Festive ‘survive & thrive’

How to get the very best from the busiest season of all

Keep customers happy

The price is right

While the season allows you some flexibility on pricing, customers will still be looking for value. Early bird or off-peak specials help even out customer flow and maximise revenue. Clear pricing teamed with high quality will help grow trust and loyalty. In the run up to December, make sure your marketing showcases both.

Festive experiences

Get your guests in the mood the second they set foot in the door. A complimentary welcome drink and warm, festive environment will encourage them to have a good time and maybe return in January.

Make booking as hassle-free as possible for guests with an easy-to-use online table reservation system with SMS reminders and automatic deposit handling. Link the tool to your Christmas menu, promotions and events to make it pay for itself in no time.

Prioritise your plates

When guests want to push the boat out, an indulgent menu drives profit. Make sure your stock levels match your recipe management to guarantee good margins.

Suggest drinks pairings, sides and high-profit dishes on your physical menu and boards as well pushing a fun festive vibe with inventive offers.

Look after your team

Minimise your menu

A smaller menu of popular, profitable dishes that customers rave about is better than a large one. Rather than giving guests too much choice (and making them more likely to opt for their ‘usual’), pair your options back and drive margins. This also gives your kitchen time to execute the food well and speeds up service.

Analyse your audience and what dishes did well last season to create a selection of your best. Remove any items that don’t tick both popularity and profitability boxes.

Highlight high-margin plates subtly with colour or boxes on your physical menu and place them top of the page, or top right in a foldable version. Putting your big earner dishes underneath or near an expensive item makes them look like an even better deal.

Balance the cost of more expensive, selected seasonal ingredients with bigger wholesale purchases. Plan in other dishes or specials to cut down on wastage.

Keep eyes on profits and stock

Stock-take your inventory during both the build-up and busiest times to help you identify any fast-moving items, allowing you to reorder proactively before you run low.

Monitor what’s selling well and what isn’t. Don’t be afraid to adjust your purchasing and menu to push margins and stay responsive to react quickly to customer demands.

Streamline your team

Without slick service even the best plates will leave a nasty taste in guests’ mouths, so be sure to get your staffing levels right. Hiring large numbers of new staff can add pressure on the business at an already busy time, so consider outsourcing your recruitment.

It might be tempting but never cut corners on background checks for seasonal workers. Getting the right people working for you will create the best image of your brand and reduce the risk of poor reviews and reputational damage.

Leaving unchecked seasonal staff to handle finance or data protection roles carries risks and can harm team spirit if a trust issue arises. Even if your staffing is on point, make sure you have contingency plans for staff shortages with an on-call system.

Run your business well

Be fair

It’s the toughest time of the year for your team. Looking after colleagues will mean they do the same for you. Let them see rotas in advance and setting on-call dates with them allows your team to plan their Christmas.

Allow enough time to train new staff before the busy season arrives. Upskilling your existing team on how to handle the holiday rush will empower them. Teach them the benefits of good customer service, how to manage large groups and all the details of your seasonal menu.

Longer working hours, demanding customers and stressful situations can take their toll on staff striving to stay friendly and professional. That brings extra physical and mental pressure. Check in regularly with your team and step in if you think their wellbeing is suffering.

Maintain motivation

Today’s employees appreciate flexible working as much (or in some cases more) than a financial bonus. Where possible, flex scheduling to help your team manage their work-life balance.

Saying that, recognising and appreciating their hard work with bonuses, rewards, a team ‘thank you’ or group meal goes a long way too. Use incentives or rewards for exceptional service, because happy staff usually means satisfied customers.

Signpost ways to help

If one of your team appears low, can’t focus, is having extreme mood swings, withdraws from usual friends or complains of tiredness and difficulty sleeping, they may be experiencing stress, anxiety or depression.

Offering mental health support through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) shows your team you genuinely care. Plus, trained counsellors can give them advice and offer support in complete confidence.

Hospitality Action’s EAP is the only scheme designed specifically for hospitality workers and provides specialist, independent and confidential advice, support and assistance. If you have this support in place, make sure you promote it ahead of December.

For more information, email eap@hospitalityaction.org.uk or call 0203 004 5500.