Masters week planning for Augusta, Georgia restaurant owners

For one week each April, Augusta's restaurants run a different business. Large numbers of visitors fill hotels and rental houses, tables book months ahead and the city's usual rhythms change. For an owner, Masters week is a chance to earn a lot in a short time, and also a test of planning, staffing and judgment. Plan for it in the autumn and April feels calm.

What does Masters week look like for restaurants?

The pattern in past years is a daytime lull downtown while play is under way, with activity picking up in the evenings and restaurants packed at night. Coffee shops and breakfast places can also see a boost, and visitors spread beyond the city limits, so nearby towns such as North Augusta get spillover from the crowds. Your own sales by hour from last year are a better guide than any report, so start there.

Should you change your hours?

Think about when your guests are free. Many visitors are on the course from morning until late afternoon, so a daytime lunch menu may be slow while an early-evening dinner is full. Some restaurants open for breakfast to catch workers, caddies and volunteers, and many extend dinner to later. Tell guests clearly by listing special hours online and on the door. Review last year's sales by hour to see where the demand was.

How do you set menus and prices?

Many restaurants run a limited menu during the week, with set prices for dinner, to speed up service and reduce waste. Price should reflect your costs and the demand, and it should be shown clearly. Consider the fairness of a steep jump: locals notice, and they will be your customers for the other fifty-one weeks. A menu that is shorter, faster and priced a little higher is common; one that is shockingly expensive is remembered. If you add a service charge for large groups, print it on the menu and on the check.

How do you handle reservations?

Decide early how many tables to hold for visitors and how many for locals. Take deposits for large parties if you must, and state your cancellation terms in writing. Keep a waitlist. Remember that some visitors stay in rentals and will cook some meals, while others dine out every night. Honor your regular guests: a note to them ahead of time, with a few reserved tables, is a good gesture.

What about staffing?

You will need more hands. Hire early, train before the week, and consider paying a bonus for the week. Cross-train front and back of house. Schedule breaks and meals, because the days are long. Have a manager at the door during the dinner rush. Plan for call-outs and have a backup list. Check labor rules on hours and breaks, and for any minors you employ, the limits on their hours.

How do you prepare the supply chain?

Order early and in larger quantities, and talk to suppliers about delivery windows during the week, because traffic and road changes can delay trucks. The city may pause construction or change parking near the main streets during Masters week to keep access to shops and restaurants, so ask the city about street and parking plans for the year ahead. Keep a stock of the items that sell fastest and do not overbuy perishables.

How do you keep your locals?

Many Augusta residents leave town or avoid the center during the tournament, and some rent out their homes. They are your regulars, and you want them back the week after. Offer a locals' night before or after the tournament, send a thank-you message, and keep your usual menu available on some days if you can. A restaurant that treats locals well in the quiet weeks has a base to rely on all year.

After the week, take stock while the memory is fresh. Sit down with your managers and write what sold out, what never moved, when the line was longest, where the kitchen slowed down and what you would change. Add the sales by hour, the labor cost for the week and any guest comments. Keep the notes in a folder, because by next March you will have forgotten the details, and the notes will be worth more than any forecast. Many Augusta owners say the best preparation for next April is an honest review of this one.

Also think about the weeks on either side. Practice rounds in the days before the tournament bring crowds earlier than many owners expect, and the weekend after can be quiet. Build a plan for the shoulder days, including a thank-you offer for staff and for local regulars, so the week ends on a high note and the next week starts normally.

Do you want the visitors who loved your food to find you again next year?

Mosey is a food-first app where diners search by dish and mood, rate what they ate and keep lists of places they want to try. For a restaurant with a big week each year, a guest who rated your dish and saved your page can find you the next April, and the ratings from other guests tell new visitors what to order. Nobody can pay to outrank you there, because Mosey Gold is earned from ratings alone. Mosey also gives your business its own page and list of regular guests, so your Masters visitors and your locals are both yours.

More guides for your business:

• Marketing a restaurant in Athens, Georgia: game days to graduation
• Savannah's visitor economy: what it means for restaurants
• Asheville restaurants after Helene: lessons for owners everywhere

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