A New Restaurant

Are you ready for the Christmas shopping season?

I’m not talking about you personally; I’m talking about your restaurant. The Christmas season is a time when restaurants can really thrive. People are out, in the mood to spend, and they will include a stop at a restaurant as part of their shopping experience. It is a great opportunity to make a first impression on a lot of new customers.

I’ve written before about how much less expensive it is to keep your existing customers as it is to attract new customers. This is your chance to make that advertising pay off. If you were able to get a location for your restaurant that is near a major shopping hub, you could potentially attract a flood of new customers. Your job is to be ready to serve them when they arrive.

This always brings up the question, “How much food should I order so I am prepared for the rush?” Unfortunately, that is something you have to figure out for yourself. You need to weigh the cost of ordering too much food against the cost of running out of food during the busiest season of the year. While you don’t want to have food in your cooler going to waste, you don’t want to disappoint people who could become your customer base for the years to come.

Don’t forget to take the time to make sure your staff is prepared for the rush. Even though the Christmas season is meant to be a time of joy and peace on Earth, the shopping season can be a time of stress and lack of patience. Your staff has to be ready to deal with a dining room full of people that are tired of crowds and impatient about just about everything. If your crew is not prepared, tempers could quickly flare, and ruin any hard work that you and your kitchen have done. It is a balance; great food and great service. One without the other is not enough.

Tis the season. Make sure your restaurant is ready.