It’s very cold outside, and while the temperature falls our mood goes down too. Shorter days and longer nights between the holidays and spring seem like an eternity. Usually, during winter, people do not have much energy and motivation, and lot of these gloomy days they spend at home, in their favorite four walls, waiting for sun and blue sky.
Most of caterers know that in this period they can not expect average daily turnovers, and they would love to see at least a few dollars more at the end of night shift. To generate more traffic during the winter period, my suggestion for caterers would be to wake up from winter dream or better say nightmare, and go to action.
You as a caterer neet to be prepared for periods when business declining, and to prepare for your guests something that will surprise them and bring them to your restaurant or bar.
Bring out your potential guests from warm homes and provide perfect winter experience at your place.
You can do a lot of things to get your guests out of a warm homes. You can offer winter specialties, winter atmosphere and decorations, watching of Olympics games in Sochi and even Winter party. Strategically planned winter party in restaurants can be a real hit. You may think now that winter party is not the best solution for you, and how such things can be organized only in restaurants and bars that are placed in mountains with lots of snow, but I’ll tell you right now that you’re wrong. With a few useful tips and ideas everyone can change restaurant or bar into a true winter paradise with lots of guests, who are hungry for some fun during the cold winter days.
Break the winter’s monotony in your restaurant or bar, follow the tips that I wrote for you , and think twice about what would be best for your guests. There are a lot of winter party ideas for restaurants and bars, and I will write about those that seams the most interesting to me.
Apres Ski Party
“Apres ski party” coming from France and means gathering and partying after skiing. It is a very popular way of promotion for restaurants and bars during the winter time around the globe.
Think about this : How many of your guests can not afford expensive winter holiday in some of the hotels in beautiful mountains ? It is the best place for après ski party!
Apres Ski parties are usually organized in restaurants and bars located on the mountain tops with a lot of snow and ski trails with a lot of tourists. People – tourists tend to immediately after skiing, sledding, skating in ski suits are going to après ski entertainment. At these parties people drink a lot of alcohol and dancing on popular hits.
For skiing your guests might have to go somewhere else, but the party may have under their noses and with you in your restaurant or bar!
Arm yourself with lot of liquor, good music and interesting winter decorations, and your guests will really enjoy the feeling of being at a famous ski resort.
Decoration of restaurant or bar for excellent après ski party should be inspired with winter. Ice crystals from the spray will freeze the area, artificial snowflakes and icicles circle will make winter atmosphere .
Delicious punch and mulled wine must be included in this party offer.
To make a really unforgettable experience, in addition to special drinks, offer to your guests delicious food.
No one can resist to warm stews and creamy soups during cold days. Be sure that these meals would be part of your après ski offers.
If your catering facility has a garden and terrace where it is possible to have a fire and grill , then be sure to use it for your restaurant winter promotions. Passers will certainly not be indifferent to the smell of grilled sausages, and the smell of mulled wine will make them to taste it. I am sure that this will persuade them to decide to stay at your restaurant winter party!
Promotion of popular or new drinks at these parties is usually very successful. Make a deal with your drink supplier and get special discounts for winter parties. Consider that the most popular drinks should be at good prices for your guests too, that will secure the best profit during Apres Ski Party in your establishment. Hostesses will make promotion of drinks even more interesting and will attract more guests in your bar.
Use Olympics as a Special Event
Today are starting XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi . Have you ever think that Olympics can provide you inspiration for a unique winter experience in your restaurant or bar?
Since this time the Olympics are in Russia, you can inspire your barmen and chef to make a typical Russian food and drinks to your guests. Well-known traditional Russian dishes like Russian borsch or famous schi , can be easily prepared and your guests will be delighted with the new food and fresh ideas. Promote vodka, and various cocktails with vodka as a typical Russian alcoholic drink, and give special rates on this articles during Olympics. On the restaurant board in front of your object it is necessarily to emphasize the offer that is valid during the Olympic Games.
Inspiration does not have to come only from Russia, be inspired with your favorite sports discipline. You can make such a offer as long as the Olympic lasts ! Each day you can offer a dish typical for some of the participating countries. Choose those meals that you think your guests will really like.
Decoration should not be exaggerated. Since the Olympic Games last about two weeks, it could become annoying all the time to look overly decorated place. Do not forget that there are those who do not like winter sports activities, and thus neither Olympics. Toothpicks with flags or various sports motifs will leave a nice impression.
Ask your chef about the possibly to make the symbol of the five rings as a decoration for plate .
You can give specific names for dishes and drinks from your special offers during the Olympic Games. Sports disciplines and famous names of participants can be used for inspiration.
Summer Adventure in the Middle of Winter
Summer party in your restaurant or bar in the middle of winter can be a real hit. It is needless to talk about how much people love the summer and everything else that goes along with it. Firstly me, I can not wait for the summer and would love to go to some summer party in my vicinity.
Several artificial palm trees, the kid’s basin filled with fine sand and beautiful shells, beach umbrella, beach ball , there is a lot of things which could make summer atmosphere. It is important to make decoration with style that will fully corresponds to restaurant or bar type .
Decoration can be found in stores for theme parties decorations, through eBay or similar websites. You can be also creative and make a proper decoration by your own.
Depending on the type of the catering facility, you can choose between a true summer party, such as Italian or romantic Caribbean nights.
Pay special attention on musics choice. Summer music must call to dance. It would be best that music plays a DJ who knows what were last year’s summer music hits and what goes well at parties like this. Put on your offer colorful delicious cocktails such as Pina Colada, Caipirinha and Sex on the Beach which are associated with summer, and offer them on favorable prices. Your staff should be dressed in colorful T-shirts. It would be great if you can invite some handsome cocktail mixing master, who will prepare delicious summer drinks to your guests.
You will need some snacks too. Expect that people will drink a lot of alcoholic drinks. Make sure that alcohol does not harm anyone !
Invite your guests to wear light summer clothes and encourage your staff to wear the same . Be sure that inside is warm enough, that nobody in light clothes could not get cold.
Italian dinner party. When I think about Italy, I think of a nice sunny day , so I aligned the Italian dining in summer atmosphere. Italian dining in your restaurant or bar in the dark winter nights will especially delight population of middle and older age but also couples of any age who search for romantic atmosphere. Italian specialties with delicious Italian wines will be best offer to provide the warmth that we need during the cold days. Decoration and Italian music should provide romantic dining. A small basket with a bottle of wine and a few coffee beans on the table will boasts table linen are a great decoration for an Italian dinner. Bring to your guests extra experience of the Italian evening and organize wine tasting . ” Evening of Wine and Italy ” under one roof will bring the magic during winter nights.
Caribbean night is also very attractive way of restaurant winter promotion. For welcome put around your guest’s neck flower chain, they will got the feeling that they have just arrived to one of the Caribbean islands. Decorate place with exotic flowers, white sand , shells , palm trees and play reggae music and your place will become a little Trops paradise in the middle of winter.
Caribbean dishes are quite colorful and aromatic. Fish and other seafood, various fruits pineapple, bananas, oranges, lime , mangoes, papaya, avocado and coconut, and spices such as ginger, coriander, thyme, nutmeg and chili is the food that are most commonly used in the preparation of traditional Caribbean specialties.
Pina Colada, Cuba Libre or Mojito are cocktails that are most associated to this tropical paradise so be sure to include them in a special offer .
Restaurant Winter Specials
If it is not possible to organize some of these events, it does not matter. You can still do a lot to give boost to your restaurant winter promotion. There are some simple tips that will help to every restaurant or bar which want to make something special during the winter days. Highlight the image of your restaurant during winter and impress every guest individually with your restaurant winter specials.
Tasty appetizer will warm up each guest. Include appetizer in your daily offer, and it is the best to choose hot soup for it. Creamy vegetable soup will warm up each guest. Soups are easy to combine with the main dishes and very simple to prepare, and fall into those meals that bring good earnings. Use the hot appetizers during cold days and offer it at special price.
Restaurant winter special menu. You have probably already know what are the favorite winter menu items choice of your guests. Determinate them, add to them some more like winter vegetables as a side dish, or desserts and make your restaurant winter special menu. Right choice of food & drink on your winter menu will transform it in your “silent salesman”.
Make your restaurant a real warm place. Some additions that will make your guests to feel comfortable are: crackling fire, subdued lighting and candles and restaurant decorations with barks of wood. Appropriate decoration can make special touch in your restaurant atmosphere during cold days.
Colors. If you want to provide a ” glacial ambience ” in your object then use these two colors in the restaurant or bar decorations. White color mimic snow. Combined with the ice blue color make that your object looks frozen. It is also good choice of colors for restaurant winter special menu design.
Make a special discounts. Discounts on certain foods or drinks can always attract more guests. 10 % -20 % discount will be quite enough..
Mulled wine. Have I mentioned that I love this drink ? Oh yes, I did! One free glass of hot mulled wine will attract every guest. Find your favorite recipe and ingredients, and sell this aromatic drink at promotional prices during the cold days .
Be sure to have delivery service. Short days, long working hours – Who want to cook? Many of your guests would love to visit your restaurant and eat some of the dishes prepared by your chef, but cold weather winning and they rather stay in the comfort of their homes. Provide them possibility to make a phone or online order and got food at home. Believe me, during winter delivery service become a major source of revenue for lot of restaurants.
Restaurant Marketing During Winter
Pay extra attention on restaurant promotions during winter days. Do not forget to inform your customers about your restaurant winter special and advertise it using all possible marketing methods.
- Ensure that the leaflets that explain your restaurant special offer or make a announce about some of the winter events that they arrives in the hands of your potential customers. Leaflets distribution during very cold days is not pleasant at all, and believe me you will not even share a lot of them, because there are not lot of people who walking around on stormy weather. Leave your flyers in the mailboxes, door hooks, or under the cars wipers.
- Emails and newsletters must be necessarily involved in the marketing of your restaurant, and you must use them to improve business during the winter days. The email subject necessarily emphasize what kind of information you send to your potential guests. Be sure that email subject is attempting. Use catchy font letters, numbers ( best prices ), pictures, short videos, content that make “call to action” and link to your restaurant web page or online coupon, that brings 10% off on food that your guests desired.
- Do not forget that about 80 % of people between 25 and 45 years check the restaurant website before visit. Use your web page wisely. From online reservations and orders to promotion of the current offer and new menus.
- Put your restaurant board outside, in the front of your restaurant. It should be attractive and readable, written with nice and good handwriting font. Regarding the fact that in this period may snow, make sure that the advertising panel at front door has not covered with it .
- Social networks. There are many of those who spend time on the Internet during the cold days, and therefore they are more active on social media networks. Take advantage of social media networks and restaurant promotions through this media. Notify all your online friends about your news, planned Apres Ski Party and encourage and persuade them to come and try the best mulled wine in your city. Also you can use restaurant portals like UrbanSpoon or OpenTable for your restaurant promotion.
Winter is a time when catering business sleeps if your restaurant or bar is not located at one of famous ski centres, but even if that not the case, every caterer is able to jerk and do the best to improve restaurant offer, pleased your guests and make better revenue.
