Ring in the Profits
New Year’s Eve is the biggest party night of the year. However you plan to mark it, Take Stock is here to make sure you are prepared to profit…
Be organised
Your event (whatever shape or size) should be promoted as soon as possible via your social media channels, in-house POS material and word of mouth – if your promotional material has already begun, make sure you keep customers up to date with any changes and keep reminding them of what you have to offer. In the chaos of Christmas, it is easy to overlook your New Year Eve’s activities so appoint a member of staff to make sure it is well planned. That way, they can keep a track on numbers and orders, and make sure you have enough staff on the rota – having the correct staffing levels on the night is important for success.
What to serve
An exclusive New Year’s Eve menu is always popular. However, for smaller, intimate venues sticking to your normal menu or offering more snacky, party food like hot dogs, burgers and pizza is perfect – especially if children are invited to the event. “Our pub is in the centre of the village so we will be serving our normal menu,” said Matt Saxton, business manager at The Bell in Ramsbury that won Pub of the Year England at the AA Hospitality Awards. “As a family pub, the last thing we want to do is make people feel that they have to spend a lot on a tasting menu; especially as children are more than welcome.”
Stock up!
Don’t spoil the party – or your reputation and profits – by running out of drink, alcohol or soft. Stocking up on Prosecco and Champagne is a given, factor in the number of bottles you will need to toast the new year. Cocktails are a popular choice for parties, so make sure your bar staff are prepared and confident in making some beauties for the celebrations. Pitchers are a great idea. Not only do they reduce queues, they can be bought in quantity for ease and value. If you have a group of children or adults who are not drinking alcohol why not suggest a pitcher of an exclusive non alcohol cocktail or cleverly designed soft drink? Running out of ice is not an option. It is a long night and there is nothing worse than a warm beer or a gin and tonic with no ice! Make sure you have a variety of adult soft drinks available.
Give something back
A complimentary glass of fizz during the evening or hiring a band or DJ for free will leave a lasting impression on your customers. “We give all of our customers a glass of Champagne at midnight as a thank you for the support they have shown us for the year,” said Andy Gabbitas, chef-proprietor at the Wortley Arms near Sheffield. “And although we put three bands on we don’t charge an entrance fee or raise our menu prices. We believe our customers have been good enough to come all year round we make enough on the bar without having to charge a fiver to get in.”
Entertain them
From background music to a DJ or karaoke, most customers want some sort of entertainment on the big night. Just make sure that your music licence is valid, or whether you need one. Visit takestockmagazine.com/let-musicplay/ to find out more. If you opt for a quieter affair, activities such as a quiz, will keep the party lively. And if you really want to pull out all the stops, nothing beats a firework display to impress your customers. Just make sure you follow all the safety guidelines. Visit takestockmagazine.com/bonfire-nightsafety for all the information you need.
Shake it up!
Nothing gets the party started better than a cocktail. With the cocktail market worth nearly half a billion pounds and sales growing, this is the perfect time to serve them; especially as there is a tipple to suit everyone! Thanks to Hi-Spirits, Diageo, Halewood, Bacardi, Maxxium and Pernod-Ricard for the following selection: Fairytale of New York, Spice Rack Crush, Don’t Mug Yourself, Rum & Chestnut Old Fashioned, Salted Caramel Espresso Martini and Wake & Bake
