With kids counting down the days to Christmas, it’s time for licensed and foodservice operators to prepare their menus, venues and promotional plans for the festivities. Just don’t forget the little ones – catering for kids is key to attracting family groups. So how can operators become more family friendly?
Reading time 7 minutes
Any child will tell you: Christmas beats even birthdays as the pinnacle of the year. The countdown kicks off as the fireworks are fizzling out on 5 November, and by the time Saint Nick is packing up his sleigh, the excitement and gift wish lists have had eight weeks to reach dizzying proportions.
Christmas is also the pinnacle of the year for pubs and restaurants. Last year, many of the UK’s biggest pub and restaurant chains reported a boom in trade as friends and families got together for the first Christmas with no restrictions on movement since 2019.[1] This year looks no different with 49% stating they intend to visit a restaurant, pub or bar this festive period.[2]
Decorating your venues, developing festive kids’ menus and providing activities for children of all ages can help Christmas go off with a bang. Here at Britvic, we’re gearing up for a bumper Christmas with our partners. So here’s our guide to putting smiles on faces young and old during the festivities…
It’s time to deck the halls! Boughs of holly and carol singers are optional; trees, lights and a few well-chosen decorations – as well as a good selection of Christmas music – are a must for giving your venue a festive feel and getting your guests in the mood for celebrating.
Cater for kids and put parents’ minds at rest by making sure that children’s drinks are clearly visible behind the bar and age-specific menus are easily available. Consider providing extra treats for little ones, such as mince pies and babycinos after meals or arranging a visit from Father Christmas himself.
There’s nothing like the taste of cranberries, dried fruit, or spices to make you feel more Christmassy. As older guests sup mulled wine or festive cocktails, be sure to not leave the older children and teens out – serve J2O in branded glassware with festive garnishes and ensure you are stocked up on Fruit Shoot for the younger ones.
You can encourage sales of J2O this festive season with our 'mingle with J2O Jingle' Christmas POS Kit. Whether served as a soft drink or mixed up into a J2O Winter Woo Woo for the adults, this kit will be sure to encourage your customers to give it a try.
To maximise festive sales, offer promotions that make it easier and more affordable for families to get together at Christmas. Offering early bird deals allows guests to save money and plan in good time. It also allows operators to anticipate demand during this busy period.
Festive kids’ meal deals are a great way to improve parents’ value perception and excite younger guests. Try offering Fruit Shoot with three-course meals for younger kids, and Britvic Juices to make mocktails for older teens.
Christmas is the time for splashing out. And with cocktails in growing demand in Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants (sales surged by 132% in 2022 [3]), it’s likely parents will be getting more adventurous with their drinks when they’re out celebrating this Christmas. Why not the kids?
Offering older children more sophisticated soft drinks and giving kids the chance to tailor their drinks with Mathieu Teisseire flavour syrups, garnishes and ice can also build the excitement. Take a look at some of our winter cocktail and mocktail recipes below to give you some ideas...
Of course, you can have too much of anything – including excitement. So, it’s worth offering younger guests calmer activities such as colouring, word searches and other games to fill the time between courses while their parents are socialising. After all, the happier the kids are, the happier the parents will be and the more likely they’ll be to come back for more celebrations in the new year!
This year our Fruit Shoot Christmas activity POS kit contains 50 activity sheets that turn into a Christmas card to keep kids occupied while parents relax. The kit also comes with menu clips to encourage the purchase of Fruit Shoot directly at the table.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/12/christmas-sales-boost-cost-of-living-hospitality-firms-whitbread-mitchells-and-butlers
[2] KAM - nationally representative sample of 500UK adults -August 2023 vs 2022
Access knowledge and ideas that help you make the most of sensational drinks
Tap into our resources and help your sensational drinks business grow.
