Lytham Festival 2023 kicks off this week and as proud Lytham residents, we cannot wait! With the likes of Sting, Blondie, Jamiroquai, George Ezra and Lionel Richie heading to the Lancashire coast, it’s sure to be an exciting weekend in Lytham with both local residents and music-lovers from far and wide descending on Lytham Green. But, it isn’t just the ‘Green Green Grass’ of the green that will see all the action. Lytham hospitality is set for a booming week while the festival takes place. While such an influx of festival-goers will be a welcome sight for restaurateurs amid the cost of living crisis, it is vital that venues across Lytham are ready and raring to go ahead of the town’s busiest season.
Here, we look at how Sugarvine Tables can get your venue ready for some dancing on the ceiling.
Use an online table booking system
As the best value table booking system provider, you may be expecting us to lead with this one but, hear us out.
During the 5-day festival, and indeed the days immediately before and after, Lytham is set to be awash with festival-goers desperately seeking out somewhere to eat and drink with most ideally looking to pre-book their festival food and drink. Therefore, it is crucial that your venue is ready and waiting to take these bookings whether it be a week in advance or a panicked, last-minute booking at 11pm the night before the festival. This benefits your would-be customers, as they can book ‘All Night Long’ and wherever they like via your easy to use widget, whether it be on your social media or website (no need for a ‘Message In A Bottle’ here). Not only that, but it will also allow you to plan staff rotas, table plans and table turnovers well in advance.
Think you’ve left it too late to invest in a table booking system? Once we receive confirmation and details from you, our table booking system can be set up in just 48 hours meaning you can start taking bookings in time for the headline act.
Fail to (table) plan, plan to fail
Once you’ve received bookings via your table booking system, then your table plan needs updating to facilitate a smooth service. Thankfully, our booking system is fully integrated with our table management system meaning bookings are automatically added to your back-end table planner.
Simple and easy to use, our table management streamlines your internal processes which means a happier team and customers across the festival – the stuff of ‘Dreams’.
Hello…is it a restaurant you’re looking for?
As we all know, Lytham is a competitive place when it comes to hospitality. From gastro pubs to cafes, bistros to bars our coastal town has it all. And, while locals may have their pre-festival food booked at the same time as their tickets, those who are unfamiliar with the area will be on the lookout for that must-go cafe, bar or restaurant. In fact, in the three months prior to the festival, Google searches for ‘Lytham restaurants’ increases by 22% while searches for ‘Lytham bars’ increases by 129% with both of these terms hitting their search volume peak in the week of the festival. The point? Get your restaurant out there! Whether it’s social media, email marketing, paid search advertising or PR, there’s never been a better time to promote your Lytham restaurant.
When you sign up for Sugarvine Tables you get 12 months of FREE marketing. This includes a profile on our dining guide, Sugarvine.com, which is also featured in our ‘inspiration’ gallery. This can help diners find just what they’re looking for. By filtering by location and/or food type our tool will bring up a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars to match said criteria. Diners can then click on restaurant profiles to browse menus, read reviews and scan the latest offers before deciding on a place to book. Not only this but we will share your events, offers and venue on our social media platforms. Both of these marketing features help to boost your reach and place your venue in front of customers as and when they are searching for a venue like yours.
Take deposits
A no show is bad enough, but a no show in the middle of a packed festival day can be disastrous. Firstly, a no show means no revenue as it is often too late to re-book said table if guests have failed to show. Secondly, it can be a bitter sting in the tail if you have already turned away would-be diners, thinking you were fully booked.
By taking a deposit or holding card details for all bookings over the festival (and into the busy summer period), you can significantly reduce no shows. Meanwhile, in the event a table don’t show you have the pre-paid deposit or ability to charge the held card in order to cover some of your lost revenue. Some venues will even charge the full amount for occasions such as Lytham Festival, especially if they are hosting a special event.
When you sign up for Sugarvine Tables you get a secure deposits system included as standard. Powered by Stripe, our deposits system allows you to take a deposit, take full payment for an event or securely hold card details all at the point of booking. It’s a simple, non-intrusive way to prevent no shows but also protect your revenue should the worst happen.
Table ordering system
Want to take your Lytham festival preparations to the next level? Let us introduce our table ordering system.
Operated via a QR code on tables, festival-goers simply scan, browse your menu, order and pay all in one easy to use system. Our table order and pay system integrates with over 50 EPOS systems so orders can go straight to the kitchen.
With restaurants and bars set to be busier than ever over the 5 day festival, a table ordering system can take the pressure off your staff and prevent ‘The Angry Mob’ of hungry diners! Not only does adopting a table ordering system streamline your processes, but, customers who order via a digital interface are reported to spend an average of 15% extra per meal, boosting your venue’s takings.
Share it on socials
We’ve already talked about sharing your venue and offers on social media before the festival, but what about after?
Showcasing your restaurant or bar during and after the festival is a sure-fire way to secure some engagement and some longer-term trade. As you know, Lytham isn’t just for festivals it’s for life, with many visiting throughout the year.
By sharing what a great place to be your venue was during the festival, you may catch the eye of prospective visitors, keeping your venue busier all year round.
For more information on how to promote your restaurant on social media, you can read our previous blog here.
Now you’ve got our top tips on planning for Lytham Festival, all that’s left to do is keep your fingers crossed for some ‘Sunshine’ to turn the green into our very own ‘Paradise’.
If you’d like to find out more about our table booking and management system, or to try our booking system for free, fill in the form below.
For more information on SVTables or to try the live system call 01253 698328 or complete the form below: