The food service industry is always looking for ways to make the most of the Christmas season. Christmas 2017 will showcase a combination of both traditional and modern approaches when it comes to hospitality and improving industry offerings. Herein, we list out the innovations and functional improvements that will help the food service industry approach Christmas 2017 more proactively and productively.
Footfalls galore- Bringing customers to your doorstep
Christmas is all about spending quality time with family and friends. Visiting local restaurants is a popular option when it comes to how families like to socialize on Christmas Eve. From the point of view of hoteliers and restaurant owners, this is also one of the most challenging times of the year. These businessmen have to not only be concerned with providing the best food options, but also need to ensure that their marketing strategies are effectively attracting customers.
How to get customers through the door?
- Market well– Marketing strategy should have a clear message and an appealing offer for customers.
- Inspire with a unique menu– Turkey, though a traditional favorite, is no longer enough to attract customers. Restaurants should go back to the basics and offer something that speaks of their unique brand, thereby adding an element of exclusivity to the dining experience.
- Best pricing– Cost is critical. Well targeted pricing takes spend per head as well as varied age groups into account. Our survey showed that older diners spend 1/3 times more than their younger peers.
- Brand value– The reputation or brand value of a hotel or restaurant does play a very significant role in getting the customers through the door. Especially in the case of Christmas, families prefer spending time at places that boast of a good reputation. Therefore, improving ratings on various social media platforms like Tripadvisor, Google, and yelp are sure to benefit any food service entity in the long run.
Food service industry online- Reaching out to customers at their own homes
With the online food service industry flourishing at a rapid pace, Christmas is also a time when the volume of online food orders increase dramatically. Aside from properly marketing the brand across various popular social media channels, restaurants must ensure that the food is high quality and the pricing is competitive, to effectively compete against the horde of similar services available to your local customers online.
Unlike the dining experience in restaurants, the real challenge in the case of online food and beverage business lies in building brand value and a unique identity. From prompt delivery to good packaging– everything creates an impression about the brand in the minds of the impressionable customer base. Therefore, stakeholders in the food and beverage industry are investing lots of time and energy into building strong online brands, and hatching long ranging strategies to reach out to the target demographic.
Finally, what can really help a brand build a identity and operating space of its own is the quality of service it offers. In the UK alone, spending on festive feasts has increased by 10% year-on-year. Thus, the best way forward is building a clear strategy based on brand specialty and target consumer base, while not forgetting your food service’s inherent strengths that help it cope with the near constant competition.
