How to Prepare For and Profit From St. Valentine's and Mother's Day Traffic

For many restaurants, St. Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the two biggest days of the year. With a little planning and forethought these holidays have the potential to turn an otherwise ho-hum February and May into real bright spots in your yearly sales picture, while also earning you some new, regular clients.

On the other hand, if executed poorly, they'll just be two more days of the week at best, or actually leave a bad taste in the mouths of both new and old clients. Realize that when customers choose your restaurant on either of these days, they're giving you a chance to impress both them and their guests on what they consider to be a very important meal out.

Let's look at what several veteran operators who have mastered these holidays say about how they consistently make the most of them for both themselves and their guests.