Turn Green into Gold: 3 Tips to Profit on St. Patrick’s Day

The Guinness is tapped, the corned beef is cooked, and the sea of green and orange is drawing near. You’ve been preparing for this day since last March and this year you’re really ready; you are going to sham-ROCK it… ok, maybe not quite. If you’re in the restaurant business, St. Patrick’s Day is a boon and a bane, so here’s a few tips to keep your guests happy and your staff sane.

First and foremost, you should have feature dishes and drinks, and you should have the inventory to support them. But that’s not enough – you need to let people know about them. Use the power of the web to share on your social media pages and on your website to get customers in the door. Then post your specials on tables, in menus, on walls, in the bathrooms… everywhere your customers go in and around your restaurant.

Consider setting up a cash-only keg to take some stress off the bar. Be strategic when selecting the where to put it though. Be sure to place it away from high-traffic areas that might cause more chaos like bathroom lines, bar crowds, and employee speedways. If that’s not an option, try dividing the bar, advertising mixed drinks on one side and beer on the other to keep things moving.

Large group orders can quickly snowball and halt efficiency and profitability at the bar during peak times. Try implementing a maximum drink order. A limit of three drinks per order is justifiable by liquor laws alone, and keeps your bartenders from getting stuck on one ticket for fifteen minutes. Your servers will also be grateful when their tables’ orders are prepared quickly, leaving time for more rounds and more profits.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and for those in the food and beverage industry, that means profit potential. It also means a long, exhausting day. When tensions and ticket times start to climb, maintaining a level-head is the best thing you can do for your team. Keep it fun, keep it positive, and keep in mind it’s only one day of chaos to reach your pot of gold.