That first glimpse of tinsel in the shops is always a bit of a wake-up call. The festive season is creeping in again, and anyone running a venue or hospo business in Australia knows what’s coming: long days, busy nights, and the kind of energy that can tip your year into the black. But the venues that handle the rush best aren’t the ones that just cross their fingers and hope for the best. It’s the operators who plan—really plan—who finish December with happy teams, happy guests, and a healthy profit.

With only a month left, there’s still plenty of time to get your house in order. Taking a few steps now will save you headaches when things get hectic, so you can stay focused on running a great service and making sure your customers and your team enjoy the season.

Your Christmas Rush Readiness Checklist

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with so much to do, but breaking things down into sections helps. Here’s what’s worth your attention right now:

1. Nail Your Staffing

You can’t do it on your own—especially in December. Too few staff means frazzled service and mistakes; too many, and your margins slip away.

• Get the Rosters Sorted: By now, everyone wants to know when they’re working so they can make personal plans. Get your Christmas and New Year rosters out straight away, if you haven’t already. It’s a win for staff and for you—less wrangling down the track. If you use an app like Deputy or Tanda, all the better; everyone can check and swap shifts easily.
• Have a Back-Up Plan: People get sick, family issues happen, and transport can fall through without warning. Reach out to casual staff and regulars who can step in at short notice. Having a small pool of on-call help can save your bacon.
• Get Everyone on the Same Page: A quick team meeting before December kicks off works wonders. Use it to run through new promos, menu tweaks, and how you’ll handle bookings and peak periods. Share your expectations—no one likes surprises mid-service.

Action Tip: Stick a printed contacts list in the back area—managers, senior floor staff, and the suppliers you lean on most. In the rush, you’ll want numbers close at hand. Use online roster platforms to manage labour and use your last year’s POS system to work out peaks of trade to forecast rosters.

2. Sort Your Stock

Running out of key lines mid-service is a Christmas classic for all the wrong reasons.

• Stocktake—Everything
• Lock in Final Orders: Your suppliers are flat out, too. Double-check order cut-offs and place those big, essential orders early. Secure your deliveries so you’re not caught out by a missed truck the week before Christmas.
• Make Space: December deliveries will fill up your cool rooms and dry store fast. Give those areas a quick tidy, toss old stock, and make life easier for everyone with decent labelling. 

Action Tip: Make a quick top ten of your must-have dishes and drinks. Do a rough volume count, and then add a little buffer to cover those unexpected surges. It’s always easier to shift leftover wine in January than face running dry at Christmas.

3. Check Your Gear

Coffee machines, fridges, ice makers, EFTPOS—when a single one breaks, chaos follows.

• Book a Service Now: If it’s been a while since the pros looked at your important gear, now’s the time. Better a bill now than scrambling for emergency repairs when it matters most.
• Update & Test Systems: POS, reservation platforms, card machines—make sure all are patched and have back-ups. Have spare chargers and battery banks close by so a flat iPad or handheld unit doesn’t leave you stuck.

Ambience Matters: Give your air con and sound system a once-over. A hot, stuffy bar or a sound system on the fritz can ruin the vibe just as quickly as a kitchen drama.

4. Set Up for Great Service

Christmas customers come in happy and want to stay that way. Small details can turn a busy night into a memorable one.

• Deck the Halls: Put up some festive touches—nothing too wild, but enough to show you’re getting into the spirit. If you have a set menu or new promo, get those printed and on display.
• Double-Check Bookings: Go through your reservations for December, especially group bookings. A five-minute call can mean the difference between a full house and empty tables if a group cancels at the last minute. Check dietary needs and special occasions while you’re at it.
• Walk Through as a Guest: Pop out front and look at things like a customer—entrances, signage, table cleanliness, bathrooms. The “little things” matter even more when you’re busy.

Action Tip: Write out a short script for booking confirmations. It helps your team cover all the details and sets clear expectations about timing, numbers, and cancellation policies.

5. Shout About Your Offerings and Limited-Time Offers

You might have cracking deals, but no one will know unless you tell them.

• Schedule Social Posts: Don’t wait until the last minute. Plan your festive season content now—hours, offers, last-minute tables—and use a tool to queue posts so you’re not scrambling.
• Check Your Listings: Update your hours and details on your website, social media, Google, and anywhere else folks might look you up. There’s nothing worse for a guest than rocking up to a “closed” sign on a day listed as open online.
• Let people know about your Limited Time offer, Christmas cocktail, or signature dish through social media, advertisement in the venue or group and track the sales.

Action Tip: Draft template replies for the usual customer questions online (holiday hours, dog-friendly status, booking enquiries). Take the hassle out of responding during peak weeks.

Set Yourself Up for a Smooth December

What you put in now, you get back tenfold once the doors fly open in December. Run through this list over the next couple of weeks—even ticking off a few tasks each day adds up fast. Only you know your venue’s quirks, but this kind of preparation turns the Christmas chaos into just another day at a venue you’re proud to run. Make sure your team is aware of any increased days of trade from previous years, align them with the bookings and have a meeting around Christmas and New Year parties and discuss each of their roles and responsibilities. Make sure the operational flow works well during this time. 

Taking even one small step today is a favour to your future self. In December, you will thank me.