Is your restaurant holiday-ready? Now\u2019s the time to finalize your plans for grabbing a greater share of business from the people out, about and hungry during the fall holidays. Our Gordon Food Service experts weigh in with tips for a successful holiday season.<\/p>\n
Getting an early start on holiday planning is essential. Qu\u00e9bec City-based District Sales Manager Isabelle Lavoie suggests meeting with your District Sales Representative in September to plan out the holiday period and review menus for it. For large-scale operations, she suggests a business review with a corporate chef at one of the Gordon Food Service culinary centres.<\/p>\n
This is not the time to expand your core menu, according to Fabio Pizzolato, a District Sales Manager in Delta, British Columbia. In fact, you may want to trim your menu offerings. \u201cDuring slow periods, there is more time to prep multiple items and make elaborate dishes. During the holiday rush, quick execution is key for quick turnover\u2014and happy customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other hand, you do want to offer something special and celebratory. Ken Booth, a District Sales Manager in Rocky View County, Alberta, suggests you make use of limited-time offers (LTO). \u201cThink of things you don\u2019t normally offer, dishes that play into the comfort and nostalgia of the season. Braised items, for instance, make many of us think of home-cooked family meals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Create a featured dessert of the season, Booth suggests. Incorporate a seasonal flavour such as peppermint, eggnog or gingerbread. \u201cAgain,\u201d he encourages, \u201cyou can price it higher than your other selections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Need LTO and dessert ideas? Brad Knorr, a District Sales Manager in Kelowna, British Columbia, urges operators to attend their nearest Gordon Food Service Fall Food Show. \u201cHeld in October, they\u2019re a great way to see new products, get seasonal inspiration and even learn of specialty pricing opportunities, all in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staff training, always critical, takes on added importance at the holidays. Customers will spend up to 25% more of their disposable income to dine out during the holiday season, reports Edmonton, Alberta-based Sales Manager Jim Morris. So in addition to training staff in the fundamentals of good service, coach them on how to upsell your most profitable menu items.<\/p>\n
The season of giving is the best time of year to promote gift cards. Just don\u2019t expect them to sell themselves. \u201cAdvertise them on your menu; it\u2019s the only spot your customers are guaranteed to see,\u201d Pizzolato says. \u201cServers should also mention gift cards to customers at the end of each meal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jimmy Kapetanos, a Sales Manager in Toronto, Ontario, gave customers an additional incentive to purchase by donating a portion of each gift-card sale to charity. Nattalia Vance, a District Sales Manager in Delta, British Columbia, suggests another tactic: \u201cGive customers something extra\u2014like a $10 gift card for every $100 in gift cards they purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catering, inside and outside your restaurant, represents a huge holiday opportunity. Again, promotion is critical, and Vance reminds us that it\u2019s easier to increase business from an existing customer than a new one. \u201cKeep a database of customers who\u2019ve booked your services during past holiday seasons,\u201d she advises. \u201cReach out to them ahead of time, offering first chance at holiday reservations. This works really well for large-party bookings and also makes customers feel recognized and valued.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA quick-meal menu can be very appealing at the holidays,\u201d Pizzolato says. \u201cIf customers are shopping or need to catch transportation, they might just want a quick bite. Often they won\u2019t tell you they\u2019re in a hurry until it\u2019s too late. A short, quick-meal menu or an icon on your regular menu will help your time-restricted customers.\u201d
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Operators can boost sales, brand perception and loyalty, Morris maintains, by supporting a local charity at the holidays. One example: \u201cOffer a reduced cost to customers who bring in a toy for a children\u2019s charity or a nonperishable food item,\u201d he suggests. \u201cAdvertise it in your restaurant, on flyers and through social media. You won\u2019t believe the interest that can generate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDecorate your restaurant to give it that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling,\u201d Morris recommends. \u201cPlay holiday music. Have staff dress up a little\u2014just take it up a notch.\u201d Lavoie agrees. \u201cUse different-coloured napkins, tablecloths, decorative containers and Christmas-themed items,\u201d she advises.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore and more, menus have to address the preferences of each generation and meet these needs\u201d says Qu\u00e9bec City-based Corporate Chef St\u00e9phane Renaud. The dishes have to strike the right chords.\u201d Examples of ways to satisfy holiday diners of various generations include:<\/p>\n
Baby Boomers:<\/strong> High quality, freshness, prepared on-site. Be very distinctive and maintain your reputation<\/strong><\/p>\n While superior food and service are critical to every segment, fine-dining establishments face even more pressure to be perfect at the holidays when diners are especially focused on gatherings that produce memorable moments. \u201cThe customers who go to your establishment expect an out-of-the ordinary experience,\u201d Renaud says. \u201cThat is why they are willing to pay premium prices. Don\u2019t disappoint them!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many little things can add up to a successful season for your restaurant. Is your restaurant holiday-ready? Now\u2019s the time to finalize your plans for grabbing a greater share of business from the people out, about and hungry during the fall holidays. Our Gordon Food Service experts weigh in with tips for a successful holiday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nGeneration X:<\/strong> Authentic, high quality, somewhat exotic dishes.
\nGeneration Y:<\/strong> Local, fresh, no additives, organic.
\nGeneration Z:<\/strong> Organic, sustainable, non-enhanced.<\/p>\n