Celebrating Valentine's Day

[KellyLynn01]

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at Community Taproom!

Holidays are the perfect opportunity to create memorable experiences for our guests, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. To make the most of these special occasions, we follow a tried and true method. Here’s our formula to set ourselves up for success!

Step 1 - Plan The Menu

We love creating unique offerings, events, partnerships, and obviously, specialty drinks for the holidays and other special occasions.

This Valentine’s Day, we’re pairing up with a local boutique wine shop and a renowned local chef for an expertly paired small bites and wine sample menu - perfect for couples or singles looking to Mix & Mingle (that’s even the name of the event!). 

We’ve also curated a special wine list with on-theme offerings like celebratory bubbles and “Love Drunk Rose”, as well as our Instangramable house made Rose Petal Frose Slushy, adorned with edible flower petals and a heart-shaped straw!

Step 2 - Set The Mood

Curating playlists, being thoughtful about lighting plus dining room setup, and purchasing or crafting decor such as florals and table settings are all something we begin planning well in advance of the holiday to create the perfect ambiance.

Step 3 - Early Sales: Tickets, Bookings, Reservations

Our industry statistically sees an increase in business around holidays, so we encourage guests to make plans in advance to join us for Valentine’s Day by booking early or pre-paying through Toast Online Ordering. Sometimes we even use incentives to fill these slots like reduced prices or two-for-one deals. 

Step 4 - Promotions 

Once the event has been planned, the mood has been set, and tickets or bookings are available, we begin promotions throughout our various channels, focusing on social media and Toast Email Marketing. 

We use photos that showcase the menu while we let people know why our event is special. Storytelling is a great way to do this; for example, our Valentine’s Day Guest Chef is famous locally for his cheesecake and we’ve worked closely with him to tell the story of why he started making these fabulous desserts and how he got where he is today. 

Other promotional avenues that we utilize are printed event posters and partnerships with our local tourism agencies that share our event to their online databases which are easily searchable for out-of-town guests looking for an overnight experience. 

Step 5 - Staff Awareness 

Lastly, and most importantly, it’s time to ensure that our staff is well-prepared for the upcoming event. Pre-shift communications and meetings are essential to making sure we are all on the same page and to familiarize everyone with the event details, specials, and everything else needed to know in order to provide top-notch service on a busy night.

Step 6 - Following Up 

Reaching out to guests for feedback is a great way to keep them engaged while finding out what worked and what might not have gone over so well. Sending thank you emails, crafting a thank you post, and inviting them to return are all ways we like to follow up! We also encourage guests to share their photos on social media and tag us in hopes to create more buzz for the next event - which we’ve already begun planning before Valentine’s Day has come and gone!

Do any of these steps resonate with your method of planning for special occasions? What would you add here for a successful event?