It’s that time again. The busiest day of the year for restaurants – Mother’s Day. Approximately 87 million people will be planning on celebrating mom by treating her to a nice meal at a restaurant, according to a National Restaurant Association survey.
Is your restaurant ready to handle the rush? Here are 6 tips to help your establishment run as smoothly as possible on Mother’s Day.
1. Offer A Prix Fixe Menu
By planning a set menu with fixed prices, your restaurant can stock up on specific ingredients and chefs can execute dishes more efficiently. Chefs will have fewer meals to prepare and can prep the ingredients needed to create those meals ahead of time.
Additionally, these set menus can be presented as a special offer for Mother’s Day by offering family deals and discounts. Prix fixe menus not only simplify your kitchen’s services but also provide simple options for your customers to choose from. Most diners on Mother’s Day typically consist of large parties and a set menu simplifies their meal choices and makes it easier for them when it comes time to pay.
2. Fully Staff The Front And Back Of The House
Keep your restaurant running smoothly by assuring all hands are on deck. Make sure to fully staff the front of your restaurant (hosts, servers, bussers, etc.) as they will be the first point of contact for your customers. Just as important, keep the back of the house fully staffed (line cooks, sous chefs, dishwashers, etc.) to efficiently prep and cook meals to speed up ticket times in the kitchen.
By ensuring you are well staffed, you will help maintain a speedy service. If guests are greeted immediately, seated quickly, and served speedily, this will create a natural flow of service that won’t make them feel rushed once the check arrives. Also, having additional staff on call makes it possible to avoid last-minute mishaps. Properly staffing your establishment streamlines every process and creates a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
3. Choose Disposable Tableware
On this busy day, it can be difficult to keep up with the influx of customers and the mess they leave behind. Disposable tableware eliminates the issue of being short on clean tableware and allows you to quickly clean up and reset each table.
However, disposable tableware does not mean you have to sacrifice on the look of your food presentations. Restaurantware offers upscale disposable restaurant supplies that seamlessly match your decor and add eco-friendly flair to your foodservice establishment. By switching to disposable plates, silverware, napkins, and placemats, you will maximize your table turnover time and expedite your end-of-the-day cleanup.
4. Take and Confirm Reservations
Mother’s Day is the perfect time to accept reservations. It allows you to get an idea of the number of customers you’ll be serving, how much staff you’ll need, and the amount of food you’ll need to prepare. Create specific seatings for guests to choose from so that you can control the number of guests you are tending to at a given time and ensure you can maximize table turnover. This will help you prepare for large and small parties and promotes a steady flow of customers instead of having an abundance of guests all at once.
Consider confirming your reservations twice: a week in advance and again three days in advance. Taking the extra step to follow up with your guests will guarantee that you aren’t holding tables for guests that won’t be showing up – and gives you the opportunity to book those tables with other guests! Stay organized and ensure you haven’t double-booked a reserved time and haven’t left out any reservations.
5. Maximize Your Dining Room
Utilize excess space in your restaurant’s dining room or outdoor patio by setting up extra tables and chairs for Mother’s Day. Configure these areas to accommodate large parties and comfortably seat more guests.
Creating additional tables allows you to serve more guests, expedites your table turnover rates, and increases your daily profit. Be careful not to put too many tables too close together. This will create an unpleasant experience for your customers and servers and negatively impacts your overall success.
6. Make Mom Feel Special
Don’t forget to recognize the reason everyone is celebrating – Mom. Offer a complimentary drink or create specials for moms to show you appreciate them. This will also separate you from your competition and entice customers to return to your restaurant in the future. Drinks served in champagne flutes, such as mimosas or bellinis, are popular picks for Mother’s Day.
Try serving your complimentary cocktails in disposable drinkware to reduce the risk of broken glasses and ensure you won’t run out of glassware. You can also dress up your restaurant with decorations and fresh flowers to make it a more enjoyable and memorable experience for your guests.
Implementing these 6 easy tips on the busiest day of the year for restaurants will optimize your operations and guarantee your customers happily celebrate Mother’s Day.
Which tip did you find the most helpful? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Shop for the eco-friendly disposables you need to simplify your restaurant’s Mother’s Day service at Restaurantware.
