Restauranteurs love to plan ahead of time. With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to get your holiday marketing strategy in order. When you need some extra capital to support your holiday promotions, AFN can provide business loan options.

Create a Special Menu

While you may already create seasonal menus for your restaurant, consider also creating a menu specifically for the holidays. Promote your prix fixe menu now so that tickets are bought in advance and seats fill up well ahead of time. To make reservations easy on both the customer and your staff, have your website designer setup an online reservation system.

Promote Your Private Party Room

Families and businesses alike will be looking to book space for holiday parties. Make sure your social media followers and newsletter subscribers know that you have space available in your private party room. Give your best customers exclusive opportunities to book in advance. Send out your available dates and encourage your customers to hurry up and book before it’s too late.

Throw a Holiday Party Yourself

Invite old and new customers to head to your restaurant for a holiday party. You can keep ticket prices low and serve your best dishes and cocktails. People who visited your restaurant for the first time during your party are bound to return after the holidays, too. They may even be enticed to bring their friends and family back for dinner on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

Offer a Gift Card Freebie

Gift cards are the easiest gifts to give. Encourage customers to purchase gift cards to your restaurant by throwing in some type of freebie. For example, for every $100 gift cards they purchase, you’ll give them a $20 gift card for free.

Package a Gift Experience

Get together with other local businesses to create a unique gift package. Partner up with a local theater company to put together a dinner-and-a-show gift package, for example. Or, get in touch with your local party store to put together a themed party package, like a Christmas dinner catering and table setting package.

Remind People That You Offer Catering

Restaurants don’t do all of their business on-site. If you offer catering or food-to-go, this is perfect time of year to remind your customers of that. While they may be fine with making the main course, you can provide the dessert. Or you can handle the Thanksgiving turkey while they prep their favorite sides.

Don’t forget to collect e-mail addresses during the holiday season. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to connect with new customers between November and January. Make sure you have a way to reach them even after the holiday rush has died down.

Restauranteurs love to plan ahead of time. With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to get your holiday marketing strategy in order. When you need some extra capital to support your holiday promotions, AFN can provide business loan options.

Create a Special Menu

While you may already create seasonal menus for your restaurant, consider also creating a menu specifically for the holidays. Promote your prix fixe menu now so that tickets are bought in advance and seats fill up well ahead of time. To make reservations easy on both the customer and your staff, have your website designer setup an online reservation system.

Promote Your Private Party Room

Families and businesses alike will be looking to book space for holiday parties. Make sure your social media followers and newsletter subscribers know that you have space available in your private party room. Give your best customers exclusive opportunities to book in advance. Send out your available dates and encourage your customers to hurry up and book before it’s too late.

Throw a Holiday Party Yourself

Invite old and new customers to head to your restaurant for a holiday party. You can keep ticket prices low and serve your best dishes and cocktails. People who visited your restaurant for the first time during your party are bound to return after the holidays, too. They may even be enticed to bring their friends and family back for dinner on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

Offer a Gift Card Freebie

Gift cards are the easiest gifts to give. Encourage customers to purchase gift cards to your restaurant by throwing in some type of freebie. For example, for every $100 gift cards they purchase, you’ll give them a $20 gift card for free.

Package a Gift Experience

Get together with other local businesses to create a unique gift package. Partner up with a local theater company to put together a dinner-and-a-show gift package, for example. Or, get in touch with your local party store to put together a themed party package, like a Christmas dinner catering and table setting package.

Remind People That You Offer Catering

Restaurants don’t do all of their business on-site. If you offer catering or food-to-go, this is perfect time of year to remind your customers of that. While they may be fine with making the main course, you can provide the dessert. Or you can handle the Thanksgiving turkey while they prep their favorite sides.

Don’t forget to collect e-mail addresses during the holiday season. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to connect with new customers between November and January. Make sure you have a way to reach them even after the holiday rush has died down.