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5 tips to punch up December profits

End-of-year holidays can actually be a drag on some restaurant brands that suffer sales at the expense of overly busy and under-funded regular customers. Try these five December ideas to boost sales at your QSR.

December 3, 2018 by Ray Reddy — CEO and Co-Founder, Ritual

The holidays are not "the most wonderful time of the year" for everyone. In fact, 40 percent of Americans become anxious around the end-of-year holidays and that certainly holds true for QSR owners and operators. After all, though typically U.S. consumers dole out hundreds each December on gifts, many rein in their restaurant spending, with one 2014 Thanx Inc study indicating restaurant revenues actually fell between 22 and 45 percent over the holidays. 

Here are some suggestions on ways your brand can boost sales and traffic in the busy days ahead. 

Give the gift of food

You've heard of info-snacking? You know, giving consumers bite-sized bits of easily digested content via different online platforms. You can take the same idea and apply it to your restaurant by considering which existing or slightly tweaked menu items can you use to create easy, grab-and-go gifts for customers. After all, the gift of food is a safe bet for restaurant visitors who might not know their coworker's tastes, but do know they must have a last-minute gift for these working companions. 

The key is to keep it simple without making your customer do any additional work. For example, you can create a stash of mugs with gift cards that are already pre-wrapped in a prominent display area of your restaurant. Or you can create holiday gift boxes with an assortment of your best-selling cookies and place them near the register. Make your restaurant the go-to spot for customers to plug the holes in their gift lists. 

Offer in-store events

Whether it's an ongoing holiday event, like Mint Mocha Mondays, or an array of weekly holiday-themed menu items, take the time and effort to differentiate your cold weather offerings to lure diners in to your store. 

Think about promotions like "cookie happy hour" or a two-for-one afternoon tea. These types of mini special occasions inject a little holiday spirit into your customers' lives, while giving the lunch (or after-lunch) crowd a reason to return and maybe bring some friends along. 

Have fun with it, too. Give events seasonal names and use these in-store interactions to build relationships with local businesses and customers. 

 
Partner on a corporate program

What's the best way to develop recurring business during the holidays? Partner with third-party services that are already running corporate lunch and employee perk programs with offices near your restaurant. You don't even have to do the heavy-lifting, but will still benefit from a reliable revenue stream. With corporate programs offered through third-party services, employees get a set amount of money they can spend at any of the local merchants. 

To succeed in attracting the local workforce make sure your menu has something for everyone and reflects food sensitivities. Healthful menu items and a variety of vegetarian options are both as important as convenience in corporate lunch program success. This demographic is looking for a balance of healthy, diversified options and an in-store experience that caters to the skip-the-line, grab n' go mentality. 

 
Initiate a '12 Days of Christmas' with seasonal promotions

Not only are the holidays a time of increased stress, but many of your customers who work in local businesses have increased workloads as they try to wrap up their work before holiday time off. By offering small tokens of appreciation or other promotion, your brand engages with its customers when they need it most. 

Show customers you care 

The holidays offer an excellent opportunity to reconnect with your customers and show them you care. Whether it's sending holiday-themed notes of thanks or giving out free in-store beverages, November and December are great months to show customer appreciation. 

By making your menu offerings "gift-able," creating in-store events, establishing corporate lunch programs, developing ongoing holiday promotions, and providing customer appreciation, restaurateurs will find more green in their stockings at the end of the year.  

Photo: iStock

About Ray Reddy

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Ray Reddy is a repeat entrepreneur and now the CEO & Co-Founder of Ritual- an order ahead app connecting local restaurants with customers and data analytics to help them compete in the digital restaurant age.On the platform, restaurants have seen 3-4x growth in repeat customer visits & size orders due to speed, convenience, social features and a clear pricing structure.

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