9 Steps to Prepare Your Restaurant and Team for Christmas  

Christmas is on its way, and the festive mood is everywhere. People are hurrying to buy gifts for their relatives and loved ones, decorating their homes, and more. Restaurants are also in the game. Primarily, because people want to experience this festive mood wherever they go. 

Additionally, many are seeking cozy places to organize their New Year parties. Whether it’s attracting clients to enjoy a warm dinner and relax after a busy day or engaging large groups to organize their corporate events, your restaurant needs to ensure it aligns with the Christmas spirit.

If you run a restaurant business and need guidance to succeed in preparing your restaurant and staff for the Christmas season, let’s dive in and discover the core tips and tricks. 

9 Steps to Prepare Your Restaurant and Team for Christmas  

Clear goal setting and planning are at the heart of any successful business. The same principle works for restaurants. Hence, if you want your team to shine and your business to be compelling during the holiday season, then you need to have crafted strategies to follow. 

This step is crucial and shouldn’t be overlooked. However, planning is not as simple as it may seem. You might need some guidance to get there. If that’s the case, consider business coaching to ensure success during the festive season. Such platforms can help you excel in organizing and managing your business effectively.

Now, let’s skim through the most essential tips on how to prepare your restaurant and your team for the Christmas season.

1. Plan Ahead of Time

“Forewarned is forearmed,” so start planning your Christmas activities early on. In particular, you should decide whether you are going to offer a special holiday menu, create new decorations, or stick with the ones from previous years. 

Additionally, consider if you’re going to provide special services or events. These activities require investment, so it’s crucial to know in advance what kind of budget you’re ready to allocate for the Christmas season.

Moreover, you need some time to identify the specific requirements of your potential audience and determine what you can offer to meet their expectations.

Additionally, consider partnering with other local businesses. Start by searching business niches in a small town to understand their needs and how you can assist. For example, you might discover that local event planners need venues for holiday parties.

In this case, you could offer your restaurant as the perfect place for these events. Plus, by starting early, you’ll have time to create solid packages for different-sized parties. 

2. Communicate With Your Staff

The next step is preparing your staff for the Christmas season. First, it’s crucial to clearly communicate any changes in your restaurant for the New Year. Whether it’s a festive menu to offer guests or creative thematic content to prepare for social media, ensure your team is fully informed and aligned.

Second, the Christmas season often brings a festive rush, which can double the stress on your team. To ease the workload, consider automating some tasks to free up their time. 

You could utilize room scheduling software for your restaurant members, allowing administrative workers to focus on more important activities, such as managing customer service or planning events. This type of software is particularly useful for coworking spaces or loft-style bars. However, room scheduling software can also be beneficial for all types of restaurants.Effective communication with your staff allows you to gain better insight into the challenges your team members face and address issues promptly.

We all know that many professionals responsible for promotions can work remotely, while some staff may operate in a hybrid capacity.Easy-to-use room scheduling software is an incredibly helpful tool in such scenarios. Additionally, it’s worth considering that nowadays, many customers may visit your bar to enjoy a meal and then take a call with someone from anywhere in the world. This makes dedicated spaces managed by room scheduling software beneficial not only for your team and staff but also for your customers.

Ultimately, communicate with your staff about who will be working on Christmas night. While many may prefer to spend the evening with their families, some will have to work on Christmas night. So set clear schedules well in advance.

3. Manage Reservations

This can be one of the most challenging activities, especially during the holiday season when there are numerous reservations to manage.

As we’ve discussed the importance of using tools to automate the booking process and free up your team’s time., However, you may also want to craft your own booking system. If so, here are some crucial steps to ensure your booking system works smoothly:

• Make It User-Friendly: Ensure the booking system is easy to navigate and simple to use, allowing visitors to book their reservations quickly and conveniently.
• Automate Confirmations and Reminders: Once a reservation is made, visitors should receive an automatic confirmation. Additionally, send reminder notifications the day before their appointment to reduce no-shows.
• Integrate with CRM: Linking the booking system with a CRM helps track customer preferences and streamlines business operations, making it easier to manage bookings and improve customer service.

4. Decorate Your Restaurant 

No festive atmosphere, no festive mood. Hence, make sure your restaurant aligns with the New Year spirit. You can keep it elegant and beautiful. For example, add a stylish Christmas tree and decorate your restaurant ceiling with festive lighting.

You can also incorporate festive elements into your menu and accessories like napkins. There’s no need to go overboard with Santa-themed designs—simple green or red napkins, which are classic Christmas colors, will do the trick.

It’s also a good idea to create high-quality custom printed packaging for takeaway orders or leftovers. It adds a festive touch and makes your brand more engaging for visitors.

And, of course, don’t forget about music. Just imagine how beautifully retro and classic New Year’s songs could enhance the elegant Christmas vibe of your restaurant. Sounds amazing, right?

5. Adjust Your Menue

Your visitors will probably look for a special offer on your menu. In other words, you need to revise your menu according to Christmas. You may do this in two ways: design a seasonal menu and offer it separately or just make an edition of your existing one. The point is to allow your visitors to try something new and festive. 

• Classic christmas cookies
• Spiced hot chocolate
• Holiday-themed cupcakes
• Mulled wine
• Turkey or ham sliders
• Eggnog 

These are just a few ideas on what to include in your festive menu. Go creative and offer something unique and compelling.  

6. Create or Update Your Website

If you don’t have a website yet, then wait no further to start. A website can serve as the cornerstone of your holiday preparations, offering a platform to share your restaurant’s story, introduce your staff, showcase your regular and special festive menus, and promote holiday events like hosting a popular band or themed parties.

To elevate your business appeal and boost customer engagement, you can create your website quickly using tools like wordpress. There are many other good wordpress alternative options to help you design a professional, user-friendly site effortlessly.

Last but not least, ensure your platform performs well with minimal downtime. Otherwise, your customers may not feel inclined to use your platform. You may establish excellent results without spending a fortune. One option is employing Ubuntu VPS hosting, which allows you to maintain a smooth operating website at a reasonable cost.

7. Leverage Social Media 

Let’s admit it—today, it’s almost impossible to imagine a successful restaurant business without a strong social media presence. Before deciding to visit, potential customers are likely to scroll through your social media pages to determine if your restaurant is worth their time. To attract and engage them, consider these strategies:

• Create Christmas-Themed Content: Share festive recipes and high-quality photos to encourage people to try cooking.
• Showcase Your Menu: Highlight beautifully plated dishes from your holiday menu to attract customers to visit and try them.
• Display Your Festive Atmosphere: Post photos and videos showcasing your restaurant’s holiday decorations to encourage people to visit and capture their own thematic moments.
• Organize Competitions: Encourage guests to share photos taken at your restaurant using specific hashtags. Announce gifts for the top three most-liked posts and offer gift cards or discounts to the winners.
  

8. Employ Email Marketing 

Never underestimate the power of email marketing. Use this tool to send personalized messages to your existing customers, informing them about exciting events you’re hosting at your restaurant or special holiday deals you’re offering.

Remember, just like any other form of communication, your emails should reflect the festive spirit. Therefore add some New Year colors and visual elements to your emails. Ideally, it’s worthwhile creating Christmas emails with templates. As such, you will share visually appealing emails that captivate your audience.

9. Carefully Plan the Supply Chain 

During the Christmas season, you’ll be hosting more people than usual. Hence, it cis crucial to manage your inventory and supply chain carefully.

First, forecast demand to determine how many ingredients and other materials you’ll need. Second, partner with reliable suppliers to ensure timely deliveries. Finally, even if you think you have enough stock, continuously monitor your inventory. This will give you peace of mind, that you are not at risk of running out of essential materials.

Bottom Line

Preparing your restaurant and staff for the Christmas season takes time and careful planning, so it’s essential to start early. Begin by setting clear expectations and crafting a detailed plan to achieve your goals. 

Communicate openly with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page. It’s especially important to organize Christmas night shifts well in advance to avoid last-minute surprises or dissatisfaction. Afterward, take steps we’ve suggested _ from decorating your space to establishing a strong online festive presence — to create a memorable and festive experience for your guests.