guest who arrive in costume, take a picture, and post it to social media with your location tagged. A 2-for-1 deal, free dessert, or free drink would do the trick. Ghoulish names for specials don't hurt either. Yes, “Witch's Brew” is a corny name for soft drinks, but staying on theme shows some dedication.    

Click here to read about how the industry is celebrating Halloween with special LTOs.  

5. Last-ditch options

Ok, you're running low on time, and the above options won't work for some reason. As a true last-ditch effort, try one or both of the following:

Head to the store, buy up face paint and costume makeup, and bring it to work. Pre-shift, have your crew members paint each other's faces.

Make a face-in-the-hole board. Buy poster board, paint (or draw) ghouls and goblins, and cut holes for faces. Write a social media hashtag on the board, too. Plant the face-in-the-hold board outside where it will attract attention. Beware of teenagers who may try steal it for fun.  

Next Year…

If this year's Halloween effort felt forced and rushed, think big for next year. Perhaps emulate Chipotleby hosting a Halloween fundraiser, or play a prank on your biggest rival the way Burger King did. Halloween is the night to make a ruckus.