With exactly one month to go until Christmas Day, restaurateurs all over Canada have big opportunities in front of them. Over the course of the next several weeks, holiday celebrators will be looking to dine along with friends and family. What can you do to make your restaurant a go-to holiday destination?
Here are four ways to make your restaurant a holiday celebration hot spot:
1. Spread holiday cheer on social media.
It should be a no-brainer to hop on to Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook to promote your restaurant. The posts you make in the next few weeks should feature photos and descriptions of your holiday-themed specials. There’s nothing like vivid photographs of your delicious meals to get mouths watering. Be sure to include links to your online menu in your posts. As well, be engaging. Ask questions of your audience to get them interacting with your accounts.
“Encourage customer engagement by asking a question such as, ‘What’s your favorite holiday dish?’” advises Jackie Prange of TouchBistro, “By doing this you will have direct interaction from your customers, and may even get some good menu tips. You should also use your social media accounts and website to provide customers with need-to-know information about how they can order from you this holiday season.”
2. Promote your seasonal specials.
People don’t just want to celebrate the holidays by eating and drinking. They want to save money while doing it! Remember that consumers are spending more money at this time of year than any other. Helping them out by offering some savings is a great way to coax them to pay your restaurant a visit. Offer seasonal specials at alluring prices to grow customer interest.
OpenTable suggests a “Buy X, get Y free” type of deal. “This classic promotion works better for casual spots than fine dining restaurants,” informs their website, “It’s a simple matter of offering a freebie with the purchase of a full-price menu item. Some classic combos are a free order of fries with a pub burger or a free ice cream with an entree. It’s a good opportunity to induce guests to menu items that they typically resist ordering. Free desserts are a crowd-pleaser.”
3. Offer a holiday-themed drink menu.
Keep in mind that not everyone who visits your restaurant is looking for a sumptuous meal. This is a time of year when celebratory gatherings are plentiful. Often, those gatherings involve getting together for drinks. Does your restaurant offer a holiday-themed drink menu? By doing so, you add to the festive atmosphere of your restaurant. Moreover, it gives you another excellent reason to promote your place of business as a holiday celebration hot spot.
“If you serve cocktails in addition to food, offer a few holiday drink specials too,” suggests Prange, “After all, there’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than by drinking spiked apple cider or a pumpkin and nutmeg martini topped with whipped cream. This is an especially great way to boost check sizes if your state or province allows you to offer alcohol for pickup or delivery.”
4. Simplify the payment process.
Let your customers pay at the table with the sleek dual-screen smart payment terminal from Unity Payments! Equipped with our POS solution, your eatery can optimize the checkout process, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and drive revenue growth. For more information, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
