Valentine's Day is often a busy time for restaurants as couples tend to go out to lunch or dinner to celebrate. It also isn't uncommon for establishments to run events for single people who are looking to have a good time with friends or find their own special someone. However, to take advantage of the opportunities this day may present to your business, you'll need to start preparing today (if you haven’t already).
Plan your menu.
There are many ways to offer something special to your customers without radically changing your menu. For instance, you could offer a combo meal geared at couples who want to share a meal together. The meal could include two entrees, an appetizer to share, and unlimited drinks for a set price. Alternatively, you could include a dessert instead of an appetizer or make other changes based on whatever you think is more profitable or better aligns with what your brand does.
Create the right mood.
Most who go out on Valentine's Day are looking for a romantic atmosphere. You can easily set the right mood by dimming interior lights, playing soft music or offering complimentary chocolates or glasses of champagne at each table. Of course, if you run a family establishment or are catering to those who want to celebrate in a less traditional way, those rules may not apply. Instead, you might want to offer festive music or opt for something that creates a more ironic or counter-culture vibe inside of your establishment.
Support your staff.
Valentine's Day may represent a significant increase in orders and foot traffic for your restaurant. For newer members of your team, the resulting chaos may be something that they have never dealt with before. Therefore, it's important that you offer adequate support to help your employees get through the evening without breaking down mentally or physically. You may offer support through additional staffing or by offering specialized training on how to handle the increased workload in an efficient and professional manner.
Make sure your payment system is functioning properly.
One of the primary ways to increase efficiency during a busy night is to issue quick service payments. This may mean that you allow customers to swipe their cards at terminals located at their tables or at a pick-up counter. Payment processing for restaurants can also allow customers to prepay for meals or drinks prior to getting to your establishment.
Having such systems in place reduces the amount of time that patrons will sit at a table after finishing their meals, which allows for greater turnover throughout the night. Having a quality payment system in place can also reduce the number of customer complaints about miscalculated tips or other issues that could lead to chargebacks.
Proactive restaurant owners are the ones who stand to gain the most from the typical Valentine's Day spike in sales. Therefore, now is the time to meet with your marketing, management, and accounting teams to put a plan in place to take advantage of the opportunity that awaits.
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