As the nation prepares to bid farewell to 2023, the week leading up to Christmas is a good time to gear up for the surge of New Year’s Eve delivery orders. We’ve put together this guide to help you pour on the profits as 2024 begins.
OPTIMIZE YOUR FOOD DELIVERY MENU
Supplementing an existing menu to emphasize appetizers, sides, shareable and small plates can help boost sales during this key period.
Start making plans with your chef and kitchen staff to create new menu offerings that are a fit for the holiday. Decide on offerings now so you can start creating marketing promotions around them.
Add seasonal items: Create menu items that celebrate the flavors of the season such as peppermint, gingerbread, vanilla, and eggnog.
Limited-time offers: Take your seasonal menu up a notch by creating limited-time offers that customers will want to try “while they last!”
Think family-style: New Year’s Eve is the big finale of all the holiday celebrations. Create family-size menus that serve 4-8 guests to tap into this exciting event.
Optimize catering menus: Go bigger than family-size by creating a catering menu that can serve parties of all sizes.
Create a variety of catering packages: Create full-service catering packages for larger groups, but keep the individual in mind too. Many people would be happy to incorporate a few of your items into their New Year's Eve party menu to save on time and hassle, so be sure to advertise this option to give more customers a chance to consider it.
Make starters unstoppable: New Year’s Eve is all about the Hors D'oeuvres and appetizers so create a few packages that offer something for everyone. Be sure to include options for vegan, low-calories, and low-carb customers as many people will be resolving to begin the year with a healthy start.
Get sweet on dessert: Guests are in a celebratory mood, so expect demand for desserts to be high. Seasonal flavors, premium ingredients, and over-the-top festive presentations are among the ways to hit the sweet spot. Desserts to go like whole cakes, cheesecakes, pies, cookie trays, and other craveable pastries designed to feed a group are another way to drum up sales and provide convenience for customers.
Tips for smaller catering delivery
Offer individually packaged meals
Develop a variety of catering packages
Advertise your New Years Eve catering menu
Add finger foods and a variety of appetizers
Optimize catering menus to include a choice of small, medium and large-sized offerings to meet a variety of party sizes.
MAKE PLANS FOR SPIRITED DELIVERY
Beverages are a great way to increase order sizes. As you create food menus, add both alcoholic and nonalcoholic specialty menu items. Pour on the power of this revenue stream by making sure you’re up-to-date on the laws and regulations surrounding alcohol to-go in your area.
When delivering to customers, it’s important to give them peace of mind that their beverages are safe to drink. To do this right, especially if you’re offering pre-mixed cocktails, package orders with tamper evident labels. If you’re delivering wine or beer by the bottle, make sure the glass is wrapped in protective material like bubble wrap.
For more information on alcohol delivery, see our related post, Drinking it All In: Tips for Alcohol Pick-up and Delivery.
OFFER PRE-ORDERING INCENTIVES
Just like it’s easier to prepare for a busy night like New Year’s Eve with optimized reservation operations in place, offering pre-order incentives on New Year’s Eve delivery orders will help you gauge interest and be better prepared for the evening.
Reach out to your regular customers to let them know about your New Year's delivery menu and invite them to order ahead for New Years Eve delivery. Entice them with perks like a small bottle of champagne, a free appetizer, and gift cards for the future. Now is the time to maximize the use of your email subscriptions and other customer data to connect with customers.
ENTERTAIN ONLINE EVENTS
If you plan to host a trivia challenge, offer live music, or hold other special events for New Year’s Eve in your dining room, bring the same spirit to your online customers by offering a board game with purchase, hosting a virtual trivia game, or live-streaming a musician or firework displays.
Add a little extra festive touch by including party favors with your delivery orders. Your customer will absolutely appreciate the effort and will be more likely to become long-lasting customers into the slower winter months ahead.
STOCK UP ON STAPLES
Once your promotions are planned and posted, it’s time to focus on makIng the night flow as smoothly as possible. Stock up on inventory for the ingredients you’ll need for your influx of orders.
Make sure you have enough to-go containers on hand for both food and beverages to meet the high holiday demand. Keep optimal delivery practices at top of mind by using individually wrapped utensils and properly sealed containers. See our related post, Signed, Sealed and Well-Delivered for best practices for keeping your delivery looking and tasting fresh.
PREPARE FOR STAFFING ISSUES
To be sure you’re covered for the influx of orders, schedule extra kitchen and delivery staff and ask staff to remain flexible. Keep morale high by offering incentives for your staff to work the holiday and consider planning a post-holiday party to thank your staff for their efforts.
GET THE WORD OUT
With all the other restaurants in your area vying for New Year’s Eve delivery orders, get the word out about your specials now and continue promoting them on social media and radio until the very last minute. Announce pre-ordering promotions, post about new delivery offers, and get the word out about your catering delivery menu to keep your restaurant in mind as customers prepare their New Year's Eve planning.
For details about how Sauce can help your restaurant deliver profits with catering delivery, see our related post, How to Prepare Your Restaurant for Holiday Catering.
By Eileen Strauss
