As Ramadan begins, the holiest month of the year in Islam culture, Muslims all around the world must abstain from food and drink, including water, during daylight hours for 30 days, as a means of celebrating their faith and reflecting on self development.
Considered one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during Ramadan carries great significance to Muslims. It’s a time where from an individual level it encourages an affinity with those around the world who have little or no food on a daily basis, and at a community level encourages families to come together as well as taking part in charitable causes.
During Ramadan there are two meal times known as Iftar & Suhur. Suhur is the morning meal that is eaten before sunrise and Iftar is the evening meal after the sun sets. As such, restaurant and takeaway owners should prepare for the changes that can occur over the festive season.
1. Offer family bundles
Ramadan is a time for families to come together as they often do whilst breaking their fast in the evenings. Offering family bundles on your app makes it even easier for people to prepare for their evening meal. Plus, it’s worth remembering that these will normally be ordered whilst people are fasting so the simpler the process the better!
2. Adjust your opening hours
It is worth bearing in mind the adjusted mealtimes for people during Ramadan and ensuring your opening hours (including your delivery hours) accommodate those celebrating. You can find out the times of the sunrise and sunsets throughout the festive period here.
3. Allow pre-orders to be made
Due to the time limitations on mealtimes during Ramadan, you should encourage people to order in advance. Pre-ordering not only makes it easier for customers but allows you to gauge the demand for your products so you can adequately plan for both your stock and staff levels. Setting up Future Orders on your app is super simple and can be done within your Partner Area Settings.
4. Run special promotions
Boost your sales and increase customer loyalty by running special promotions such as discounts throughout Ramadan. These can be time specific to reflect Iftar & Suhur or could even be used as a way to encourage customers to pre-order. Coupons can be created in seconds via the Marketing section within the Partner Area.
Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate!
If you’re a business owner and would like to find out more about how What The Fork can support you with our community based, fair business model, get in touch today.
