It’s the most wonderful time of the year (If you do it right!)
We understand that the festive period can be stressful, but if you’re a restaurant, hotel, or bar owner, the run-up to the New Year can be a significant revenue stream if you get it right.
Luckily, Eclipse Furniture are here to spread some holiday joy with top tips on how to make this year’s festive dining a less stressful affair.
Logan Armchair, Omega Table Top, Moderno Table Base
Christmas is a time for spending
The UK is projected to spend a significant amount on going out over the festive period in 2024. With increased consumer confidence due to signs of the country’s economic recovery, combined with pent-up demand as a hangover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire for social activities and dining out during the holidays is likely to translate into higher spending.
The latest insights from Zonal reveal that Christmas bookings for 2024 are up by 54% compared to this time last year. Over half of the bookings (52%) that have already been made for this December are for Christmas Day itself, so how do you maximise your slice of the Christmas revenue cake without crumbling before New Year?
How to take the stress out of festive events
Preparation is key when it comes to the smooth running of hospitality venues during the festive season. We’re not telling you anything new by suggesting you make sure you’ve got adequate staffing levels to cope with the increased demand and the necessary supplies and ingredients to cater for your customers, but here are some ideas that you might not have thought about…
• Keep your Tables Stable
Let’s be honest, during the festive rush, there’s no time to be propping up tables. Your festive dining experiences should be memorable for the right reasons, and not for a ruined dress cause by mulled wine spillages from a wobbly table!
The solution? FLAT Table Bases. Featuring ground-breaking self-stabilising technology, these table bases are designed to keep your customers happy by eliminating wobbly tables and allowing you to align multiple tables to welcome larger parties.
The technology located underneath the bases automatically adjusts to uneven indoor or outdoor surfaces. Both dining and bar height table bases are available in a variety of styles, allowing you to cater for restaurant diners by day and partygoers by night.
• Choose Flexible Furniture
We know that constantly moving furniture around can be heavy work. Dragging chairs and tables about can ruin for your floors, not to mention your back! And where do you store all this furniture when you don’t need it?
It pays to be flexible! Our growing selection of Event & Function Furniture includes lightweight, stackable dining chairs, foldable tables and even a range that’s available with specially designed trolleys that not only store and protect the furniture when it’s not in use but make navigating heavy stacks through busy venues a breeze.
Kubo Smart Standing Table, Kubo Smart Bar Stool, Kasar Stacking Bar Stool
• Cater for Groups of all Sizes
It’s important to make sure you’re set up for groups of different sizes. From a romantic meal for two, to an office-load for a festive Christmas Party, a variety of table sizes is a must. If space is at a premium, then an investment in smaller tables that can be grouped together if needed is always a good idea.
When it comes to group bookings of 10 people or more, reservations are up 38% in comparison to this time in 2023. Friends and family enjoy coming together during the festive period, so make sure you can look after all of them by providing the correct seating in the form of comfortable dining chairs, highchairs for your younger customers or even consider investing in fixed seating which is ideal for maximising seating capacity and offering a more relaxed dining experience.
• Maximise your Space
Undoubtedly, you’ll want to make the most of the space you’ve got, but it’s never a good idea to cram furniture and customers in. It can be potentially hazardous if there isn’t enough space to flow freely through a venue; a minimum of 1.2 metres between tables will allow for comfortable dining.
So, think strategically - choosing furniture with a smaller footprint, such as slim tables or compact chairs, will allow you to fit more in, or think about introducing bar tables and stools to the mix as they can be very space-efficient. Discover how you can significantly increase your revenue over Christmas by increasing your cover availability.
You might think that your outdoor areas become a wasteland once the cold weather takes hold, but they can be a great way of accommodating extra guests during the holidays. Commercial outdoor furniture provides extra seating capacity, and if your outside areas are decorated appropriately with lights and decorations, they can create a unique and festive atmosphere, attracting customers who enjoy the open-air experience.
But what if the British weather isn’t being kind? Fear not! We’ve just introduced a service supplying and installing premium quality commercial parasols that are stylish and weatherproof. Our parasols can cover an area of up to 38 square metres, and with optional extras such as infrared heaters, lighting and sounds systems, can create a comfortable dining space even during Winter.
• Spread the Joy throughout the Season!
Christmas dining doesn’t need to happen at set mealtimes. Could your restaurant offer a Christmas brunch or afternoon tea to cater for more relaxed gatherings? According to Access, searches for Christmas brunches increased by 22% between October and December 2023, which shows there’s interest in something different to the usual turkey and trimmings.
It also pays to get in the Christmas spirit well before the December. The most popular day for creating Christmas bookings in 2023 was 22nd November, which highlights your customer’s desire to plan ahead. On the flip side, many companies are now holding their festive parties in January, allowing employees to de-stress after the busy holiday season and celebrate the end of the year.
• Here's to You this Holiday Season!
There’s no denying that the festive period can be hard work for the hospitality industry but get it right and all the signs point to a potential cracker of a Christmas this year. So, here’s to you – let’s raise a glass and celebrate 2024.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our stylish and versatile contract furniture, including our new Fixed Seating and Commercial Parasols services, please don’t hesitate to call one of our friendly sales advisors on 01452 336 520 or email sales@eclipsefurniture.co.uk.
