In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we discuss how to navigate the slower periods between summer and Christmas, as well as the post-holiday lull in January and February. We share five actionable tips to help boost sales during these quieter months.

Some strategies may already be on your radar, but others might inspire new ideas!

1. Maximise Key Date Promotions Use upcoming events like Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, New Year, and Valentine’s Day to drive sales. Plan ahead with a calendar, and consider unique dates relevant to your business, such as National Sausage Roll Day or Beaujolais Nouveau. At The Coastal Kitchen Family, we plan our promotional focus quarterly to stay ahead of the curve. For example, our Halloween children's platter became so popular last year that it’s now a tradition.

2. Gift Vouchers for Special Occasions Tap into the gift-giving season by offering beautifully packaged vouchers. Whether it's blank vouchers or specific experiences like “High Tea for Two” or a “Chef’s Table Experience,” creating immersive gift options adds value and appeal. People are increasingly looking for experiences rather than cash gifts.

3. Host Themed Nights Themed events can attract customers during slower times. From Mussels Wednesdays to Oyster Happy Hours, seasonal or niche offerings bring in a crowd. Consider special nights for holidays like Burns Night, which adds a festive atmosphere and benefits both guests and staff.

4. Loyalty Cards Build a returning customer base with loyalty cards, especially crucial when relying on local foot traffic. Be creative with rewards; instead of another free coffee, offer something unique, like breakfast or a takeaway cake, to encourage repeat visits and introduce customers to new menu items.

5. Turnover Tables, Reduce Table Hoggers Prevent low-spend, long-time customers from affecting your bottom line by limiting remote workers who linger for hours. Take inspiration from coffee shops like The Collective and Milk and Bean, which have implemented restrictions on laptop use during peak hours to boost table turnover and enhance the venue's atmosphere.

Tune in for these practical tips to help your business thrive through the quieter seasons!

Connect With Us:

• Follow us on Instagram @simply_hospitality_the_podcast

• If you enjoy this episode please give us a follow!

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we dive back into the Employment Rights Bill, dubbed the "biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation." These changes are designed to benefit your most important asset—your people. Check out Episode 1 for further insight here. We’re joined by Alice Hosker from Home of HR; an HR consultancy based in Southsea.

Here's what we cover in Part 2:

1. Zero-Hours Contracts
   While exploitative zero-hours contracts will be banned, employers will still have some flexibility. Alice delves into what this actually means for our industry where hours naturally fluctuate seasonally, and how we could look at alternative types of contract. We share tips on how to plan rotas using Workforce Management Software like Rotaready and offer predictable hours, and using Standby shifts.
   
2. Sick Pay
   Under the new rules, statutory sick pay will become a basic day one right. This is another cost to businesses – so we talk about how to reduce absenteeism by creating a supportive work environment and investing in their wellbeing by signing up for an EAP.
   
3. Flexible working / 4 day working week and “Right to switch off”
   Start thinking about what your flexible working policies look like now in preparation for any changes to legislation around this.

Ruth suggests the introduction of the “if you’re gonna be a manager don’t be an arsehole” legislation.
If all these changes pass, they could reshape how hospitality businesses recruit and manage their teams. Tune in to learn how to prepare for these potential reforms and ensure your business stays ahead of the curve.

For more support on navigating these changes, information on the support Alice can offer can be found at www.homeofhr.co.uk, alice@homeofhr.co.uk and 07870 982 593

Connect With Us:

• Follow us on Instagram @simply_hospitality_the_podcast

• If you enjoy this episode please give us a follow!

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we dive into the Employment Rights Bill, dubbed the "biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation." These changes are designed to benefit your most important asset—your people. A happy team can make all the difference in running a successful hospitality business. To break down what the proposed reforms mean for you, we’re joined by Alice Hosker from Home of HR; an HR consultancy based in Southsea.

Here’s what we cover in Part 1:

1. Fair allocation of tips

Workers have the chance to have a say in how their tips are allocated and employers have to give 100% of tips to the workers. If you don’t have a tipping policy in place, get one in place.

1. National Minimum Wage
   Labour are planning to align a baseline salary across the board for everyone, regardless of age. How will this affect recruitment practices? As businesses we need to be looking at ways to mitigate the impact of the minimum wage by increasing sales and developing our staff. Speak to your accountant if you aren’t already.
2. Unfair Dismissal
   According to the CIPD this is “the most radical change to unfair dismissal law in 50 years”. The proposal shifts the right to claim unfair dismissal from two years of employment to day one. We explore what this means for employers and how to avoid costly claims. We also discuss the importance of good onboarding, clear communication, and managing probation periods effectively.
3. Extension of timescale to make a claim to the employee tribunal.

This is being increased to 6 months (from the previous 3 months). ACAS is a useful tool for support in navigating this.

If all these changes pass, they could reshape how hospitality businesses recruit and manage their teams. Tune in to learn how to prepare for these potential reforms and ensure your business stays ahead of the curve.

For more support on navigating these changes, information on the support Alice can offer can be found at www.homeofhr.co.uk, alice@homeofhr.co.uk and 07870 982 593

Connect with Us

• Follow us on Instagram @simply_hospitality_the_podcast

• If you enjoy this episode please give us a follow!