4 Tips to Prepare Your Restaurant for Valentine's Day

As a restaurant industry professional, does this day always have you seeing red? Change things up this year with our tips for a successful Valentine’s Day service. We’ll help you see green instead!

Valentine’s Day is the second busiest holiday of the year for restaurants, second only to Mother's Day. Therefore, it's important to prepare your team for a rush of reservations and spontaneous guests. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this and make the most of the busy weekend!

Craft a "Lovable" Menu

Sit down with your chef to discuss special Valentine’s Day dishes. You don’t have to craft a completely new menu but try brainstorming ways you can rearrange current dishes to be more “lovable”.

For example, if one of the items on your menu is a hand-tossed pizza, try tossing that pizza into a heart shape. You can also temporarily re-name some of your popular dishes to go along with the Valentine’s Day theme. Some examples could be:

• “You’ve Caught Me” Fish & Chips
• Chocolate “I Lava You” Cake
• “On Fire for You” Roast Chicken

 
If you’ve got a way with words, now is the time to let your creativity shine!

Adjust Your Floor Plan

It’s safe to say that most guests will arrive at your restaurant in pairs on Valentine’s Day. To prepare for this and maximize table space, take some time to adjust your floor plan.

By condensing larger tables into tables for two or four, you’ll be ready to accommodate as many happy couples as possible on the big day. Want to take your table optimization one step further? Try offering a small box of chocolates or a complimentary glass of champagne to reserved tables.

Request Deposits for Reservations

Speaking of reservations, they are very important for both you and your guests on Valentine’s Day. In fact, a Valentine’s Day reservation is so important to some guests, that they make multiple with different restaurants.

While a convenient fail-safe for the customer, this is less than ideal for you. If you’re left waiting on a party who is already seated at another restaurant, you’re losing more than just their business. You’re losing time and tables you could have offered to other people waiting to enjoy a meal.

To prevent this frustrating situation from happening on one of your busiest days of the year, request a deposit to hold reservations. The deposit can go toward the guest's meal and will help protect your business from no-shows.

Lean On Your Most Experienced Staff

When setting the schedule for Valentine’s Day, we recommend choosing your most experienced staff. On such a busy and important day, you don’t want to be training new wait staff or hosts.

Take extra time to prepare the staff who will be working the big day. Brief them on any specials, how many reservations you are expecting, if any special requests have been made, and any VIP guests who may be in attendance. Everyone’s ultimate goal should be to offer the perfect guest experience. 

We hope these tips will help you minimize headaches and improve profits this Valentine’s Day. Remember, this is a day to celebrate love and happiness. Do your best to show compassion and appreciation to each guest, so that everyone may have a lovely evening.

Sources: Modern Restaurant Management, SevenRooms