Increase foot traffic this Halloween in your venue.

Although Halloween might not be as big in Australia as in the USA, there are still many people who love to celebrate and want an excuse to dress up and partake in the fun. So, it’s a good idea to make sure that your venue is ready to capitalise and drive more foot traffic through your hospitality venue door. Not sure how? Here are some tips on how to make your venue a Halloween hotspot:

1.   Host a Halloween event.

The first step to boosting foot traffic could be as simple as hosting a Halloween event at your venue. However, it's important to consider your target audience and the type of crowd your venue typically attracts. Here are some event ideas:

• Halloween Trivia Night: Create a spooky trivia night based on scary movies or Halloween-themed questions.
• Dance Party: Turn your venue into a dance floor for those who want to dance in their Halloween costumes.
• Special Set Menus: Offer a special Halloween-themed dining experience with a unique menu.
• Family Dress-Up Night: Encourage families to bring their kids for a dress-up night, with prizes for the best costumes.
• Themed Nights: Consider hosting various themed nights, such as one for families, one for scary dress-ups, and one for movie character costumes etc.

2.     Reservations

If your venue doesn't already have a reservation system integrated with your POS, you are missing out on streamlining your bookings and improving table management. Integrated reservations help you manage your tables efficiently, increase table turnover, and accommodate more customers throughout the night. You can encourage your customers to make booking ahead of time with Halloween treats such as free lollies for those who book ahead, or you could even offer discounts to customers who make a reservation. This helps your venue better prepare for the big day. Best of all, if you choose something like this, you will be able to promote what you do on social media, increasing interest in your venue.

Below are some reservation integrations that will talk to your Bepoz point of sale system:

• SevenRooms
• Now Book It
• OpenTable
• ResDiary
• Ivvy

3.     Decorate your venue

Transform your venue to embrace the Halloween spirit. You don't have to go all out with crazy decorations; even subtle touches like pumpkin decor can set the mood. For added fun, hide a token somewhere in your venue and let customers know that finding it could win them one of your Halloween specials. This adds an element of excitement for guests, especially kids.

4.     Social media and marketing

Harness the power of social media to draw in a crowd. Promote the Halloween events you'll be hosting, send invites to locals, and showcase any special menu items you've created for the holiday. Even if you've simply renamed existing menu items to fit the theme, it helps create the holiday spirit.

Tip: If you're a Bepoz member, take advantage of the platform to gather customer data. This data allows you to send targeted marketing messages to your customers, whether it's for an event you're hosting or special promotions leading up to Halloween.

5. Pay at Table

If your venue has ever considered implementing pay at the table, now is the perfect time, especially with Halloween and other celebrations on the horizon. Pay-at-the- table technologypay-at-the-table can be a game-changer for your venue. It not only saves your staff time by eliminating the need to take orders and payments manually but also allows them to focus on enhancing the overall customer experience. Moreover, implementing pay at the table can lead to cost savings by requiring fewer staff on the roster.

One significant benefit is that pay-at-the-table systems have been known to increase the average customer spend. When customers can order what they want, when they want it, you have the opportunity to tempt them with mouth-watering images of each meal. As they say, customers eat with their eyes, and this visual appeal can lead to higher sales. Getting this set up before the Halloween rush can help your venue streamline operations and ensure a smoother, more efficient customer experience during this busy holiday season and beyond.

This Halloween, don't miss the chance to make your venue a Halloween destination for both young and old. By hosting exciting events, decorating your space, leveraging social media, and optimising reservations, you can ensure your venue becomes a go-to spot for Halloween this year. Contact Bepoz with any questions about getting your venue ready and set up for the day.