Blog

5 prep steps to maximize holiday restaurant business

Don’t look now, but the holiday season has, in the view of many, already started. For retailers, this is cash-or-crash time. For restaurant operators, this time of year presents a perfect opportunity to establish new connections and enhance old ones.

October 19, 2016 by Seshu Madabushi — Founder & CEO, mKonnekt

Don't look now, but the official holiday season has, in the view of many, already started, but will definitely kick into high gear once November rolls around in about two weeks' time. For retailers, this is cash-or-crash time, with about 30 percent of all annual sales coming from the period of Nov. 1 through the various faiths' holidays in December. 
 
For restaurant operators, this means simply that lots of people will be out and about, often depleted of hard-earned cash after spending on friends and relatives' gifts to the tune of about $700 billion in all, if financial soothsayers are correct. But those same people will also be depleted of sustenance after a long day's shopping, so that presents a perfect opportunity for food service providers. 

To take advantage of these opportunities, however, advance preparation is absolutely required. Here then, are a few ways you can both be prepared and make the most out of the possible increase in customers this season:

1. Start early and have a plan: 

Hopefully, a lot of this preparation is already underway at your restaurant operations, including the hiring of holiday staff and on-boarding of the same. Next, of course, you want to have seasonally related specials in place for everything from Halloween in just a few weeks, to the post-holiday return-a-rama that sends dissatisfied gift-getters in search of something to replace all those "what-were-they-thinking-to-give-me-this gifts. And finally, be sure you have the inventory, extra hours-hungry staff list, and even back-up plans for all the above, to both fulfill your menu promises and deliver them to guests. 

2. Focus on customer engagement:

Plan a schedule for all communication and marketing venues to let both existing and potential new customers know about these specials. The earlier you let customers know about these events, LTOs and other promotions, the better off you are. 

Make sure you cover your bases on all venues, from website and social media, to email lists, storefront promotion and even your "on-hold" phone messages. In fact, restaurants planning to host special events are better off creating a special landing page for that event where customers can sign up on Facebook or your website. Include these links in email blasts and social media to give customers time to plan, as many will fill up their dance cards early in the season. 

3. Plan co-marketing activities:
Amplify whatever you're planning to promote by including other area merchants or partners who will promote your efforts, just as you promote their events this holiday. Create a value proposition for different partners. 

For example, reach out to nearby mall management to explore whether you can offer customers with Black Friday bills from a mall store or stores, a free item or other incentive for stopping by your restaurant after their spending spree. But ensure that your partnership plan can be executed and promoted through the customer bases of both your brand and that of your strategic partner.

4. Emphasize gift card opportunities: 
Over the past 10 years, customers have been spending an ever-increasing amount on gift cards. Ride this wave by following these steps: 

• Identify whether to offer a physical gift or an e-gift card or both.
• Find a great partner, like a gift-selection platform, such as Open Table. 
• Promote any special gift card offers and their availability online, via social media and in stores. 

5. Partner with a local charity: 
Get with the spirit of the season of giving and identify a local charity or similar worthy cause to connect your holiday promotions with — possibly something that harkens back to your brand's mission. Reach out to organizations like the Salvation Army and its battalions of bell-ringers, or a similar more localized cause for specific chain locations. When establishing these connections, pay particular attention to: 

• Opportunities for customer involvement: For instance, can your customers get involved personally to help deliver Thanksgiving dinner at a local soup kitchen?
• Heavily promote this philanthropical partnership to drum up support, then report your charitable partnership results so customers know they've had an impact. 

 
Hopefully, most restaurateurs have many of these processes underway already, but please remember to define a set of metrics that you want to measure your efforts by during any type of post-mortem or evaluation activity around these types of efforts, since this will guide your actions in future years. Then, just have as much fun as you can amidst all the chaos of the holidays. It's a lot of work, but if you can find a way to enjoy the efforts too, all the better. 

About Seshu Madabushi

---

A serial entrepreneur with a focus on restaurant marketing, working on the latest venture mKonnekt. mKonnekt is a platform that mines customer data to create personalized and unique dining experiences.

Connect with Seshu: