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The summer and the peak season it represents can’t come soon enough for a hospitality sector that has faced challenges again in 2024. Venues must be strategic and identify ways to optimise their operations. One key to success is not just filling their physical venues but finding ways to drive incremental revenue and unlock the potential of every channel – physical and digital.

In recent years, thousands of formerly on-premise-only venues began offering takeout and delivery to combat the impacts of the pandemic and lockdown. While lockdowns, for now, appear to be a thing of the past, many venues are still offering a combination of touch points, both on—and off-premise. But how much value does each drive? How can each channel be optimised? And how can all three be unified in one central strategy?

Understanding each channel

To maximise revenue this summer, venues must understand the nuances of each channel and how their guests interact with them because each has unique characteristics and potential. On-premise dining options remain a key pillar for many hotels. Having a meal or drink at an in-hotel venue is often associated with a more elaborate occasion, generating higher average spending. For venues, this presents an opportunity to offer premium services or exclusive experiences that justify a higher price.

However, takeout and delivery once considered a “secondary” service, now represent major revenue streams. According to research from Lightspeed, almost a third of Australian consumers want to see more upscale restaurants offering food delivery services through popular online ordering apps. These channels are convenient and enable guests to enjoy high-quality meals in the comfort of their room or at an off-site location. Every venue has a finite physical capacity, but through these additional channels, venues can increase their capacity and, therefore, their revenue potential.

Simon Le Grand Lightspeed. – Senior Director of Marketing at Lightspeed.

Optimising on-premise

During peak season, venues can increase revenue by improving table turnover, upselling, and enhancing the guest experience. Venues can improve table turnover by ensuring their reservation slots aren’t unnecessarily long, optimising their staffing—both their front-of-house and kitchen teams—to handle the demand and streamlining every touchpoint.

According to Lightspeed research, over half of Australians say the ability to pay directly at the table without waiting for the server to return would enhance their dining experience. In addition to improving guest experience, it would streamline the payment process. If a venue can save a few minutes like this during every sitting, it could free up an entire new sitting over the day.

Our research also found that almost two in three consider positive staff interactions necessary when returning to a venue. When operators can enhance the guest experience, they can improve guest retention. Venues may also want to consider creating a summer menu with seasonal dishes, training staff to identify upsell opportunities, boosting walk-in rates with outdoor seating or live music, and introducing or enhancing loyalty programs to encourage repeat summer visits. Approximately three in four Aussies would be motivated to sign up for a sit-down restaurant loyalty program, demonstrating its lucrative potential.

Leveraging digital channels

Online food ordering and delivery platforms, a $2.2 billion industry, have grown at an annualised 13.5% over the five years through 2024-25. Our research shows that one in three Aussies wants upscale restaurants to offer the service, which creates many revenue opportunities.

Venues should ensure their website and booking system are mobile-friendly, fast, and easy to navigate. Offering online ordering through direct channels, like a website, can circumvent third-party fees and enable venues to build closer relationships with their guests. However, delivery platforms have significant reach, so combining both can drive the quantity and quality of interactions. Digital ads can also be targeted to local visitors or those planning a stay in the hotel. In contrast, on-premise ads can help convert those visitors who might not have been able to secure a physical reservation.

Venues should not just replicate their in-house offerings. It’s an opportunity to cater to a different audience and take advantage of seasonal trends. For example, summer dining may include outdoor picnic boxes, barbecue packs, or casual bites that either ‘travel better’ or are more suited for a quick takeout meal.

The real potential for revenue growth lies in integrating all these channels into one omnichannel strategy. A unified point-of-sale system like Lightspeed that tracks all transactions – whether on-premise or off-premise – allows venues to gather comprehensive data, identify trends, and adjust pricing, menu offerings or overall approach as needed. Cross-promotions that leverage multiple channels – for example, offering delivery discounts to guests who dine in the restaurant – can also drive revenue and guest satisfaction. With data about, for example, inventory, pricing, staffing, and promotions, venues can forecast demand and optimise operations for better efficiency and higher revenue, understanding the current value of each channel and how to optimise that, too.

With summer approaching, hotel F&B venues that optimise all their channels and maximise revenue potential have a unique opportunity. By understanding the value of each channel, how to maximise them individually, and, importantly, integrating them into a cohesive strategy, venues can unlock new revenue streams and enhance the guest experience not just during peak season but long after it.