The Holidays Are Over, Now What?

Congratulations, you’ve made it. Another holiday season is behind you, and you’re finally able to catch up on the sleep you’ve been missing (and, coincidentally, that cold you’ve managed to stave off has also made an appearance).

It’s safe to say that January isn’t just about resolutions, but simply, resolving to catch up on everything we put off during the chaos. Considering the feelings of renewal and that ‘fresh start’ of the New Year, I can’t think of a better time to dig deep into those projects you’ve been missing. After all, you’ve got a sense of renewed energy (for at least 30 days or so), so put that energy to good use and set yourself up for the best footing possible in the New Year.

Here are some tasks you might want to consider adding to your schedule sooner than later:

1. Get Dirty

Get a head start on your spring cleaning. With slower days following the rush of the holidays, there isn’t a better time to take apart that shelving in your walk in to scrub every nook and cranny.  Need to reorganize but haven’t had the chance? If you’re taking everything apart, why not take the time to do that too? Some shelving systems (like Camshelving by Cambro) are easy to move and take apart to create the perfect configuration for your space. Organizing shelves and product into a more efficient setup will help your staff save time (and money) too.

And it’s not just the walk in you should be worried about. Take the time to clean in the kitchen too. That means pulling your heavy equipment out and cleaning behind and below it—be prepared, it won’t be a pretty sight. I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step either, because you’ll be in violation of health laws to boot. If you need help on how to clean behind your heavy-duty equipment, check out some tips here.

Use this time to check your inventory of cleaning supplies. If your mop bucket has seen better days, or you’re running low on cleaning products, now’s the time to stock up and scrub the heck out of your kitchen.

2. Call Your Service Technician

Your equipment isn’t broken.

Yet.

So why bother spending money on a service technician now? The reason: better service. Think about it—this is the slow season, which means technicians aren’t getting a lot of calls; that means more attention from your technician (you’ll also have time to ask questions and become more knowledgeable about your equipment for future breakdowns). Regular maintenance will keep your equipment running better and longer, and hopefully you’ll suffer no breakdowns later this summer when things really heat up in the kitchen. Also, did you remember to change that water filter recently?

3. Restaurant Week?

If you’re based in the Denver area like Tundra Restaurant Supply is, you know that Restaurant Week starts in just a couple of months. During this time period, restaurants offer a prix fixe 3-course menu. Choosing a menu for restaurant week can be challenging for a twofold reason: creativity and ease of execution. Restaurant week is a time to market your brand to diners who might not ordinarily visit your establishment and it’s your time to impress. That said, when hundreds of diners descend during a single evening, you need to create something easily executable for the masses. If you plan on participating in your local restaurant week, don’t wait until the last minute to plan your menu.

4. Don’t forget about trailing holiday parties

It’s January—the event rush is over, right? Well, mostly. But if you work in a popular restaurant you might still have a couple of stragglers who waited until January to throw their party. After the long, arduous nights of the holiday season the last thing you want to think about is another large event…but muster your energy and pull through. And consider this—with less pressure at this time of year, you can really help make the event shine.

5. Marketing Should Be Top of Mind

Marketing is one of those things that we all know needs to be done, but none of us have time to do it. Take the time during this period to think about the upcoming year and any marketing opportunities you want to take advantage of. Whether there are local events, ads in trade journals, or even creating a regular social media and email promotional campaign, it’s a lot easier to execute things when there’s a plan in place. The start of the spring semester is also a great time to tap into local colleges for interns. Even if it’s just helping you with your social, or answering the phones during evening service, interns can get a taste of the industry while bringing their own generational experiences to keep your marketing on trend.