Father’s Day is quickly approaching on Sunday, June 21st. Historically, many view the holiday as one less focused on grandeur than its maternal counterpart. However, the holiday provides a great opportunity for restaurants to maximize traffic and sales through Father’s Day offerings.
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers were expected to spend around $16 billion on Father’s Day in 2019. That is an astonishing 70% increase since 2009. Additionally, it’s estimated that around 47% of people celebrate Father’s Day through some type of special outing, such as meals 1.
If you haven’t already thought about your operation’s Father’s Day offerings, now is a great time to start. Specific to this year, COVID-19 has created hurdles that may limit how restaurants can take part in normal holiday operations. Some operations will be welcoming guests back in for service, while others will remain on delivery only.
Regardless of service format, some planning and creativity can help restaurants offer a great Father’s Day experience to guests. To help kickstart the planning process, below are some ideas on how restaurants can tackle Father’s Day from a dine-in or take-out standpoint.
Welcome Them with Dine-In
If your restaurant is in a state that has resumed dine-in traffic, it’s important to first address sanitation concerns. For some patrons, Father’s Day might be their first trip back to restaurants, so ensuring their comfort and safety is vital.
To start, make sure your operation is clean and ready to reopen. There are several tools and resources in place to help you properly prepare for this, such as guidelines and checklists. Manufacturers like Georgia-Pacific, Essity, and Sani Professional offer a variety of products that you can use to follow these sanitation guidelines.
Next, think about creating a unique Father’s Day offering for diners. Include a menu that contains popular dishes and beverages for Dad, such as beer and wine. A recent study found that hearty classics like steak are a popular choice for Father’s Day diners, so consider adding similar staples to your menu 2.
As a result of COVID-19, many restaurants are moving away from reusable menus. Consider utilizing single-use paper menus or digital menus that guests can access on their phones to promote your special holiday items. Additionally, make your menu specials easily available online for customers to view before the holiday weekend. This can help customers prepare before dining in and increase awareness around your Father’s Day offerings.
If you’re trying to keep food costs low, consider leveraging convenience products like soup starters or sauces. Unilever Food Solutions, Conagra, and Campbells are just a few manufacturers that create high-quality products like this.
By following state guidelines and providing favorable menu selections, you can provide a positive Father’s Day offering and experience for dine-in guests.
Maximize Convenience with To-Go
If your state hasn’t resumed dine-in services yet, or you plan to remain heavily involved in delivery and to-go, you can still provide customers with a memorable Father’s Day offering.
There are a lot of great products and services available to restaurants that help make delivery and to-go seamless. Tamper-proof containers from DART and to-go cups from Fabri-Kal ensure guests receive the same quality food they would get while dining in. Technology provides like ItsaCheckMate help streamline delivery services.
Once delivery and to-go are set up properly at your location, you can focus on your Father’s Day menu. Similar to if you were hosting dine-in guests, consider offering a menu that contains popular dishes and snacks.
Many states have relaxed their regulations around off-premise alcohol sales, so alcohol-to-go can be a great opportunity to leverage, too. Offer a variety of bottled beers and wines that customers can add to their to-go orders. If you’re sitting on access inventory of glassware, considering including a glass or two, as well.
Plan to promote your Father’s Day offering on your social media page in the weeks leading up to the holiday. This will help increase awareness for your operation and encourage patrons to order from you. Additionally, ask your customers to share pictures of their Father’s Day meals on social media. You can share these photos on your page and help grow awareness around your delivery option for future business.
Dining Alliance can help operators get competitive pricing on the manufacturer products listed above. If you are interested in learning more, or are interested in other ways a GPO can help you, contact us! We’d love to meet you.
References:
