With Halloween in the rearview and stores already donned in holiday decor, early November is the perfect time to start planning for the festive season ahead. With careful planning and a keen marketing strategy, getting a head start in November---well before the Black Friday rush---can give your restaurant a huge advantage.
We’ve put together some key ideas to engage customers, encourage holiday bookings, and create a buzz around your restaurant as the holiday season approaches.
Here are 9 strategies to help you prepare in advance to maximize success:
1. Prep Your Menu
Holiday Sneak Peek: Tease popular holiday dishes that will be available in December and give customers a taste in November.
Highlight Seasonal Ingredients: Share how you’re using ingredients like pumpkin, cranberries, and cinnamon to create warm, inviting flavors for November.
2. Create Exclusive Black Friday Specials
Exclusive Dishes or Drinks: Design a few exclusive menu items, like signature appetizers or holiday-themed drinks, available only from Black Friday through Cyber Monday to attract new and returning customers.
Meal Bundles and Family Packs: Offer specially priced meal bundles, great for groups or families shopping together. Consider bundling these for pick-up and delivery to accommodate busy shoppers.
3. Prepare Gift Card Deals
Gift Card Bonuses: Set up a gift card promotion, such as “Buy a $100 Gift Card, Get $20 Free,” to drive sales. This approach is a great way to keep customers coming back after the start of the new year.
Online Gift Card Sales: Set up online gift card sales in advance and promote them heavily in November. Tie in a discounted gift card with every delivery order to boost sales and gain repeat business.
5. Offer Pre-Order Options
Pre-Ordering: Allow customers to pre-order their meal bundles, family meals, or catering order in early November. Not only will this help to create a buzz, it’s a good way to gauge expectations, plan inventory and strategize staffing.
Schedule Pickup Times: Make pickup times available throughout the day to avoid bottlenecks to ensure smooth operations.
4. Prepare Staff and Supplies
Employee Training and Staffing: Schedule a team meeting early in November to review holiday season operations, including expected rush times, schedules variations, expectations, customer service guidelines, and promotional details.
Stock Up on Supplies: Make sure you have all necessary supplies, ingredients, and packaging materials for your takeaway and delivery specials well in advance of the holiday rush. 6. Encourage Early Reservations
Holiday Reservation Reminders: Similar to pre-ordering, early reservations help restaurants to be prepared for the season. Gently nudge customers to book early for Thanksgiving or December celebrations, ensuring they secure a spot.
7. Showcase Ambiance
Share Your Holiday Decor: As you begin to decorate your space, post photos and updates on how you’re bringing the season into your restaurant with soft lighting, seasonal decor, and holiday-inspired table scapes.
8. Host a VIP Night
Host an exclusive, early access event for loyal customers to preview holiday menu items and enjoy chef-inspired dishes.
9. Host Events and Workshops
Recipe Demo: Host a November cooking class or tasting event where customers can learn about holiday recipes and special cooking techniques.
DIY Night: Partner with a local artisan for a hands-on DIY event, such as an ornament or wreath-making workshop complete with wine pairings and holiday bites.
Photo Booth: Create a cozy photo op corner, a dedicated area complete with props, Santa hats, or Rudolph red noses. Create a hashtag and encourage customers to share their photos on their social media pages.
“Friendsgiving” Event: Offer specials on group reservations for customers hosting a Friendsgiving meal at the restaurant. Promote group-friendly takeout and delivery options, perfect for Friendsgiving celebrations at home.
Promotions and Advertising
Once you’ve planned your holiday strategy, it’s time to let your customers know. This is where early promotions and advertising comes into play.
Teaser Campaigns
Begin sharing teasers in early November on social media, your website, and through newsletter and email marketing. Let your customers know something special is coming and hint about deals they can expect.
Unveil a November Loyalty Program
Kick off a holiday loyalty program, rewarding customers who dine with you throughout November with special holiday incentives.
Countdown to Black Friday
Launch a “Countdown to Black Friday” campaign to build anticipation with daily posts or updates, giving customers a reason to follow along.
Develop a Social Media Content Calendar
Map out a content calendar for November to promote holiday deals, giveaways, and sneak peeks. Be consistent by scheduling posts in advance while remaining flexible to adapt to customer responses.
Collaborate with Influencers
Work with local influencers to promote your holiday specials through the seasons to expand your customer base.
Cross-Promotions and Partnerships
Cross-promoting with neighboring local businesses during the holidays is a fantastic way for restaurants to attract new customers, increase sales, and foster community.
Bundles: Create Bundles Collaborate with local wine shops, movie theaters, or salons to create: holiday bundle deals that combine both of your offerings in ways that make sense, such as:
Date Night Bundle: Dinner and a movie go hand-in-hand and when you put them together as a bundle, it’s a date!
Day Spa Treatment: Combine a salon or spa treatment from a local small business with lunch at your restaurant for the perfect “ladies-who-lunch” package deal.
Perfect Pairing: If you run a BYOB restaurant, teaming up with a local wine shop or liquor store is an obvious and perfect pairing.
Gift Card Bonuses: Offer customers a bonus if they purchase gift cards at both locations. Give customers an extra $10 gift card, for example, when they buy a gift card over $50 at each business.
Holiday Pop-ups : Set up a mini pop-up in the other business, offering giveaways and taste testing of your holiday menu along with flyers and coupons. In turn, invite the store to set up a small pop-up in your restaurant.
Collaborative Campaigns: Team up on a “12 Days of Christmas” or “Countdown to New Year” campaign, where each day features a special offer or a giveaway from each business. Cross-post on each other’s social media channels to maximize reach.
Mutual Loyalty: Launch a holiday-themed loyalty program that rewards customers for visiting both businesses. Print up inexpensive “holiday passes” that customers can present throughout November and December to receive 10% off at each location. Every time a customer presents the card and makes the required purchase, they receive a punch on the card which can be redeemed for discounts or free items.
Take Away
As the mercury starts to fall, holiday excitement begins to rise. There’s a lot of planning that goes into developing a strong, successful marketing strategy . By tackling these steps early in November, you can set yourself up for a smooth and profitable holiday season.
By Eileen Strauss
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