The scent of mulled wine will soon fill the air, signalling the beginning of the busiest and most lucrative season for the restaurant sector. While Christmas brings joy and increased footfall, it also presents a big challenge: how can operators manage high volumes while maintaining exceptional food and service?
With front-of-house staff, chefs and managers working overtime, the last thing teams need is clunky tech slowing them down. With that in mind, Lightspeed is encouraging businesses to put their tech stacks to the test with a holiday readiness check-up – ensuring technology is not just functional, but actively supporting teams and enhancing the guest experience.
From bottlenecks to better service with smart tech
For hospitality professionals, the holiday rush often comes with familiar headaches. Longer wait times, miscommunication between the kitchen and front-of-house, and inaccurate sales reports can all hinder operations and damage customer experience. Lightspeed’s suite of ePOS and payments tools is designed to turn these pain points into moments of seamless service.
Here’s how Lightspeed can help businesses prepare for the busy season:
- Turn tables faster with Tableside. Take orders and payments directly at the table with an iPhone – eliminating back-and-forth trips to the till. Three-strong London-based Mexican restaurant group Santo Remedio uses the technology to reduce wait times and boost revenue. “Tablesides saves at least 30 seconds on each order, with no need to go back and forth,” says a spokesperson.
- Never miss an order with Order Anywhere. Guests can order the way they prefer – and reorder easily – without waiting, increasing transaction volumes. Cambridge bakery group Fitzbillies reports double-digit growth in spend per transaction via QR ordering versus counter service. “It’s a 20% increase in spend per transaction, which is just incredible,” says a spokesperson for the three-site business.
- Track performance with Lightspeed Pulse. This feature keeps managers and owners on top of business performance even when off-site, by syncing live sales data from ePOS to mobile.
- Benchmark success with Benchmarks & Trends. Operators can compare their performance with local competitors to boost efficiency, cut costs and refine guest experience. London brands Mildreds and Mallow no longer need to manually research the competition. “Before, we’d look around just to get a sense of how other restaurants are performing and pricing. Now Benchmarks & Trends gives us those insights instantly, so we can rely on real data and make confident decisions to maximise success,” a spokesperson says.
Making festive dining stress-free for staff and guests
Christmas is all about creating memorable guest experiences. With the right tools, staff can focus on what matters most: the customer. Lightspeed’s all-in-one ePOS and payments platform enables teams to manage multiple bookings with confidence, turn tables faster with iPhones, and let guests order however they choose – all helping to deliver a fabulous festive experience.
By reviewing tech stacks now, operators aren’t just preparing for the festive rush – they’re setting their business up for strong year-end results and future success.
Seasonal savings on cutting edge POS and payments tools
Unwrap exclusive festive savings on Lightspeed Restaurant software and hardware.Click here to save 40% on Lightspeed Restaurant.
https://www.lightspeedhq.co.uk/pos/restaurant/holiday-season/
