Diwali guide for restaurants

1. Plan around kitchen and table capacity

Confirm opening hours, available tables and the dishes your kitchen can serve reliably. Decide which orders you can accept during busy periods before promoting a festive menu. Keep takeaway capacity separate from dine-in seating.

Choose one main message for each service period. It might be a festive menu, an available dining window or a pre-order collection slot. Assign a shift lead to remove it when capacity changes.

2. Put the right message in the right place

At the entrance, make dining hours and the next step clear. At the counter, explain collection or ordering. On an existing digital screen, keep the offer readable with a short message and one destination.

Use printed standees or LED-backlit printed light boxes for stable information such as festive opening hours. If prices or availability change during service, update the physical artwork too. The backlight does not update a printed message.

3. Sample copy to adapt

Diwali dining at [restaurant]. Explore our [menu name], available [dates and service hours]. View the menu at [destination] or ask the host. Tables subject to confirmation. [Price basis and applicable terms].

For takeaway: Pre-order [menu or item] for collection during [confirmed windows]. Order by [cut-off]. We will confirm your collection time. Replace all brackets and check the message against the current menu before display.

4. Test the ordering path

Open the QR destination on a phone and check that visitors can see current prices without hunting through old posts. Confirm that staff receive the enquiry or order through the channel you already use.

Do not describe a request as a confirmed table or paid order unless your process confirms it. Keep allergen or dietary questions with staff who can check the ingredients. Avoid dietary claims the kitchen cannot support.

5. Run a short check at every handover

Ask the kitchen what has sold out and the host what capacity remains. Remove unavailable items from the message before starting the next service period. Check that collection times match the times staff are giving customers.

Keep walkways and exits clear when placing displays. Read the screen from the queue or waiting area. If customers repeatedly ask the same question, answer that question in the next message instead of adding another promotion.

6. Close the offer and review the shift

Remove festive pricing and expired collection windows when the offer ends. Keep any ongoing menu links current. Send future promotions only to customers who have agreed to receive them.

Record enquiries, confirmed tables, fulfilled takeaway orders and cancelled orders separately. Note food waste and staffing issues alongside sales. A busy counter alone does not tell you whether an offer was worthwhile.

Your daily Diwali worksheet

Print this page or save it as a PDF. Fill in the details before sharing any offer; keep this sheet with the shift lead. Sample wording is a template, not a claim about your business.

1. Menu or item and confirmed price:
2. Service hours / table capacity / collection windows:
3. Order cut-off and confirmation process:
4. Sold-out message and person responsible:
5. QR destination and last test:
6. Enquiries / fulfilled orders / cancellations / costs: