10 December 2009
New Year’s Eve Dinner Planning
Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks .
Many restaurants feature special dinners for New Year’s Eve. If your restaurant is in the center of the city block party or fireworks, or if it is simply in a great location, it is smart to plan something special for your diners on New Year’s Eve and market it early enough to lure the guests in. New Year’s Eve could be a profit-boosting event for you restaurant and you can rightfully charge premium prices. Put your decorations up and welcome the guests:
Special Menu. Offer a special prix-fixe dinner for your guests with the succession of at least 5 courses. You can offer a chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings or champagne parings for this special occasion. Most restaurants stop serving their regular menu after a certain cut-off hour, 7 or 8 pm. Greet your diners with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. Offer complimentary fresh berries and dessert. Little gestures go a long way. As far as the pricing, if your restaurant is in the right location, or in the center of the city block party, New Year’s Eve is that day of the year where you can charge a premium price for your prix-fixe dinner and still end up with the full room.
Holiday Drinks. Serve complimentary glasses of Champagne, wine and other party favors. Make it a holiday celebration for your guests. Have your sommelier ready to help your guests select wines. It’s a great idea to add special New Year inspired martinis to your drinks list. Serve typical New Year’s Eve drinks such as Bellini (peach juice or puree and sparkling wine), Mimosa (orange juice and sparkling wine), Kir Royale (champagne and crème) and many more. A complimentary midnight Champagne toast is a must.
Live Music. Having live music on New Year’s Eve in a restaurant will add sophistication to your event. Live music choices are endless: invite a live DJ; feature a saxophonist, a piano player, live singers, jazz vocalists, etc. You can offer karaoke or invite local bands and musicians. The type of music played can be of any genre suitable to your restaurant’s ambiance, from jazz or classical music to Christmas tunes and modern melodies.
Holiday Decor and Atmosphere. Have your restaurant’s holiday décor reflect the New Year’s Eve atmosphere. Create a festive mood. Throw funky party hats, tiaras, noise-makers, streamers and goodies for your guests. Add a Christmas season touch by setting festive tableware and putting miniature branches of pine needles on diners’ tables. Use decorative glassware and unique garnishes, such as cranberries. Make the restaurant a trendy New Year’s themed place. Hang a crystal ball from the ceiling. Ideas are endless, let you creativity rule the ball.
Reserved Dining and Large Parties. Use your e-mail distribution lists to inform your clients of the upcoming New Year’s Eve event months in advance. Require pre-paid dinner reservations to make sure you can accommodate everyone and have enough time for planning and organizing. Offer New Year’s Eve dining service for small and large private parties and advertise accordingly. On New Year’s Eve, be ready to accommodate any walk-in guests.
We hope these tips will aid you in orchestrating you restaurant’s New Year’s Eve event with creative vision and flawless organization. The bottom line is to provide your customers with seamless service, exquisite menu and clubby dining atmosphere. And after all the festivities are over, don’t forget to thank your employees with holiday gifts and their year-end bonuses.
Image by Free Foto.
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