Winter is a difficult time for the trade. Restaurant and pub owners know that. Here I offer some advice on how you can take advantage of the change of season instead of giving in to it.

1.
On
A
Winters
Eve
By
Matthew
Watts
www.therestaurantguy.co.uk
I recall in the winter last year, maybe late November, I went to meet some friends at a lovely
pub that served an ale that I was rather fond of at the time. I arrived early, and pulled into a
surprisingly empty car park. ‘How strange’ I thought as I got out and strolled towards the
entrance. Can you imagine my shock when I got there and the doors were locked! It was
about quarter past six on a blustery Monday night and I was on the outside of the pub! Then
I realised there was a sign on the door saying that the pub had adopted ‘winter hours’ and
would for the next few months (no set timeframe mentioned) be closed all day on Mondays.
Now we all understand that it gets a little quiet in the winter, sometimes depressingly so, but
I cannot agree with ‘winter hours’ at all. Does the rent go down? Does the cost of
electricity, gas or oil suddenly plummet because you have fewer customers coming through
the door? Should we not in fact try to increase our revenue streams rather than decrease
them? Here is some pub and restaurant marketing advice.
There is always something you can do….
If the weather is a little inclement boast hot wine, roaring fires, warming breakfasts and
radiant suppers. Have a whiskey tasting once a month, we all know how warming that
is! Perhaps a ladies group making Christmas decorations or some such thing those Tuesday
nights when nothing is happening. One must be proactive and take the fight to the snows,
not admit defeat before the battle is joined.
• You
pay
rent
24
hours
a
day
for
365
days
of
the
year;
you
must
try
to
make
money
for
as
much
of
that
time
as
possible.
• People
still
go
out
in
the
winter,
make
your
site
interesting
and
inviting
to
ensure
that
they
come
to
you.
• Are
you
missing
out
on
business
by
opening
and
closing
when
you
do?
Would
the
mums
come
in
for
coffee
after
they
pick
up
the
children
from
school?
Would
people
grab
and
a
takeaway
coffee
as
they
passed
in
the
mornings?
• What
time
does
chef
start
in
the
mornings?
Why
not
serve
a
small
and
simple
breakfast
menu,
everyone
is
on
site
anyway.

2. • There
are
lots
of
wonderful
seasonal
foods
in
Winter
that
you
can
take
advantage
of;
hearty
pies
and
stews,
mulled
wine
&
game
for
example.
• What
activities
can
people
do
at
your
restaurant
or
pub,
or
nearby,
that
you
can
capitalize
on?
Tobogganing?
Snowman
contest?
Hiking,
bird
watching?
As you can see there are lots of reasons to be consistent with you hours and have a diverse
offer throughout the year. To be able to maintain cash flow in the typical quiet periods of
the year is a goal that we all hope to achieve. Finally, if you must change your hours, be
sure to let your clients know well in advance, online, with flyers or word of mouth, lest
you leave someone standing out in the cold.