Everyone’s Out to Lunch … and Dinner and Brunch
‘Tis the season for hosting, and feasting, but not just at home. Restaurants have become a popular destination for the holiday season. Office banquets. Festive family celebrations. Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving feasts. Shoppers grabbing a bite at the mall to to take a break from checking off their Christmas list. Dinner party guests picking up dishes to bring to someone’s home. People are flocking to restaurants during the fall and winter months. And the proof isn’t just in the pudding.
According to a National Restaurant Association survey, nearly one in 10 adults plan to eat a Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant. Of the respondents who said they plan to eat a Thanksgiving meal at their home or someone else’s, more than one in 10 said they plan to pick up parts or all of the meal from a restaurant. In addition, of the respondents who said they plan to go out shopping on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, 72% said they expect to visit a restaurant or fast food place while out shopping.
Gert Kopera, Executive Vice President of the Las Vegas-based restaurant company Hakkasan Group also remarked that “… restaurants are becoming anchors, filling up malls at night. Certain fashion brands are looking to align themselves with certain restaurant brands to attract a targeted demographic”.
A 2018 Penton restaurant hospitality report also indicated that restaurant spending in December was up 3% year over year, and that growth has remained positive as U.S. consumers continue to spend on experiences over things.
Make the Most of the Restaurant Boom
Get Your Staff Into the Spirit
Sometimes the best holiday ideas will come from your hosts, waiters, chefs, and the rest of your restaurant staff. Help get them into a merry state of mind by throwing a staff holiday party with festive food, drinks, and music. Have a brainstorm and give prizes to employees with the best suggestions for helping your restaurant make the most of the season.
You could also organize a charity day for everyone to volunteer at an animal shelter, soup kitchen, or donation center. Plan a holiday gift or food drive and give prizes to the top performers. Auction a day off or lunch with the CEO and donate the proceeds to the winner’s charity of choice. Hold a Casual Friday raffle where employees donate a certain amount to a charity to join the event. Last but not least, make sure to spread goodwill by having a flexible work schedule that allows employees to celebrate the season with their friends and family.
Dinner Party to Go
Once your employees have gotten into the spirit, making the most of the season boils down to being prepared. Of course you’ll need enough staff, but you also want to cater to your customers. You can start by making things easy for those dining in, and out. According to Google Trends, Saturday November 18th is the most likely day for Friendsgiving celebrations to happen across the country. So take some stress off holiday hosts and guests by working with your staff to create a special Friendsgiving dinner party to-go menu for people who’d rather grab a chef’s special than cook. You could do the same for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, office parties, and casual potlucks.
A Warm Holiday Welcome
Of course, whether customers are dining in or picking up, it’s essential that they receive a warm welcome from your reception staff. If the restaurant is hosting a Thanksgiving celebration, whether it’s on the holiday, before, or after, make sure your hosts greet guests with a cheery “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Happy Holidays”. You might also ask your reception staff to add festive touches to their outfits whether it’s a simple holiday pin or a Santa Claus cap. You could even hold a contest and give prizes and a Best Decked or Jolliest Elf award to the staff that wore the most festive outfit on a certain day or all throughout the season.
It’s also a great idea to decorate your hostess stand or station with fall leaves, holiday lights, or whatever decor fits the theme of the season or the celebration. Don’t have a station or stand? The Hostess Station has exactly what you need! Our rustic line of stations and stands project the perfect ambiance for the season. They also make it easy to add decor or a custom “Merry Christmas Andrews Family” sign tailored to your diners.
Hostess Stations
Rustic Hostess Station
With its rustic, wood-styled warmth, the Rustic Hostess Station is ideal for any restaurant, bar, brewery, or winery planning to greet guests this season. Better yet, its vintage, distressed style will still be on-trend any time of the year. This full-size host/hostess station has a clear-coated raw steel frame with unique distress marks giving each station in this line a custom, craftsman look.
Panels are available in hundreds of laminates. They’re also brandable so you can add custom artwork for the holidays or any celebration. When you need to update your decor, the panels easily slide in and out of the frame. You can even change the look of the entire server station by swapping out all the panels with another laminate selection.
This unit also includes two locking steel drawers with four open storage shelves. The shelves sit on metal slots with six positions so you can easily rearrange or remove them for additional storage. Four locking casters allow the station to be easily moved from room to room for events. Grommets in the counter and base make it easy to route electronics. You also have the option of adding a menu holder or power supply station to plug in a string of twinkling holiday lights.
Unique Details
- Clear-coated steel countertop with steel trim and unique distress marks
- Interchangeable panels available in 100s of laminates
- Optional matching laminate on shelving
- 16 gauge, heavy-duty, clear-coated, metal frame
- Electronics compatible
- Optional power supply station
- Optional custom signage
- Optional menu holder
- Optional LED kit
Essential Features
- Scratch-resistant, clear-coated-finish frame
- Clear-coated steel working surface
- 4 removable shelves w/6 arrangement positions
- 2 drawers w/stainless steel handles
- 4 heavy-duty locking casters
- 2 slam locks w/keys
- Replaceable parts
- Pre-assembled
- Manufacturer’s Warranty
Rustic Hostess Stand
NEW! Rustic Hostess Stand with antique tobacco pine panels.
A medium-sized version of the Rustic Hostess Station that’s great for smaller spaces, the Rustic Hostess Stand offers the same unique style and craftsmanship. It also features brandable panels and hundreds of laminate options whether you prefer a more rustic or industrial look. It also features one locking drawer, two open shelves, 4 locking casters for easy mobility, and a grommet that makes routing electronics simple. Other optional details include a 4-port USB charging station, a power supply station, and a menu holder.
Unique Details
- Clear-coated steel countertop with steel trim and unique distress marks
- Interchangeable panels available in 100s of laminate options
- Optional matching laminate on shelving
- 16-gauge, heavy-duty, clear-coated, metal frame with unique distress marks
- Optional USB charging station with 4 ports
- Optional power supply station
- Optional custom signage
- Optional menu holder
- Optional LED kit
Essential Features
- Scratch-resistant, clear-coated-finish frame
- Electronics compatible
- Clear-coated steel working surface
- Locking drawer w/stainless steel handle
- 2 removable shelves
- 4 heavy-duty locking casters
- 1 slam lock w/keys
- Replaceable parts
- Pre-assembled
- Manufacturer’s Warranty
Eat, Greet + Be Merry
Now you that you know what the season’s all about, eating, drinking, and festively greeting your customers, you can be just as merry as they will be when they walk through your front door. Especially when they’re greeted by your cheerfully decorated hostess station and your welcoming hosts. Just give us a jingle at 877-232-0344 and we’ll help you create a custom hostess stand or station that’s perfect for every holiday and celebration on your calendar.