Beer Sales Down on St. Paddy's Day

Is Saint Patrick's Day weekend one of your biggest food and beverage sales weekends of the early year?  If you are like most restaurant owners, you were prepared to take advantage of the spike in demand for food and drink that was supposed to happen last weekend.  However, like most restaurant owners, you were probably surprised to find that the customers just did not flow in like usual.  According to a recent report, beer sales on Saint Patrick's Day weekend dropped by 4% from last year.  This drop in sales could prove detrimental to your restaurant during this holiday season as you gear up for the busy summer months that are coming.

More highlights from the report:

• Beer sales down 4%
• Wine and Cocktail sales up 2%

This information could serve as a leading indicator for restaurant owners preparing for what are usually very busy months.  If sales and discretionary spending are down now, it is likely that the trend will continue into the coming summer months.

Dealing with a Dip in Sales

Has your restaurant been empty lately?  Are you struggling to fill seats for multiple rounds of servings, even on nights that you're usually busiest?  Rest assured, you're not alone.  Well maybe in  your restaurant right now you are, but you're not alone in the industry.  As quarter four numbers start to roll in from many of the major restaurant corporations across the world, numbers across the board are down for the most part.  Why is this happening you ask?  Are more people cooking at home?  Has the restaurant industry lost its appeal?  Yes and no.  Yes more people are cooking at home now, but the restaurant industry has not lost its appeal to the general public.  Discretionary spending is still down across the board.  Customers are unable to spend their hard earned income on fancy meals dining out.  Experts believe this lack in disposable income, despite the recent start of economic recovery, has been a result of recent hikes in payroll taxes and gas prices.  With these new expenses causing consumers to rethink their discretionary spending, it is important for restaurants to come up with exciting new promotions to get their customers excited to dine out again.

For example try these new ideas:

• Social Media Campaign
• Discount Couples Evening (make it a date night)
• Family Style meals night