This weekend marks the celebration of Queen Elizabeths ninetieth birthday. There will be many events going out throughout the world to commemorate this momentous achievement; there is none more unusual than the Bun Throwing from the top of The County Hall into the Market Place in Abingdon, UK.
The tradition dates back 255 years, where 4500 specially baked buns with a crown on the top, are going to be thrown from the roof into the crowd below by the Mayor of Abingdon the local councillors.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-36496647
The added benefit to an event like this is that the local hospitality businesses will get a surge in trade, and those who have put plans in place to cope with this influx will benefit with a bulging till and lots of new guests.
Those who are not aware of the event will either not be open or upset hoards of potential new guests by offering a bad experience with overwhelmed staff and overstretched kitchens.
The times we experience this as customers the latter, over and over again is breathtaking and completely avoidable.
It's not just the major events that need preparing for too; it's just as important for other seasonal or more predictable events like Mothers Day or Valentines Day.
Of course, there is only so much planning you can do, the rest will be down to managing through the surge of guests by making the right decisions on the hoof, and most importantly communicating honestly and quickly if something does go wrong.
Having a preparation checklist will help you get ready. Scheduling sufficient staff is obvious as well as ordering more ingredients; however you could make some changes to your menu that simplify and speed up operations and significantly increase your capacity. Ensuring that the team on duty are made up of you A list employees as well will make things run smoothly.
Not remembering the consumable items like till rolls and having enough change can cause significant disruption and slow down service.
P.S. the Picture at the top is from 2011 when the County Hall was undergoing major renovations so the buns were thrown from a hole cut in the sheeting! The County Hall looks resplendent now
About the Authors
Andrew & Claire Bowen are the authors of 'The Daily Grind - how to open a coffee shop that makes money' Available on Amazon, and Founders of Café Success cafesuccesshub.com - the ultimate resource site for coffee shop, cafe and tea room owners worldwide.
To buy The Daily Grind on Amazon Click Here
