Tis the season to get planning

Don’t get left out in the cold this festive season – start your planning now and it’ll be a merry Christmas all the way

The nights are drawing in, the leaves are changing colour and the summer sun has hung its hat up for the winter. Yes, it’s almost that time of the year once again. With consumers looking to make festive meal bookings earlier and earlier, it’s important to stay ahead of the game and make sure you’re fully prepared and organised, without leaving anything to chance. September is the key month to get started on your planning so that you’re in the best position to make the most of the busiest and most profitable time of the year. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making sure you’re ready for the season to be jolly.

Offer

You need to start promoting your offering early but not too early that people are put off. But first you need to know what it is you’re offering. Do you want your venue to be seen as the party hotspot or the place to feast on good food and wine with friends and family? Deciding who you want to attract is key and then you can decide when it is you want to open – the big day itself may not be the right decision for your venue.

Deck the halls

While September may be too early to start decorating for even the biggest fans of Christmas, plan what you need to light up your venue and turn it into a festive wonderland. If you cater for a school, nursery or care home, get everything ordered, from crackers to festive napkins.

Post of a different kind

Social media is your friend. Use it to your advantage in the run-up to Christmas by posting teasers about your menus and letting people know when your bookings will be open – research shows a significant proportion of diners make their festive bookings in October. Post pictures of your menus, your decorations and anything else visually appealing, whether it’s fancy cocktails, festive hot chocolate and bakes or your Christmassy menus. Encourage bookings from the off by featuring a promotion such as ‘book now and receive a free bottle of wine’.

Mistletoe and wine

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about your alcohol offering. Have you got your white wine, prosecco and red wine sorted? Customers traditionally drink more during the festive period with an influx of work Christmas parties, friendly gatherings and, of course, the day itself (if you’re open). If you’ve paired your menu with wines, it’s worth evaluating your stock levels from previous years to plan ahead for this Christmas.

Spirits are always in demand, particularly seasonal and flavoured variants, so keep stocked up. Stay on top of current trends too to make sure you’re prepared for whatever fashionable drink your customers might request.

Top tip

KEEP ON TOP OF CURRENT TRENDS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER POPULAR FOOD OR DRINK YOUR CUSTOMERS MIGHT REQUEST

Top tip

ADVERTISE YOUR FESTIVE OFFERING ACROSS ALL SOCIAL MEDIA NOW SO THAT YOUR VENUE WILL BE FRONT OF MIND FOR WHEN CUSTOMERS BOOK

Your team

Assess your staffing levels. Giving your team plenty of notice for their working pattern over the festive season will help them plan their festivities and they’ll appreciate the early notice. And if you need to hire extra seasonal staff, then it pays to get them booked before they’re snapped up elsewhere.

Next year all wrapped up

As well as focusing on the here and now, take this time to think ahead to next year. Make a note of what’s working well and what isn’t. Research the competition to see what they’re offering this Christmas and see if there’s anything you can take from them to use to improve your offering next year. For example, if no one around you is hosting live music nights, it may be too late to organise something for this year but bear it in mind for next. By jotting everything down, this will help you form a 12-month plan.