Preparing your venue for Mother's Day
The day that is recognised around the world in honour of mothers, motherhood, and the influence that mothers have in our society is just around the corner so now is the time to start preparing your venue for Mother’s Day.
Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, and this year it falls on the 13th of May, and even though the day has been criticised for the over commercialisation from it’s original concept it is still set to generate upwards of $2 billion in trade in Australia alone.
And with the average spend of $55 a head to be spent on dining out on the day, it makes Mother’s Day the second biggest day of the year for the restaurant industry.
So whether you are a retail outlet or a restaurant venue wanting to bank in on Mothers Day trade we have put together some ideas your business can implement in preparation.
Work out your Plan for Mothers Day
Cafe, Restaurant or Bar
Implement a Mother’s Day Menu
For restaurants and Cafes a great way to get people through the door is to create a special Mother’s Day menu and provide the right setting. Whether you look at making particular Mother’s Day specials that you only offer on the day or put together a set menu for a brunch or lunch that requires bookings.
Offer Specials
Some special ideas you could look to promote could range from a simple buy two coffees and get a free cake or sweet, free small coffee with each special meal purchased, Mother’s Day inspired meals like pancake stacks or adjusted menu pricing. Offer a freebie as a gift to the women in your venue that day, free small coffee, free flowers, or even a small free chocolate are all ways to offer a special experience. The sky is the limit with ways you could offer something that aims at the Mother’s Day market.
Set Menu Experiences
Some places prefer to create a set menu for guests on the day with particular seating times. This is another way to create a more special experience for guests aiming to treat their Mum’s.
If offered as a booking only option it also ensures you can order stock and staff appropriately because you will know exactly how many are coming and what to expect.
Provide ambience
You want to provide a special experience to your guests and give them incentive to choose you over any of your competition. So a great place to start is working on your venues ambience.
Decoration
Your budget may be minimal for this which is completely understandable, but splashing out on some lovely flower bunches that can be separated and used to create centre pieces on your tables is a good starting point. Adding a pop of colour can make all the difference and create that memorable experience you are aiming for.
Live Music
Having an afternoon of low key, chill out live music is another way you could look to drive more traffic to your venue on the special day. Well chosen music will assure a really good atmosphere and drive traffic to your restaurant which gives you the opportunity to gain new regular customers.
It’s all about tailoring your offerings to entice either loyal or new customers to spend that special day within your business. And if the event proves successful you could even look to establish it as an annual event that people can look forward to every year.
But if you are expecting a large influx of patrons, make sure you staff accordingly so that those guests have the best experience possible on their special day.
Retail stores
Organise your giftware offerings
A lot of large retail stores may of long ago placed special Mother’s Day gifts orders, but if you aren’t one of those, now is the time to find some nice gifts and trinkets you can have within your store. This is where you could look to team up with local providers like florists, jewellers or craft savvy businesses to offer a truly unique experience for shoppers with local flare.
Giftcards
Gift cards are also be another clever way to boost your success at this time a year. Some people may find it hard to shop and choose for Mum, so creating a special Mother’s Day themed gift card could just be the answer.
Market your promotions
Promote in store
Once you have your ideas in place, you need to promote it. A simple way to start is to promote within your venue.
If you have a special Mother’s Day menu print out a flyer about it and place it right at your till so everyday customers can see what you are doing for the day when they go to pay for their morning coffee.
If you have special giftware and specialty items then create a designated space to display them that is in a high traffic area of your store. This will ensure you get your customers attention and will remind them of the upcoming event and that they need to get organised.
Email Marketing to exisiting customers
With your plan in place, store promotions up, now is the time to market your offerings further to your established customer base and beyond. A great way to do this is to use your customer list within POS and push out tailored emails about Mother’s Day. Promote your offerings and just give your customers a general reminder that the holiday is fast approaching and it’s time to start thinking about what you will do for it.
Showcase on Social Media
Alongside email marketing it is a great idea to push the events and offerings out on your businesses social media channels. This way you will not only promote to your loyal customers but have the chance to reach a wider audience. This is great if you are putting on a special Mother’s Day menu/lunch that you have designated numbers you need filled or if your store is offering something that is a unique and special gift idea. Make all the details readily available so the choice for those looking for ideas of how to celebrate the day can easily see your offerings and make a simple choice. You could even look to promote further by using ads.
Making things just right for Mum’s on their special day within your cafe, restaurant or retail store is sure way to guarantee success over the Mother’s Day holiday. And with reporting from your POS on what sold, busy trading hours and the stock levels is another great way to continue this success year in and year out when planning for future holidays like this one.