5) Offer Incentives To Drum Up Post-Holiday Business
Seasonal incentives can spur guests to return after the holidays. A number of national chains offer bonus gift cards to customers who purchase holiday gift cards.
At Brio, for instance, customers who purchase at least $100 in gift cards receive a $20 gift card to use themselves. Also, those who host a holiday event of 10 or more people during mid-November through mid-January (as well as their guests) will receive a $10 bonus gift to use in the first quarter of the new year.
The Palm restaurant offers 10% back in the form of a gift card for purchases made beginning at $250 from November to December, says Liermann. “In the past, we [also] offered a Palm Party Card to encourage private dining room bookings earlier in the week: Sunday through Thursday nights and Monday to Friday lunch,” she notes. The high-end steak house operates 26 locations in the U.S.
6) Prepare Your Staff For The Season
The holiday season can be stressful for guests and restaurant staff alike, says Greg Majors, beverage director for the Blue Bridge Hospitality. “Poise and patience” are key in dealing with holiday crowds and stressed-out guests, he notes.
“It’s very important that our staff puts those dining with us at ease and makes them feel like they are at home,” says Majors. “Be empathetic, which will help put your staff and guests at ease.”
Preparation for seasonal events and offerings will hekp your team cope. Brio trains servers to upsell wine and cocktails to enhance the celebratory mood, and ensures that they are well versed in the seasonal food and beverage options.
It’s easy for staff to get caught up in the festivities, but Pendleton points out that servers, buspeople and bartenders need to keep in mind they are at work. “I tell my staff to remember that we were not invited to their party, we are working their party, so we need to keep the focus on the guest’s happiness.”
7) Remember: It’s Not Forever
The holiday season is frazzled, but it’s also fleeting, says Collins. “Enjoy the business while it’s there; the season comes and goes very quickly.”
Indeed, Liermann says, holiday is a great time of year to build sales: “It will be fast-paced with long hours, but it will pay off at the end!”
In general, staff and management should try to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated, says Pendleton. “You have a small window of time to be especially busy, and you can’t do that if you are sick or tired!”
It also helps to hire holiday—or any—workers with a heart for service. “I can train anyone to do the technical parts of our jobs, but what I can’t do is train how to be a naturally nice and hospitable person,” Pendleton says. “Guests will overlook a multitude of mistakes if you are kind and gracious.”
Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits and lifestyle writer, and wine educator, in the Washington, D.C. area.