🔥 Holiday Gear-Up Series, Part 16 (Dec 10th): New Year’s Rush Preparation — Get Ready for the Tourism Wave + January Reset

Congratulations — you’ve nearly survived the December peak.

But now comes the part that blindsides most venues:

👉 The New Year Rush.

January 2–14 is a completely different beast:

Tourists everywhere.Families on holidays.Locals coming back to life.Kids still at home.People spending again.

It’s chaotic… but insanely profitable IF you prepare properly.

This is the post that helps you walk into January calm, confident, and ready for volume — not overwhelmed by it.

🎯 Why January Crushes Unprepared Venues

Most venues walk into January with:

❌ December fatigue

❌ Under-staffed rosters

❌ No specials ready

❌ No menu adjustments

❌ No ordering changes

❌ Empty coolrooms

❌ Overworked teams

❌ No marketing schedule

❌ No plan for the “Tourist Peak”

January isn’t a cool-down.It’s a second wave.

December warms up the machine — January tests it.

💥 The 7 Steps to Nail Your New Year’s Rush

Let’s get your venue READY.

1. Update Your Hours Everywhere (Today.)

People are SEARCHING for venues on:

✔ Google

✔ Maps

✔ Facebook

✔ Instagram

✔ Your website

✔ Holiday guide listings

If your hours are wrong →You lose traffic instantly.

January = tourism.Tourism = Google-driven walk-ins.

Fix your hours → Win customers.

2. Adjust Your Menu for Summer Volume

January is HOT.People want:

🥗 Fresh

🥤 Cold

🍉 Light

🍹 Fun

🍔 Comfort

🍦 Sweet “holiday mode” indulgence🔥 FAST food (they’re impatient in summer)

Trim slow dishes.Add quick-build summer-friendly items.

3. Create 1–2 January Specials (High margin, fast to make)

Don’t overthink this.

Your January specials should be:

✔ High GP%

✔ Simple

✔ Fresh and summery

✔ Instagrammable

✔ Fast to assemble

✔ Based on stock you already carry

Great options:

✨ Summer halloumi stack

✨ Mango + coconut chia pot

✨ Breakfast burrito

✨ Spicy chicken bowl

✨ Watermelon spritz

✨ Raspberry iced latte

Make January FUN and EASY.

4. Prepare Your Staff for the “Tourist Wave”

Tourists:

🔥 Take longer to order

🔥 Ask more questions

🔥 Don’t know your menu

🔥 Expect recommendations

🔥 Move more slowly

🔥 Get overwhelmed easily

Help your team by giving them:

✔ Talk tracks

✔ Menu favourite scripts

✔ Patience reminders

✔ Daily briefing focuses

✔ The “calm body language” rule

✔ A conflict protocol (holiday energy continues)

5. Fix Your Ordering Patterns (January = DIFFERENT Volume)

Do NOT use December ordering for January.Do NOT use normal ordering for January either.

January has:

✔ More cold drinks

✔ More fruit movement

✔ Faster pastry turnover

✔ Higher ice consumption

✔ More takeaways

✔ More cabinet items selling out

✔ Fewer heavy dishes

✔ More impulse buys

Adjust your ordering NOW.

6. Reset Your Team After Christmas Week

You CANNOT walk into January with a broken team.

Before Jan 1–2, do a:

✔ Team debrief

✔ Coolroom reset

✔ Prep reset

✔ Morale reset

✔ Expectations reset

Your team must feel:

❤️ Appreciated💡 Clear💪 Supported😎 Ready

A burnt-out team cannot survive January.

7. Run the “January Marketing Kickstart”

January is GOLD for content because everyone is:

✔ Scrolling

✔ Holidaying

✔ Looking for places to eat

✔ Sharing recommendations

✔ Spending money

You need:

📅 14 days of scheduled content

📸 1–2 summer specials photographed

🎥 3 reels pre-made

🎄 “Post-Christmas treat yourself” messaging

🗺️ Tourist-friendly keywords

💦 Cold drink promos

🥑 Brunch promos

📝 Google review push

This alone brings in 20–40% more walk-ins.

💡 Want Help Preparing Your Venue for January?

Here’s how I’m supporting operators this month:

✨ FREE 1-hour Strategy Session

with every Food Safety PRO SystemUse it for:🔥 January planning🔥 Menu trims🔥 Ordering strategy🔥 Staff training🔥 Systems setup

✨ FREE Food Safety Essentials System

with the 3-Pack Consulting Bundle

Perfect for venues wanting operational reset + staff alignment before January hits.

✨ FREE December Content Planner

with ANY consulting booking

Keep your marketing consistent while you survive the floor.

🟦 Explore services:bambamculinaryconsultants.com/services-9

Tomorrow (Dec 11): BONUS POST — “The January Reset Checklist”

To kick off the New Year STRONG.

Ben

-Bam Bam culinary Consultants