Christmas is a fantastic time for restaurants. Friends are getting together to catch up and exchange gifts and offices are having their Christmas dinners and Parties. Whilst it may be a great time to be in the restaurant biz, it doesn’t mean that you can rest on your laurels and wait for the customers to come in an eat with you.

So, how can you make sure that more and more people head through your door and sample your delicious meals?

We have put together our top tips for boosting table bookings during the festive months. Perfect to make sure that you are the chosen restaurant for any festive meals!

Bring in the Christmas shoppers

Going Christmas shopping will make you feel a little tired, not to mention hungry. So, if you are a town centre restaurant you may find that appealing to those shoppers is a great money making idea. One great idea is to devise a Christmas shopping deal, aimed at those who will come in between 2 and 5pm.

Make your food beautiful

One of the simplest ways to attract people to your restaurant is to present your delicious food. Make sure your take some mouth-watering pictures and share them on social media. In no time at all, the sheer look of your dishes will have people wanting to book in and try you out!

Promote yourself to businesses

A big part of festive business is work parties. So, if you have a few companies around you, make sure that you send out leaflets to them all. You can offer a corporate package, or perhaps a full venue booking facility. Ideal for those who want to make sure that their staff have the very best Christmas party!

Get in touch with previous customers

Christmas is the ideal time to reach out to some of your previous guests. Take a look through people who have booked with you during the past year and send them a specially designed Christmas card. Not only does it show that your customers that you are thinking of them, but you can also include a special discount or deal that they simply won’t be able to resist.

Battle the January blues

January is possibly one of the greyest months of the year. So why not target those customers that are feeling a little down in the dumps? Send out a special blues busting deal for January and see if that can improve the amount of bookings that you see for the first few weeks of the year.

Be the best out there

Offer something different to other restaurants, whether that is live music, a glass of prosecco on arrival or a different take on Christmas dinner. You are sure to appeal to more people if you stand out from the crowd.

You should also make sure that you offer a great service when they actually come to you. Not only will this make them feel special, but also mean they are more likely to book with you again!

We hope that you take some of these tips on board, and whether you manage to fit them in this year, or perhaps plan them in for next. That you see your reservations go up and up!