Some encouraging words needed...

Please tell me that this time of year is painfully slow for everyone! We are closing in on the end of our first year and since a couple of weeks before Christmas, business has almost come to a stand still. When does it ususally pick back up for most people?
Thanks in advance

what type of biz? I think most are slow but i also think it depends on what you have.

Not the time of year, it's the type of year. Slow economy, places that used to be packed are barely half full in some areas.

Spring is around the corner and things seem to pick up in every type of business

Oh man! I feel your pain. Painfully slow for me too! Sales are real flat, even feeling like throwing in the towel here tonight. If you hang in there I will hang in there too. How does that sound?


dw

this is ALWAYS the slowest time of year for food businesses---good economy or bad--after the "holidays" is the pits! My families got a tavern in Mass thats been in the family for about 50 yrs and run by family members--this is when they take turns and time of and head for Florida. Hang in there--your regulars will be back as soon as they catch up a bit on the holiday credit card spending!

Restaurants are one of the first businesses to feel an economic pinch, this isn't a pinch, it's a headlock, hang in there, it will pass. Things could be worse for you, you could be in real estate...people gotta eat!

Depends on where you are, what the weather is, what kind of food you serve. I always did really well in January and Febuary, but then my restaurant was a full scale resto.......bar, fireplaces, lots of woodwork and exposed brick......perfect place to have a glass of your fav libation and a good meal.......rack of lamb, filet mignon, fish, shellfish while you watch the snow come down outside. I never had a "down" time.....a little in the summer for lunch when everyone went to the beaches. Never in the winter.

We are a local bar and grill, great home made foods and lots fun. Our lunches are 1/2 of what they were in the fall and dinners are also. We have a bike night that will start in the Spring and hopefully that will rev it back up. Thanks for the encouraging words!

Are your able to contact your regulars? If not you should start an email list and encourage your customers to join it. Offer them something like a free drink or discount on their next meal, whatever works for you. Then when you have slow times, or an event, you can email the list with another freebie or discount to get them to come in for a bite or a drink. Should work whenever you have a slow down. There are other ways to do this but email is the most widely used right now.