How to Increase Restaurant Sales this Holiday Season

The holiday season offers a unique opportunity for restaurants to significantly boost sales while enhancing the overall guest experience. However, the busy period can also bring additional stress for restaurant owners and staff, making it essential to implement effective strategies to capture as much holiday business as possible. From streamlining operations to offering convenient delivery, here are five proven tactics on how to increase restaurant sales during the holidays while keeping stress levels manageable.

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5 Proven Ways to Grow Your Restaurant Business During the Holidays

1. Offer Convenient Takeout and Delivery Options

The demand for takeout and delivery surges during the holiday season, as many customers prefer to dine from the comfort of their own homes. Ensuring a seamless takeout and delivery process can help you grow your restaurant business and capture more revenue.

‍Delivery Partnerships and Logistics: Collaborating with reliable third-party delivery services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub can help expand your reach while simplifying operations. However, their fees—often 20-30% of the order value—can impact profit margins, so it's vital to manage these partnerships carefully to avoid customer price sensitivity. Alternatively, running in-house delivery offers more control over the customer experience but can complicate hiring and scheduling, especially during peak times.

With Tarro Delivery, you get the best of both worlds: no need to manage in-house drivers, plus savings for both you and your customers. Tarro’s service provides on-demand drivers for longer distances, faster delivery, and reduced commission costs. Customers enjoy lower delivery fees—averaging $10 less than other apps—while you benefit from a fully integrated experience with our phone ordering system, making delivery easy and worry-free.

Streamlining Takeout Operations: A successful takeout process is crucial for capturing and retaining holiday customers who value the convenience of ordering out. By assigning dedicated staff to handle phone orders during peak hours, you can significantly reduce wait times and minimize missed calls, both essential for maximizing revenue. With front desk personnel focused solely on phone orders, call management becomes smoother, ensuring every order is received and processed accurately. Staff training in order accuracy, phone etiquette, and customer service prepares them to handle holiday demand efficiently, reducing mistakes and fostering positive customer experiences.

Tarro’s AI-powered Phone Ordering guarantees that no customer calls are missed during busy times, capturing every opportunity even when your restaurant is at its busiest. With an industry-leading 99.5% accuracy rate, this system can help increase revenue by 5-20% while cutting costs by 5-10%. Operating 365 days a year without sick days, vacations, or holiday hiring headaches, it offers an affordable, pay-as-you-go service with no setup costs—providing you with seamless support that won’t strain your budget.

Like Mr. Jiang & Mr. Wang, Owners of China King shared, “Since we started using Tarro, our monthly revenue has doubled.”

‍Contactless Pickup: Offering contactless options like curbside pickup continues to appeal to health-conscious diners. A streamlined contactless process not only enhances safety but also increases convenience, making customers more likely to order from you again. Clearly communicate your holiday delivery deadlines and time slots to help customers plan accordingly without surprises.

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2. Streamline Restaurant Operations for Efficiency

The holiday rush can be exhilarating but also presents operational challenges that could hurt the customer experience. A smooth, efficient operation allows you to increase restaurant sales while minimizing stress for both staff and customers.

• ‍Front-of-House (FOH) and Back-of-House (BOH) Collaboration: Effective collaboration between FOH and BOH teams is crucial for smooth holiday operations. Streamlined, real-time communication enables FOH to convey special requests to the kitchen, reducing errors and delays. Automated receipt printing at BOH stations ensures orders are clearly communicated and prepared efficiently, cutting down on unnecessary interruptions. Regular alignment meetings before peak periods can clarify roles, address potential bottlenecks, and foster teamwork.‍
• Staff Scheduling and Training: Ensuring you have the right number of staff scheduled during peak hours is key to exceptional holiday service. Plan your holiday staffing needs early and consider offering bonuses for employees taking on extra shifts. Cross-training staff can also prepare them to handle multiple roles as needed.‍
• Inventory Management: The last thing you want during the holiday rush is to run out of key ingredients. Use historical data to forecast demand and adjust inventory accordingly. Order larger quantities of holiday-specific ingredients in advance and keep backup suppliers in place to avoid stock shortages.

3. Enhance Your Marketing Efforts

Marketing is crucial during the holiday season when competition is fierce, and potential diners are bombarded with options. Here are ways to increase restaurant sales and keep your establishment top of mind for holiday shoppers, families, and businesses.

• SMS Marketing: Leverage the immediacy and personal touch of text messaging to boost holiday sales. Send exclusive promotions or limited-time offers to create a sense of urgency. Personalizing messages based on customer preferences enhances engagement and encourages purchases. Use SMS for reminders about special events, order confirmations, and loyalty rewards. 

Sign up for Tarro today, and enjoy a year of our marketing services at no cost! Our platform enables you to create personalized, highly targeted campaigns to promote your holiday specials, attracting more returning customers and increasing order volume. As part of this holiday offer, you'll receive a full year of free SMS messaging—an $8,500 value!

• Social Media Campaigns: Utilize platforms like Instagram and Facebook to share holiday offers and showcase festive decor. High-quality visuals and engaging content can communicate your restaurant's holiday vibe. Live videos showing behind-the-scenes preparations help humanize your brand and create a deeper connection with your audience.
• Email Marketing: Reach existing customers with exclusive holiday offers through email campaigns. Segment your email list based on past dining habits to send personalized promotions. Adding urgency with countdown timers or limited availability reminders can spur action.
• Local SEO Optimization: Ensure your restaurant appears at the top of local search results by optimizing your Google My Business profile and website with holiday-related keywords. Respond to customer reviews, post holiday hours, and update menus to reflect seasonal offerings.

4. Create Special Holiday Menus and Promotions

Offering exclusive, festive-themed menus is one of the simplest and most effective ways to attract diners during the holidays. Incorporate limited-time offers around holiday traditions to create excitement.

• Festive Offerings: Design holiday-specific dishes or seasonal twists on popular items to align with customer expectations. Highlight seasonal produce like cranberries or squash to enhance your menu.
• Bundled Deals: Promote holiday meal packages or family-style platters that cater to group diners or families wanting a festive experience without the hassle of cooking at home. Bundling increases average check sizes while simplifying the order process.
• Holiday-Themed Promotions: Time-limited promotions tied to specific holidays can entice customers to dine out. Offer early-bird discounts for reservations or create exclusive deals for New Year’s Eve diners. Consider gift cards with bonuses for holiday purchases to generate upfront sales.

5. Host Holiday Events and Private Gatherings

Another powerful strategy to increase restaurant sales during the holidays  is hosting festive events and offering private dining options. Many people are eager to celebrate the holidays, and your restaurant can be the perfect venue for these gatherings.

• Holiday-Themed Events: Organize themed events, such as ugly sweater parties or holiday brunches, to create a festive atmosphere. Promote these events through your social media channels and offer exclusive deals to generate buzz.
• Private Dining Packages: Create customizable packages for corporate parties or special events. Offering tailored menus and dedicated service teams adds an element of exclusivity, positioning your restaurant as a go-to venue for private events.
• Collaborate with Local Businesses: Partner with nearby businesses to co-host events or offer joint holiday promotions. Collaborating on holiday-themed dinner and dessert packages can enhance your offering.

These events provide upselling opportunities, as guests may be more willing to spend on additional drinks, desserts, or premium menu items.

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Leverage Tarro’s Services to Grow Your Restaurant Business  & Maximize Holiday Sales

To truly make the most of the holiday season, partner with Tarro, a comprehensive restaurant technology platform designed to streamline operations and increase restaurant sales.

• Tarro Phone Ordering: Our AI-powered phone ordering system ensures that no customer calls are missed during peak hours, capturing every opportunity when your restaurant is busiest. With an industry-leading 99.5% accuracy rate, this system can increase revenue by 5-20% while reducing costs by 5-10%. It operates 365 days a year without sick days, vacations, or holiday hiring headaches, offering an affordable, pay-as-you-go service with no setup costs—providing seamless support that won’t strain your budget.
• Tarro Delivery Services: Let us handle the logistics of delivery, ensuring a seamless experience without the hassle of managing an in-house team. Customers enjoy lower delivery fees—averaging $10 less than other apps—while you benefit from reduced commission costs. With on-demand drivers, we cover longer distances and provide faster, more reliable service, fully integrated with our phone ordering system for easy delivery.
• Tarro Marketing: Our marketing services let you create personalized, highly targeted campaigns to promote holiday specials—bringing in more return customers and increasing order volume. As a holiday special, enjoy a full year of free SMS messaging (an $8,500 value) to ensure your message reaches the right audience at the right time!

Make this holiday season your most successful one yet and grow your restaurant business effectively by booking a consultation with Tarro today. Together, we can ensure your restaurant is prepared for a busy, profitable, and stress-free holiday season.

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