{"id":25381,"date":"2022-09-27T13:09:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T17:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/the-gift-of-holiday-planning\/"},"modified":"2023-01-23T13:37:32","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T18:37:32","slug":"the-gift-of-holiday-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/the-gift-of-holiday-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"The gift of holiday planning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinking ahead can help restaurants end the year on a high note.<\/h2>\n

The autumn aroma of pumpkin spice latte season has barely arrived, alerting restaurant operators that it\u2019s time to dive into holiday planning.<\/p>\n

In a tough economy, November and December figure to be make or break months more than ever. A smart strategy can make all the difference, says Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen expenses go up, the first thing people cut is their entertainment budget,\u201d he said. \u201cBut people still want to celebrate, and restaurants can find ways to reach them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barker touched on five areas of holiday planning critical to ending the year on a high note.\"A<\/p>\n

Rethink catering<\/h3>\n

Family holiday outings may be down this year. Capturing corporate party business is one way to pick up the slack. Contact the local chamber of commerce for a list of area businesses and connect with them about hosting or catering their holiday parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think many corporations feel like they owe their employees a celebration this year,\u201d Barker said. \u201cEvents can happen in your restaurant or, if you are equipped, catered off-site at a banquet hall or even at their offices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Operators must assure catered food fits their brand and isn\u2019t jeopardized by supply-chain issues. Work closely with your Sales Representative to avoid products affected by supply chain or cost issues, Barker urges. And your catering program also should stress safety to reassure people with pandemic concerns during the emerging winter cold and flu season.<\/p>\n

Take on takeout<\/h3>\n

Holiday planning should include a healthy dose of off-premise dining<\/a>, promoted by a solid social media marketing schedule and staff awareness.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet people know your plans on your website, Facebook, Instagram or wherever,\u201d Barker advises. \u201cAlso make sure everyone on your staff is well aware of holiday plans, so they can answer questions when a potential customer calls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook packaging as a brand ambassador. The GFSImpress program allows operators to affix restaurant logos and messaging to containers. This reminds everyone at private holiday celebrations about your business.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome operators will say packaging is expensive, but if you are serving customers at home, you don\u2019t have the expense of washing china or cleaning tables,\u201d Barker points out. \u201cNow you can afford a more upscale takeout program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Market appetizers, LTOs<\/h3>\n

To excite off-premise and dining-room customers, Barker suggests holiday appetizers and limited-time offers (LTOs)<\/a>. Flavours from the many Mediterranean nations remain popular, and mezze plates are perfect for sharing.<\/p>\n

Fresh takes on charcuterie boards are an ideal LTO, Barker says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be meat or cheese. We\u2019re seeing breakfast boards, but it can be seafood, vegetables or sweets if that\u2019s your brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charcuterie-style boards can be packaged and sent off-premise with instructions for assembly at home or at an office event.<\/p>\n

Craft a cocktail menu<\/h3>\n

Seasonal beverages are another holiday fave, and retro cocktails are in vogue, Barker says. Signature drinks or to-go batch mixes (if your liquor laws allow) with prep instructions are a sales builder.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook mocktails for those who prefer zero-proof drinks.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t drink or are designated drivers, so you can build drinks that look and taste like cocktails so people don\u2019t feel out of place while everyone else is drinking,\u201d Barker said.<\/p>\n

Grow gift card sales<\/h3>\n

Gift cards are a holiday staple, so promote them early. They put money in your operation now, much of which won\u2019t be redeemed until January, if at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe redemption rate on gift cards is never 100%,\u201d Barker said. \u201cIf an operator sells $10,000 in gift cards and only $8,000 is redeemed, it\u2019s like free money. And guests who do use gift cards often exceed the card amount.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking ahead can help restaurants end the year on a high note. The autumn aroma of pumpkin spice latte season has barely arrived, alerting restaurant operators that it\u2019s time to dive into holiday planning. In a tough economy, November and December figure to be make or break months more than ever. A smart strategy can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe gift of holiday planning | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/the-gift-of-holiday-planning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The gift of holiday planning\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thinking ahead can help restaurants end the year on a high note. 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