Page 36 - BusinessWest November 11, 2024

Mick Corduff says many repeat customers for holiday parties like to book the same dates year after year.
Staff Photo
Friday before Christmas, or two weeks before, or the first Saturday in Decem- ber. We’re actually seeing some holiday Christmas parties in November, a little earlier than usual, especially with the bigger ones. They really want to have it on a Friday night or a Saturday night, and the Saturday nights tend to be grabbed up really quick. So we have
a few customers that are doing it in late November, mid-November, in and around Thanksgiving.
“You can work with them on pricing when there isn’t such a high demand, so that’s always a good thing for them,” he added. “Or they might get the whole facility, rather than having to do smaller rooms because it fits what we have.
Like I said, we’re really starting to pick up on Fridays and Saturdays right now.”
Holiday bookings seem comparable to where they were in 2023, he added, partly due to the loyalty factor.
“We have a loyal customer base that comes to us year over year. Some of the larger companies have come to us on the same dates,” he told Business- West. “It also really depends on how the holidays fall. Christmas falls in the middle of the week this year, so it’s a little different.”
“We just finished some Thanksgiving menus, finished up the Christmas to-go packages, and the reservations for holiday gatherings are starting to trickle in now.”
Edison Yee, principal manag-
ing partner of the Bean Restaurant Group, which boasts more than a dozen establishments, ranging from quick service to fast casual to more upscale, said the holiday season is an exciting time of the year for the company.
“We began planning months ago; for most restaurants, it’s the busiest time of the year,” he said, noting that the Student Prince, on Fort Street in Springfield, and the Boathouse, on the Connecticut River in South Had- ley, do most of the function-type busi- ness, and holiday bookings start com- ing in during the summer.
“Christmastime on Fort Street
is very, very festive. It’s decorated — we have great new decorations this year — and we have the Fort carolers, which are always a smash hit. People come back, families come back, busi- nesses come back year after year for the festivities. With the traditions
of Fort Street, it’s a great time to be there.
“At the Boathouse, it’s usually the same — that’s a function house as well, with ample room,” Yee explained. “They both do great business over the holidays, and we have Christmas with Santa at both locations.”
In short, it’s a busy time, he said. “The other restaurants are busy as well, but they don’t do so much the big functions of 300, 400, or 500 people because they don’t have the room. They do have a lot of smaller func- tions throughout the holidays, though. Right after Black Friday, everything kicks off.”
Holidays >> Continued on page 38
thanksgiving to go
traditional dinner
baby greens salad with house vinaigrette, roast turkey (12-14 lbs for large package), sliced turkey breast (4.5lbs for small package), soft rolls and butter, gravy, herb roasted stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, winterberry cobbler with whipped cream
small (serves 4-6)
pick up wednesday or thursday $189*
classic roast turkey
fully cooked turkey (12-14lbs), herb stuffing, and gravy $129*
large (serves 8-10)
wednesday pick up (turkey will be raw) $249* thursday pick up (turkey cooked) $269*
additional package add ons available
for more information or to place your order go to: www.thelogcabin.com/thanksgiving-to-go
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NOVEMBER 11, 2024
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