8 Ways to Keep Your Restaurant Thriving During the Winter Months

With the official start of winter less than two weeks and outside temperatures dipping below freezing, it’s time for restaurants to prepare for the harsh winter months. Cold weather and snow mean diners will be less likely to leave their homes and more likely to pass on trips to their favorite restaurants. Luckily, there are steps restaurant owners can take to give customers extra incentive to remain loyal throughout the cold, dark days. The following list includes 8 ways to keep your restaurant thriving during the winter months.

Cold Weather Discount

Nobody likes leaving a warm home and trekking out to a restaurant in the cold and potentially snowy weather. Consequently, it becomes the responsibility of restaurant owners to give diners a little extra motivation. One idea is to offer discounts when the outside temperature dips below certain thresholds. For example: if it’s below freezing, offer a 5% discount. If it’s below 20°F, give customers a 10% discount. Below 10°F? How about a 15% discount? The temperature thresholds and discount percentages will vary depending on where you’re located, but a promotion like this has potential to get people excited for dining out in the cold.

Delivery

Sometimes there’s just nothing in the world that will convince diners to leave the comfort of their homes and make a trip to your restaurant. During times like these, a delivery service can prove to be key. Even if you don’t usually offer delivery or need to employ more drivers, the extra business you bring it and the goodwill you earn among customers will make it well worth it.

When choosing delivery drivers, try to recruit someone whose vehicle boasts either all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. These types of automobiles thrive in snowy conditions and should ensure the safety of your driver as well as the food being delivered.

Seasonal Menu Items

There are a few things to keep in mind when designing a winter-time menu. On one hand, you’ll want to cut back on less popular items that don’t generate significant revenue. But at the same time, you might want to expand your menu by adding special winter treats that’ll help bring hungry customers in from the cold. Items like hot soup and stew are winter favorites that never go out of style. Maybe add a few different flavors hot chocolate to your menu or expand your tea selections. These little menu tweaks can give diners enough reason to brave the cold and enjoy a night out at your restaurant.

A Warm Temperature Guarantee

There’s nothing worse than coming in from the cold to dine at a restaurant, only to realize you still need to wear your heavy jacket to keep warm. The fear of this happening makes certain patrons even less likely to brave the cold in pursuit of a delicious meal. To combat this issue, your restaurant can provide customers with a warm-temperature guarantee. Simply promise customers through social media and other marketing channels that your restaurant will always maintain a temperature of at least X degrees throughout the winter. If a customer knows your restaurant will be at least 68°F, they’ll be appreciate your thoughtfulness and be more likely to dine at your restaurant.   

Altering Business Hours

Overhead is expensive. If the amount of business your restaurant does is taking a significant hit as a result of the change in season, it might be in your best interest to explore changing your business hours. Employees might not love the idea, and a few customers might not be crazy about it either. But if you’re wasting money by remaining open early in the morning and late at night, then cutting back your restaurant’s hours might be your best option. If you decide to go this route, make sure to update your listed hours both online and in your restaurant.

Holiday Parties

Another idea is to make your restaurant a destination for local businesses that are looking for somewhere to host holiday parties. Whether they want to rent out your entire restaurant or just book a large table, these parties can be great sources of revenue and are definitely worth pursuing. Since the businesses will be spending a significant amount of money, you’ll want to cut them special deals on your meals and drinks. Doing so will help attract more parties and encourage planners to return later as repeat customers.

Happy Hours

More than half the battle during winter is convincing customers to come out to your restaurant in the first place, and happy hours are designed to do just that. Even if you have happy hours throughout the year, consider extending them, expanding offerings, or improving your deals during the winter months.

Vacation Nights

One of the best ways to bring diners to your restaurant is to offer something unique. While winter’s a popular time to vacation and visit hot climates, not everyone can go on a trip. You can take advantage of this by decorating your restaurant with props and pictures that help people feel like they’ve traveled to a tropical island. For instance—have a “Hawaii Night” by hanging pictures of beaches while playing Luau music. Greet each new customer with a Hawaiian leis necklace and a hearty, “Aloha.” While it might not be Hawaii, there’s a good chance it will help your diners forget about the cold weather for a couple hours. If you’re not so interested in hosting a Hawaii night, there are plenty of Caribbean islands that are also great options.

While the methods listed above can help your restaurant maintain a steady stream of business during the winter months, there are certainly more ways to keep business booming. Have a brainstorming session with some of your staff members and see what else you can come up with.