Three Quick Ways to Increase Year-End Revenue With Holiday Get-Togethers

As the holiday season approaches, groups of all kinds are looking for the perfect place to celebrate — from friends planning a festive brunch to teams organizing company lunches, and families arranging private gatherings.

If there was an “easy” button, would you want this business?

The person in charge of organizing these celebrations — whether it’s an office manager, a friend rounding up their group, or a parent planning a family get-together — is juggling a dozen details and probably too busy to spend much time doing the research. They’ll book with the place that makes it easiest to say “yes.” If your process feels simple, friendly, and stress-free, you’ll win their business before they even look elsewhere.

Today, I’ll share 3 Quick Ways to capture more holiday celebrations so your business can stand out, fill your tables, and boost your year-end revenue. When the next group searches “restaurants near me good for groups,” you’ll be ready to grab their attention and their business.

SPOILER ALERT: Stick with us for the bonus at the end to understand just how easy this can actually be.

#1 – Determine Your Party Rules

Every party needs a few ground rules — and that includes the ones happening at your restaurant or venue. As a business owner, you should have a clear picture of what kinds of holiday celebrations and group events you can accommodate and when you want them in your space.

I organize a lot of group outings for my friends and colleagues, and two things stand out time and again:

• Staff often default to saying “We operate on a first come, first serve basis.” This instantly discourages group organizers. In reality, there are often exceptions when you reach the right manager or owner — especially during slower times when they’d actually welcome a large party and appreciate advance notice so they can plan ahead.
• Restaurants say they want large parties but can’t provide clear answers when asked about group policies, and everyone who answers the phone seems to give a different response. In theory, they’re eager for the business; in practice, they’re either not ready or even afraid to handle it because they don’t have clear systems in place.

If you want to capture more holiday bookings — whether it’s a company lunch, friends’ night out, or family dinner — clarity is everything. That overworked admin assistant or busy group organizer will move on to the next location if they can’t get answers quickly. 

Here are the “party rules” you need to define for your restaurant, café, brewery, or event space:

• When do you want to host large parties?
  • Will you limit large groups to Monday through Thursday, or open weekend time slots too?
  • Do you prefer lunch or happy hour bookings so your dining room clears out before the dinner rush, or will you offer prime-time reservations with a surcharge?
  • Will you keep private rooms exclusive, or allow smaller parties to share a space for a semi-private experience?
• What can guests bring or customize?
  • Can they bring their own dessert, or must they order from your exclusive menu?
  • Are decorations and early setup allowed — and if so, do you charge a cleanup fee?
  • Is BYOB permitted, even if you already serve alcohol?
• How do you handle confirmations and communication?
  • How much advance notice do you want for online requests?
  • Will you require a deposit to hold the reservation?
  • How far in advance do you need the final headcount or pre-order details?
  • Should the organizer notify you when they’re on the way so your team can prepare accordingly (and stay organized if they’re running late)?
• Other policies to consider:
  • Is there a limited menu for groups (to help you optimize your kitchen)?
  • Is check splitting allowed?
    • If so, is gratuity automatically added to each check?
  • When will you seat the party (entire party must be present or 50% of party must be present)?

Setting clear rules isn’t about turning people away — it’s about setting expectations that make it easy to say yes. When your large-party policies are well-defined and communicated, everyone wins: your guests get a seamless experience, and your team stays in control while generating more revenue.

#2 – Tell People Exactly What You Offer

Once you decide your large party policies for your venue, you need to convey that information to your potential customers.

Does your restaurant website tell potential customers what to expect from their experience? If it’s just a bare bones informational site that shares your location and hours, you’re leaving tons of money on the table. Remember how busy and short on time the person in charge of organizing these celebrations can be? Your sparse website isn’t giving that person any incentive to consider your venue.

Restaurant websites are notorious for not having enough information. If you level yours up with helpful, easy-to-find information that answers the most common questions and tells people exactly what you offer, you will immediately heighten their interest and easily become the preferred hot spot for large parties.

I already mentioned this, but I plan a lot of group outings. Do you know how many restaurants never tell anyone that they have a private or semi-private dining area? It’s crazy! Businesses, families, and party planners love getting the upgraded experience of a private room for their event. You’ve already made the investment in creating the private room—now let it pay you back by showcasing it everywhere potential guests might look.

Don’t wait on this one if you want to increase bookings for this holiday season’s large parties. Add text to your website today that says, “Want to book a large group? Check out our large party page.” Follow that with a prominent button and add a webpage to your site that clearly states all your information:

• Pictures of your large party space, whether it’s a private room, a remote area of your main dining room, or your main floor plan reconfigured with large tables.
• Information about video and audio capabilities in case a group has a presentation to do.
• A list of FAQs that cover most of your party rules.
• All of your booking requirements, deposits, confirmations, etc.

Most importantly, this page NEEDS to include a button that brings people to our 3rd Quick Way to get those holiday parties booked this season.

#3 – Make it Ridiculously Easy to Express Interest in Your Venue

That administrative professional, department supervisor, or executive assistant who seriously does not have time to plan the office holiday party is looking for the easiest way to say YES. Once the party location is set, everything gets rolling.

Your job is to make their job so easy that they can’t wait to host their event at your venue. Since their top priority right now is getting this done in as little time as possible, they probably aren’t looking to spend time on the phone with multiple venues. They are eliminating the options that:

• Definitely won’t work because of size, hours, or some obvious dealbreaker.
• Waste their time by not giving enough information on the website.
• Annoy them by forcing a phone call but not answering.

It’s unbelievably easy to turn your website from a time waster into a time optimizer and party booker. All you need is a simple form that party planners can submit with a request for a callback.

Remember, you’ve already updated your website to tell them what they need to know. Now you’re just giving them an opportunity to return the favor. They can submit that form when it’s convenient for them, even if it’s after hours. Your form should ask:

1.  When they would like a callback from you.
2. What requirements they have that were not covered on your website.
3. The details you need to know about their event request.

Provide a clear confirmation that you received their inquiry and then follow up when you’re able to give them your undivided attention.

No more relying on your hostess to juggle phone calls and waiting customers. No more missed opportunities because your website doesn’t tell people anything about you. No more inconsistent answers based on who answers the call. Just smooth customer service that results in more large parties this holiday season. 

Let EnRoute® Help You Book More Holiday Parties

Let me guess… this all sounds good to you, but it sounds like too much work right now.

At EnRoute, we offer a Done-For-You service, making it easy for you to fill your venue with more people wanting to celebrate. We help you save time, reduce friction, and delight every guest. You’ll start to capture attention in your Google Business Profile in just a few days. Our customized landing page tells party planners what they need to know about booking their group holiday celebration and makes it easy for them to submit a request.

We've helped businesses serve well over 5000 people with more efficiency and better revenue so far, and we're only just getting started.

In just a few minutes, our team can help you get all of these 3 Quick Ways underway so that you can easily book large parties for the holidays. Don’t let another holiday season slip by without getting your share of the parties! Talk to a member of our EnRoute success team today.