The tinkle of jingling bells may only seem faint right now. But with only 8 weeks to Christmas, it’s never too soon to start preparing for this busy season. With a growing trend for consumers to ditch the oven gloves and dine out instead, there’s every opportunity to make this festive season the most profitable ever.
But it’s no time to sit back and relax, competition is set to be fierce – so every day counts. The latest Market Growth Monitor from AlixPartners has revealed that a unnerving average of eight restaurants, pubs and bars are closing every day1. What’s more, PwC’s latest UK Hotels Forecast has predicated a slowdown in growth for 2019, “reflecting uncertainty, softer economic and demand trends, and the impact of high levels of new hotel room additions”2.
So how do make sure you come out on top?
Preparation
Getting organised early, working with your suppliers to secure the stock you or your customers want, is essential to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
Through those trusted relationships, you can rest easy knowing you’re able to get the products you need, when you need them. This, of course, applies to every area of your operation.
Get the simple things right
Introducing new ways to keep ahead of the competition is always worth serious consideration; after all, adaptation is the key to survival. But never risk losing sight of the basics.
A fundamental element of the dining experience is the linen. This is true throughout the year, but is even more crucial during the festive season.
“People’s expectations increase at Christmastime, as they are looking to be made to feel special,” says Director Phil Hodgson. “This means elegant white linens, or colourful cloths and napkins to provide the perfect backdrop to those festive themed tables.”
“We’ve already seen a move back to well dressed tables, with over 25% more orders for table cloths this year,” Phil explains. “We expect this trend to continue through and beyond the busy Yuletide celebrations.”
Whether you offer rental linen and commercial laundry services, or are a restaurant looking for quality linen, choosing the right supply partner is crucial to ensuring diners get the experience they are looking for. You need quality linen that is going to launder beautifully, endure repeated use and washes, stay perfectly white or retain its vibrant colour.
As a trusted supplier to thousands of commercial laundries, hospitality, healthcare and leisure establishments, Tonrose is on hand to ease your linen pressures.
We’ve been making sure to stock up on all the favourites as we edge closer to the festive season. But those stocks are being reserved fast. As usual, red, green and white are the proving popular colour choices. But our new light grey option is picking up pace.
It’s never too early to order and secure your linen. Contact our helpful sales team today.
Keeping your customers happy
Sadly, few diners are going to rave about how beautifully crisp or immaculately pressed the table linen was. But they will be only too quick to point out wrinkled napkins that resembled a used hanky, or, even worse, stained table cloths or napkins. Work with your linen or laundry suppliers to ensure your investment stays in tip top condition.
Keep it clean
Hygiene is paramount. Not only does it not look very nice, it also set customers off wondering (perhaps unfairly) what other cleanliness corners have been cut. When it comes to food, any hint of slipping standards will send customers running for the hills – and shouting loudly to all who will listen as they do it.
Keep your workforce motivated
Without a doubt, the quality of customer service can make or break a company. Make sure you keep your staff well trained and keep your ear to the ground of any mutterings of discontentment. Unhappy staff means sub-par service, which in turn leads to lost revenue. Under any time of increased work load it can be easy for the pressure to mount, but by keeping an open dialogue with your team and a well thought our strategy, you can avoid a Christmas catastrophe.
We’d love your hints or tips to making this Christmas a cracker – comment below!
1 https://www.alixpartners.com/insights-impact/insights/market-growth-monitor/
2 https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/hospitality-leisure/insights/uk-hotels-forecast-2019.html
