2020 Holiday season is upon us! What a year it’s been! While some businesses have shuttered because of lockdowns due to the COVID pandemic, food operators were deemed essential and stayed open with new protocols, masks, and plexi-glass barriers. Grocery stores and retailers saw unprecedented growth and thus brought shortages in some highly sought-after items. Restaurants have met the challenges of closing and reopening indoor dining, many have worked to create outdoor dining spaces, and others have never reopened in some California counties. Catering companies have been hit particularly hard during the COVID lockdowns with many events canceled or rescheduled hoping for better conditions.
With continued restrictions, what can your food operation do to ensure you can maximize 2020 holiday sales?
This month on the blog, we are sharing 3 simple things a food operator can do to boost holiday sales. While these 3 things are simple and might only take a few minutes, they are essential in making an impact on the bottom line.
Simple Step 1:
Update your website, social media, google and yelp page with the most up-to-date information. There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than driving up to a business, only to find they are closed after checking hours of operation online. Posting a paper on your front door is not enough! Pause right now to take a few minutes to do this. I mean it, stop reading this blog and check all of your media accounts! It might be helpful to have a friend or spouse who doesn’t work in your business to review those accounts; a different set of eyes can offer unique perspectives that will ultimately provide more value for your customers.
Simple Step 2:
After you have updated your webpage and media accounts, take a fresh look at your menu offerings.
If you are a restauranteur or grocery operator, ask yourself some of these questions:
- Are you offering catering and family meal to-go options? With many families switching it up this year and moving from large to small gatherings, they might be looking for different food options!
- Have you updated your menu with holiday and cold weather themed items? JD Food has many heat and serve soups, mashed potatoes, seasonal root vegetables: brussels sprouts, yams and green beans ready to deliver to your food operation six days a week.
Simple Step 3:
Appreciate your employees! It might seem simple and you might be thinking, of course I appreciate my staff, but it’s been a crazy, stressful year for everyone. Essential food workers have had to deal with many challenges this year, from not just wearing masks but enforcing mask wearing, expanding cleaning protocols, dealing with angry customers, handling possible sicknesses(either themselves and family members), lack of vacation or time off, parents dealing with the added stress of childcare and distance learning for their kids, I could go on… Expressing gratefulness to your employees doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. Sometimes just a simple note or text saying thank you means a lot! Some of our favorite ideas we use to appreciate our JD Food employees are: bringing your employees their favorite coffee, baked goods, gift cards to local restaurants, or giving out company swag!
You did it! 3 Simple Things a Food Operator Can Do This Holiday Season to Boost Sales! Breathe in, breathe out! YOU GOT THIS! This year has been anything but what we expected, but we made it!
Finally, we at JD Food want to take the time to say: we appreciate you, our loyal customers. 2020 has come and gone like a whirlwind, but we have seen many of you reach out and be kind to our delivery drivers, showed patience and understanding when we worked through inventory and computer issues, and we want to say THANK YOU! We have been inspired hearing your stories of grit and determination and we are proud to be your vendor partner in your success!