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🔥 Holiday Gear-Up Series, Part 8: Master Holiday Bookings & Service Flow (So December Doesn’t Crush You)

t’s officially December 1st — welcome to the crazy season.

Yesterday was Black Friday.

Today is Cyber Monday.

And for hospitality… it’s the beginning of the most intense 31 days of the year.

If you don’t take control of your bookings and your service flow right now, December will control YOU.

This isn’t the month to “just wing it.”Bookings, big tables, tourists, families, Christmas catch-ups, and unpredictable walk-ins will flood your venue all month long.

And if the flow isn’t managed?

👉 Ticket times blow out

👉 Staff get overwhelmed

👉 Kitchen gets buried

👉 Customer satisfaction collapses

👉 Stress spreads like bushfire

But the good news?

You can get ahead of it all — starting today.

Let’s dive in.


floating on surfboard
Keep calm and manage bookings

🎯 Why Booking & Flow Management Matters Even More Now (December 1st)


Right now, your venue is about to experience:

  • A surge in last-minute group bookings

  • Tourists arriving with no plan

  • Locals returning from holidays

  • Families meeting for early Christmas catch-ups

  • Workplaces having end-of-year lunches

  • Double prams galore

  • “We’re actually 12 people now…”

  • Walk-ins at the WORST possible moments

You can’t stop the December wave.But you CAN shape it, manage it, and channel it.

That’s what this post is for.


💥 The 8 Essential Rules for December Booking Success


These will transform your month.


1. Update Your Holiday Booking Policy TODAY


You must decide:

✔ Max table size

✔ Time limits

✔ Deposit requirements

✔ Cancellation rules

✔ Split-bill policy

✔ How long you hold tables

✔ Whether big groups require set menus

✔ Walk-in rules on peak shifts

These rules protect your team and your sanity.


2. Create a December Floor Plan (Different From Your Normal One)


Your regular layout will not survive holiday trade.

This month you need:

  • A high-turnover section

  • A big-table zone

  • A walk-in buffer area

  • A pram-friendly zone

  • FOH service zones

  • A logical coffee run path

  • Outdoor/indoor balance

Your floor plan IS your service flow.


3. Cap Your Peak Period Capacity


This is game-changing.

Instead of seating everyone at once:

👉 Limit how many guests are seated every 15 minutes.

This prevents:

✔ Kitchen blowouts

✔ Bar overwhelm

✔ Ticket-time disasters

✔ Angry customers

Control the flow → control December.


4. Use Set Menus for Big Groups


For groups 8–12+:

✔ Set menu

✔ Pre-confirmed dietaries

✔ Reduced choices

✔ Clear timing

✔ Clear pricing

This avoids sending your kitchen into war mode.


5. Use “No Surprise” Confirmation Messages


Before every booking:

Send a simple message confirming:

  • Time

  • Duration

  • Table hold policy

  • Maximum seats

  • Dietary instructions

  • Deposit (if required)

  • Parking tips

  • Indoor/outdoor notes

Most customer issues come from assumptions.


6. Train FOH to Regulate Room Flow


Your team must know how to:

✔ Pace seating

✔ Communicate with the kitchen

✔ Handle oversize walk-ins

✔ Spot bottlenecks

✔ Support each other

✔ Manage wait-time conversations

Flow isn’t luck — it’s leadership.


7. Stop Taking Last-Minute Bookings on Peak Days


For Dec 23–26 and Dec 30–Jan 1:

❌ No “table for 10 in 20 minutes?”

❌ No back-to-back large tables

❌ No “We’re on our way!” messages

Protect your team.Protect your service.


8. Review Bookings Every Morning (10 Minutes)


Check:

✔ Table sizes

✔ Big groups

✔ Dietary notes

✔ Sections

✔ Weather

✔ FOH availability

✔ Kitchen capacity

✔ Stock issues

✔ Flow timing

This habit alone will save your December.


💡 Want Help Building a Booking & Flow System for December?


Instead of doing this alone, you can shortcut the entire process.

I’ve created two new value-based service offers for December:


🎁 Holiday Readiness Bonus #1

**FREE 1-hour Consultation


with every Food Safety PRO System purchased.**(valued at $220)

Perfect for venues that need systems, logs, workflows, AND strategic holiday guidance.


🎁 Holiday Readiness Bonus #2

**FREE Food Safety Essentials System


when you book the 3-Pack Consulting Bundle.**(valued at $149)

This is the package for venues needing deep operational help — bookings, service flow, rosters, menu fixes, the works.

If you want your December to run smoother, calmer, and more profitable —I’ve got your back.



Tomorrow’s post:Part 9 — December Marketing: Stop Posting Randomly & Start Printing Money


Ben-

Bam Bam Culinary Consultants

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