The holiday season is upon us, and it’s a time for family, fun, and food. When it comes to dining out during the holidays, diners are setting the bar higher this year and adding more than just delicious food to their wishlist. In fact, when asked what would make them more likely to dine at a restaurant this season, diners listed special events, live entertainment, holiday-themed meals, and game day events as some of the top wishlist items. 

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To satisfy these cravings, restaurants are using online Ordering Events to give their guests an elevated experience that stands apart from the competition and increases revenue! In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of Ordering Events and share examples from restaurants seeing success with the tool.

What are Ordering Events?

Ordering events are similar to catering, but instead of offering a variety of selections for a single customer, you provide a limited selection, sometimes even just a single dish, to a high volume of customers. Restaurants create special menus for everything from holiday meals, to prefixed dinners, to sporting events, and make tickets or pre-orders available through their existing online ordering solution. 

An Ordering Event is an opportunity for guests to order from a special menu during a specific time frame designated by the restaurant. Similar to catering, guests place their orders online from a pre-fixed menu and schedule their pick-up time. Restaurants “host” online Ordering Events for everything from simple weekday dinners and game-day platter to holiday meals and decadent desserts. 

Owners can better prepare their kitchen and staff for these special promotions by setting a maximum number of items to sell, scheduling when guests can pick up their orders, and collecting payment upfront to ensure the kitchen doesn’t make food that is never picked up and paid for. The cherry on top? By running these promotions alongside their standard in-person and online ordering services, restaurants have been able to increase their revenue.

The advantages of planning early

Bird Dog serves New York’s West Village “Italian food with a southern drawl” and is best known for their handmade pasta. With the ultimate goal to be known as the place for holiday festivities, the restaurant has created Ordering Events for Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Super Bowl, and Valentine’s Day and have earned over $11.4k from these events. The moral of the story? Ordering Events allow you to plan ahead which gives you and your team more time to focus on your in-house guest experience, while increasing revenue at the same time.

An annual cigar night lights up NYC

Chazz Palminteri Italian Restaurant, with locations in White Plains and New York City, hosts an annual cigar night in September, featuring an open bar, hors d’ oeuvres, and a buffet. Using Ordering Events to sell tickets in advance, Chazz raked in over $17k in revenue, a 56% increase from last year’s event. This Ordering Event earned the restaurant approximately $400 per order, an astonishing 557% increase over their average ticket size! By hosting this annual event, Chazz cracked the code on establishing a “can’t-miss” annual event that is lucrative and easy to execute. 

Capitalizing on a captive football audience

Located in Long Beach, N.Y., Brixx & Barley has seen its fair share of fervent football fans. Whether rooting for the Jets or the Giants, the restaurant wants to offer their customers an unforgettable gameday experience. Working with Popmenu, Brixx & Barley use Ordering Events throughout the football season to host tailgates outside of Metlife Stadium. Each ticket purchased provides guests with transportation, food, libations, and of course, fun! Brixx & Barley have already sold 63 tickets this season, earning a sweet $17.8k. Understanding people's passion for football, Brixx & Barley created a unique way for their guests to enjoy gameday which allows them to win all season long.

Making Thanksgiving as easy as pie

Murphy’s Atlanta knows that while some folks enjoy cooking their own Thanksgiving meal, others would prefer to sit back, relax, and enjoy a meal made for them. That’s why they’re hosting a special Thanksgiving Ordering Event, which provides a convenient and delicious way for guests to enjoy a dinner for four without having to mash a potato or baste a bird. In the months leading up to the holiday, the restaurant has already sold 46 meals, earning them almost $14k in revenue. By promoting their event in advance, Murphy’s is well on their way to a successful holiday season.

Special events are no joke

At 17th Street Grill in Tustin, Calif., people come for the comfort food and stay for the warm and friendly atmosphere. Knowing their customers love gathering together, the restaurant began hosting a series of wine dinners and comedy nights throughout the year using Ordering Events. Throughout July, August, and September, 17th Street Grill hosted three events that generated an additional $4,200 on top of their usual earnings. Plus, the events they have planned for the rest of the year have already earned them over $3,200 in pre-order sales. 

Bringing the flavors of Italy to Texas

Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar, with two locations in the Houston area, wanted to take their already elevated dining experience to the next level. Passerellas is using Ordering Events to help them draw a crowd for their “Tour Through Italy” dinner series which invites guests to enjoy delicious Italian food and wine. The first dinner has already brought in over $2,200 in sales, and the remaining events have already netted over $1,200 from pre-sales. To this success we say, “Buon Appetito!”

Let the deli trays save the day

On the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, those who observe traditionally fast during the day and break the fast at night with family, friends, and delicious food. Connecticut-based Lox Stock & Bagels hosted an Ordering Event before the sacred holiday to make it easy for guests to plan ahead and focus on the importance of the day. Lox Stock & Bagels served 110 customers, earning them over $4,800. 

Ordering Events with Popmenu

Popmenu has helped restaurants host over 20,000+ Ordering Events. From commission-free online ordering that lives directly on your website to marketing tools that make promoting your events easy, Popmenu has the tools to help your restaurant grow. Learn more about how we make Ordering Events, online ordering, and marketing easier for restaurants here.