Give Thanks. It’s Time to Get Your Restaurant Ready for Thanksgiving

Not everybody enjoys cooking a massive meal for Thanksgiving. In fact, statistics have shown through the years that more and more people are dining out on turkey day. This year will be no different. Will you be able to capitalize on those that want a sit-down meal at your restaurant? Or maybe you might want to cater to those who are cooking, but need a little help. Here are some ways to prepare for Thanksgiving utilizing the help from your point-of-sale (POS) system.

Look to The Past

It’s time to pull data from Thanksgiving’s past to see how many servers, what type of sales volume, and menu items that sold and ones that didn’t. Find the trends and build a baseline so you can begin to forecast what you will do for this year. This data is key to guiding you toward cost-effective, strategic decisions.

Plan the Menu and Stock the Pantry

Will you plan a Thanksgiving menu for the month of November, or will you just plan a Turkey meal with stuffing on Thanksgiving day? Or maybe you’ll do both?! Once you’ve reviewed your data you know what menu items work best for your customers. Then check you POS to see what ingredients you already have in stock and what you need to order. Set alerts that let you know when stock is getting low, or automatically set your POS to re-order when items hit a certain threshold.

Let Your Customers Know

Don’t forget to email/SMS your loyal clientele to let them know you’re having Thanksgiving at their favorite restaurant. Perhaps, you could even give free dessert to your most faithful patrons. Use your POS to pull data with qualifiers like frequency of visits, and/or average bill size.

You can attract more orders by targeting the home cook too. Let your customers know that you are lending a hand by helping them cook their meal. Promote specific appetizers or sides. That’s one less dish they have to prepare, making their meal planning and preparation a little less stressful.

Train and Schedule Staff

Analyze your peak service times through your POS from last year. Will you need more staff this year? Devise a schedule that fits your restaurant’s needs. If you are changing the menu, running special promotions, or putting new processes in place, make sure all employees are adequately trained.

By implementing some of these tips with your POS system, you’ll set yourself apart from all the other restaurants this Thanksgiving. Plus, your guests will have a memorable experience that could start their holiday tradition with you every year.