August 16
The holiday season is right around the corner. Very soon your restaurant will be full of people who are looking to have a festive time. The key to delivering them an amazing experience lies in your pre-holiday preparation. The simple tips outlined in this post can be used to help you set up your restaurant so it’s ready for the holiday crowds.
Entrance
The first thing your guests will see and stand in is your entrance. It’s super important that it be spacious and organized. The last thing you want is for your customers to be crowded in a small space or even worse, standing outside in the cold weather. The number one thing you can do to create a larger entrance is push back your hostess station. This will create more room and allow your customers to wait without being on top of one another.
Waiting Area
Equally as important as your entrance is your waiting area. It’s inevitable that some of your customers will have to wait to be seated during the busy holiday season. To ensure they remain relaxed and comfortable, you can take the following measures:
- Add additional seating.
- Upgrade your seating furniture.
- Add lights and decorations.
You can also add small tables for your guests to place their drinks on. This will make them feel like they are already starting their dining experience and put them in a cheerful and festive mood. They will be relaxed and wait patiently.
Bar
Your bar is a very important part of your holiday layout. For the holidays, you should use your bar as an extension of your waiting room and dining area. Guests can wait to be seated while enjoying drinks and appetizers at the bar or they can have their meal there if they are eating as a couple. This will take pressure and traffic away from your waiting area and will increase the amount of available seating in the dining area. Of course, it’s important that you have the staff and seating arrangements/furniture to accommodate the extra amount of people.
Dining Area
Your dining area is where your guests will be spending most of their time. It’s important that it be laid out strategically. Adding tables and chairs is perfectly okay as long as you keep the following in mind:
Table and chairs should not be crammed or pressed against each other. Your customers should feel like they have enough space to converse among themselves at their table. Your staff should have enough room to navigate through the dining area.
You can experiment with your setup to find one that works best. It’s important that you communicate with your staff and gain their valuable input as they are the ones that spend the most time with customers. Also, you can ask customers how their dining experience was. If they feel the dining area is too small, they’ll let you know.
Restrooms
Your restrooms should be clean, neat, and organized this holiday season. Make sure you have enough toilet paper, paper towels, and soap so that you never run out. Also, make sure that your bathrooms remain fully stocked at all times. This will ensure your bathrooms don’t become packed with customers who are waiting for you to bring them toiletries. If your bathroom lines become long, you can try moving furniture so the lines don’t reach out to other parts of your restaurant.
This holiday season is sure to be a success if you prepare for it. By using the tips in this post, you will be able to set your restaurant up perfectly.
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