There’s no such thing as ‘too early to think about Christmas’ when you work in hospitality. And after a bruising year that’s brought major challenges for the industry, December is more important than ever for many businesses. When it comes to crafting the perfect festive atmosphere, you’re the experts there – we’re simply here to show you how getting things like your tech systems, menus, staffing, and gift cards sorted now, means you’ll make the most of Christmas and manage your venue more effectively. Optimise your offerings and boost profit margins No doubt you’ll want to capture the spirit of the season with a festive menu. Roast meats and Christmas puddings are a must, but don’t forget a vegan option too. Whatever you choose, make sure your dishes balance popularity and profitability. Recipe management tools let you input ingredient costs and amounts, so you get precise costs for every item on your menu. It then automatically calculates GP so you can easily set the right prices both for individual items and festive set menus. This works really well for food, but also for cocktails, and festive drinks you might make on-site, such as mulled wine or cider. Using technology to manage bookings When it comes to Christmas bookings, balance is key. You want more bums on seats, but you don’t want to overwhelm your kitchen and Front-of-House staff – especially when bookings around Christmas tend to be larger. A flexible booking system helps you maintain control. Those office Christmas lunches often have ten or twenty guests, so it helps to keep them separate from your usual bookings. Asking for pre-orders and prepayments makes it much easier to manage those big complicated bookings. Email links go out to organisers so everything can be booked and paid for in advance. This guarantees your cash flow ahead of time and means your kitchen can prepare and ensure the right amount of stock. You can also create custom drink packages to upsell during the booking process.

Embracing stock management software takes the pain out of stock control and helps you make your venue more profitable.

The fear of change is often worse than the change itself. Don't let it trap you with underperforming hospitality tech.

How can you tell if an EPOS system will serve your business not just in the short term, but for years to come? Discover what to look for and what questions to ask.

We look at the 6 key features of a Cafe EPOS to help deliver what customers are after, maintain quick & efficient service and protect your bottom line

A hospitality EPOS system is a Point-of-Sale system designed specifically for hospitality businesses. A good hospitality EPOS should also prioritise the things that matter to hospitality businesses, like speed of service and ease of use.

Close tracking of stock is essential to any hospitality business in protecting and maximising gross profit, we outline the steps to getting started with tracking stock using your EPOS.

Many providers are quick to point out the great features and the support they offer, but are less forthcoming on the issues their customers face. We look at some of the common issues you may come across and how you can mitigate them.

We look at useful mental health resources, and identify how you can ensure you're looking out for your staff as we head into a challenging winter.