How can you bring in more customers for the spring bank holidays?

New ideas for Easter and the May and August holidays

Egg-citing Easter events

Turn your venue into a fun and family-friendly hub for this popular bank holiday. Try these tips, from elevating your roast dinner to the best way to engage kids

The ultimate roast

Make your roast dinner the talk of the town by focusing on quality ingredients like succulent, locally sourced meats and seasonal vegetables. Jazz up your dishes with unique twists like pistachio-crusted lamb or truffle cauliflower cheese. Don’t just serve a standard nut roast. Get creative with your veggie options by adding spice and sweet notes, then add a palate-pleasing wine-pairing suggestion for each dish. Want a really playful way to draw in the crowds? Offer unlimited roasties or gravy refills and shout it out on your socials.

Creating fun for everyone

Easter is the perfect time to attract families. So make it memorable by running fun events and giving diners a few added extras. Start with an Easter egg hunt – dotting treats throughout the venue or stashing chocolate across your outdoor space, if the sun is shining. You could also keep kids busy with biscuit decorating stations or a colouring competition and Easter-themed prizes.

Send out invites and special menus, including kid-friendly options, to encourage family bookings. For tables of four or more, give them a goodie bag filled with chocolate eggs to create a packaged experience which makes life easier for busy parents. When you foster a welcoming atmosphere and family-focused fun, you’ll become the go-to spot for celebrations.

A double bank holiday boost

With two bank holidays this month, there’s plenty of opportunity to maximise your margins. From spotlighting soft drinks to lifting Sunday footfall and prepping for rainy weather, we’ve got you covered

Stunning soft drinks

Extra time off school means kids are more likely to visit venues with their parents over bank holiday weekends. That’s why families will be on the hunt for soft drinks that satisfy their little taste buds – especially traditional favourites on tap. But it’s not just children. The stats show that many adults heading out on Monday appear to avoid alcohol, meaning your soft-drink sales could jump by 37%¹. Make sure you’ve got a strong and varied offering and your options are clearly displayed in bar fridges, as well as easy to find on your menus.

¹ CGA by NIQ, Consumer Research. 2024.

No more ‘Sunday scaries’

For those lucky enough to get the bank holidays off, not having to head to work puts people in a celebratory mood. That carefree feeling means both bank holiday Sundays and Mondays lead to sales uplifts, according to CGA by NIQ’s 2023 statistics, with both days seeing an average uplift in sales of 26%, relative to their equivalent weekdays the rest of the year. Spirits perform particularly well, with a massive upswing in sales of 53% on bank holiday Sundays. This presents an ideal opportunity to drive sales and engage customers.

Make sure to promote your bank holiday hours on social media, sharing any events you’re hosting or sports you’ll be showing and promote some enticing drink deals. Try offering a free mixer with every spirit order, discounting a local product or running a 2-for-1 during peak times to increase footfall.

Weather-proof your weekends

Let’s face it, when bank holidays roll around, the sunshine doesn’t always come out to play. But bad weather doesn’t have to mean bad sales. If you planned a BBQ but the outside seating seems like it might be rained off, you could set up a marquee or gazebo to protect outdoor diners. If it’s just a little chilly, blankets are a lovely touch that’ll keep customers comfortable.

When wind or rain look more threatening, make sure you’re ready to adapt with a cosy indoor alternative. Keep the energy high with entertainment like live music or a quiz to draw in the crowds. Getting creative with indoor and covered options can turn a rainy day into a profitable one.

Kick off sizzling summer plans

Although it’s a little way off, this gives you plenty of time to prep for the August bank holiday so you can organise engaging events that’ll drive sales and bring in customers all day long

With the summer heat (hopefully) lingering, it’s the perfect time to host a BBQ. Planning your menu in advance will ensure everything goes smoothly and you can source the right ingredients. Offer crowd-pleasers like grilled meats, veggie skewers and a standout dish like our buffalo corn. Going all out with a theme, like American or Mexican, to match the dish will give your venue a point of difference too.

Extend the fun into the evening with cocktails, serving refreshing and shareable drinks like mojito pitchers, spritzes or sangria. To keep the vibes going, add in entertainment like singers or a DJ and garden games to create a memorable day that stretches long into the night.