Christmas Checklist : Get your Venue Prepared

The supermarkets already have Christmas stock on their shelves, large retail chains have merchandise ready for sale, and in less than 30 days most shopping centres will have their festive displays up.

So it may feel like you’re super early if you are looking to prepare your venue for the Christmas rush, but being prepared means you will be ready and rearing to go when the silly season kicks into gear.  Listed below are a few things for hospitality venues to keep in mind as we head into the busiest time of the year.

Displays and Decorations

This is the time of year to really embrace the spirit of Christmas and you need to make sure your customers feel it too. So it is time to make sure that you have the supplies to make your venue full of Christmas Cheer.  It can be as simple as adding a few ornaments to a display or your till or it could be all out with Christmas Trees and tinsel.

So if you are looking to buy some Christmas decorations now is the time to make theses purchases, as the season ramps up it may become harder to get your items on time.

Organise your Festive Packages

Now is the time for you to get organised and plan out what you are going to do for the Christmas period, ask yourself what are you going to offer that is unique to other businesses around you. Whether it be offering a seasonal “Silly Season” menu, Christmas day lunch, extended trading hours or a series of special Christmas themed gigs, it is essential to get organised.

Another area to consider in hospitality is are you offering packages for businesses to host Christmas work parties? If so details of these need to be organised and planned out way ahead of time so you have cost per head and menus details ready in case you are contacted early.  Having these things well planned out in advance gives you time to get the details into your POS system as well as having plenty of time to market effectively.  These offerings will entice regular customers to come and join in the festivities as well as perhaps drawing in some new customers.

Have your bookings ready

With all these festive packages you are looking to offer it's advantageous to have your bookings system ready and prepared for the influx of holiday trade. Also over the Christmas period there are many celebrations that customers may be looking to have at restaurants, bars, cafes and these can involve large numbers with either family gatherings, or Christmas parties.  So make sure you are ready with your booking system so you can achieve maximum bookings with minimal fuss.