Tips are seen as a massive employment benefit of choosing employment in hospitality. In an industry that has lots of minimum wage employees, tips supplement wages and are a huge motivating factor in providing excellent service – after all, happier guests generally mean bigger tips!
But managing, distributing and calculating tips fairly can be challenging for operators. Research in 2022 by Iris Software Group reported that more than 1.2 million hospitality staff in the UK are paying too much National Insurance on their tips.
And with upcoming updates to legislation surrounding tips and tronc systems, there’s never been a better time to review your current procedures and make sure you’re managing tips fairly in your business. With a full suite of software products that support people, payroll and rota processes in hospitality businesses, we’re taking a look at what a tronc scheme is, what the new legislation will mean for operators and how you can set up an HMRC-compliant tronc system for your business.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
Do you know the best-performing items on your menus right now? If you said no – that’s where menu engineering could help you.
Here at Access, we hear about the challenges operators are facing when it comes to creating a robust sales mix that can withstand the fluctuations in the market when it comes to rising food and beverage costs and matching customer demand. The answer? It’s likely sitting in your sales data.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
Pull out all the stops and increase bookings to your venue with our Mother’s Day marketing ideas for restaurant operators.
Mother’s Day falls on the 10th of March in 2024, so there’s still plenty of time to let your customers know what you have planned at your venue. Since over a third of Brits participate in food-related activities on Mother’s Day, the holiday represents a huge opportunity to boost revenue.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
Maximise revenue this Valentine’s Day by optimising your booking process, creating more space, and delivering a silky-smooth customer experience.
Valentine’s Day offers a lucrative opportunity for restaurant and bar operators who plan ahead. As dining remains one of the top V-day activities, restaurant and bar operators have an opportunity to generate a boost in bookings around the holiday if they know who, how and when to target their audience in the run up.
So, what can operators do to get a slice of the Valentine’s pie this year? As hospitality software providers, the Access team have dug through the data to deliver our top tips to make this Valentine’s Day a profitable one.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
In the age of smartphones and on-demand everything, hospitality has undergone a remarkable transformation in which real-life experiences and digital software must work in harmony. And whether you’re just starting to adopt a software-based strategy in your business or are experienced in navigating the technological requirements of a large-scale hospitality business, you’ve likely found yourself considering "Is an omnichannel restaurant strategy right for me?"
Here at Access, we hear this question a lot. So, we’ve decided to get into it in this comprehensive guide and address the myriad questions, doubts and considerations that have led you here. We understand that the restaurant industry is one of constant evolution, and your journey through the digital dining landscape may be just beginning, or it may be a quest for optimisation and staying ahead of the curve.
So, whether you’re a digital newbie or an experienced technology advocate for your business, keep reading as we explore omnichannel restaurant software, what it is, how it works and most importantly, whether adopting one will help you achieve your business objectives.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
If you’re feeling frustrated by no-shows and last minute cancellations, you’re not alone. This is an issue that has always been a problem in hospitality, but with rising costs in all areas squeezing profits ever tighter, lost revenue due to casual reservations can have a devastating effect on your business.
If this is something you are having trouble with, it may be time to consider implementing a restaurant deposit policy.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
Christmas? You’ve heard of it, and you’re probably months in to planning it, right? One of (if not the most) successful quarters of the year for hospitality businesses, we know all too well how critical preparing for seasonal trade is, and that it’s no longer as simple as putting up a tree and waiting for your footfall increase.
To help you get on Santa’s good list this year, we’ve enlisted our hospitality discovery platform DesignMyNight to share must-know Christmas trends and tips for hospitality, how to reap the benefits of December visits, and what consumer trends you should be aware of, and consider for your business in 2023.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
As bar and restaurant owners gear up for the most critical trading period of the year – the festive season – it’s important to remember that this can be a stressful time to work on the front lines of hospitality. High customer expectations and busy kitchens can lead to intense working environments that put a lot of pressure on staff. Often hospitality staff are young and may be facing their first Christmas away from family and with the added pressure of working when most people are off having fun.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
In 2022, 28% of bookings for the entire year unfolded in the months of October, November and December - making the Christmas season one of the most prominent revenue opportunities of the year. And, if you’re reading this article, you know the importance of forward planning in such a competitive industry.
Here at Access Hospitality, we often hear our customers tell us that they want to utilise their software to maximise the Christmas opportunity for their business. And the number one key piece of advice we have? Start early.
So, you’re in the right place, in this article we’re going to look at some of the key areas you can start planning early to give yourself a head start in the run up to Christmas.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
The Christmas season is a potentially huge revenue opportunity for hospitality business owners, and it doesn’t matter if you’re running a bustling bar, a family-friendly pub or a fine-dining restaurant – Christmas is a business boost for everyone. However, if you’re reading this article, you’re concerned that factors such as rising food and drink costs and the ongoing cost of living crisis that influences customers to opt for more budget-friendly choices are potentially going to impact on revenue this year and you’re looking for strategies to combat this.
- Topic:
- Hospitality
