But wasn’t it just Christmas?!

The Easter long weekend means different things to different people – but regardless of any traditional activities that may be happening you can put money on the fact that many Australians will spend this Easter taking advantage of the four-day holiday and heading out of town.

For businesses this can mean that the Easter holidays represents a decrease in custom and many cafés and restaurants choose to close down over the weekend to avoid penalty rates and low customer numbers.

Alternatively, for hospitality businesses in holiday hot spots, it means a huge upturn in sales and busier than ever services. If this sounds familiar, read on. Choosing to open your doors on Easter Sunday especially can be a tempting proposition. With reduced competition businesses can take advantage of people looking for an Easter meal. But you must be prepared.

Here are some things to consider:

· Serve seafood and salads: for some, seafood is the traditional meal of the weekend, for others there has just been too much chocolate and they are looking for a lighter option.

· But cater to a sweet tooth: for others, the Easter weekend is a ‘write off’ and a time to consume as much sugar as possible. Make sure you have something appropriately decadent to cater to them.

· Hold an event: Easter egg hunts are sure to attract young families who are looking for activities for the kids. If you have some outdoor space, bring them in with the eggs and keep them for lunch and coffees.

· Have HEAPS of hot cross buns on hand – obviously.

Whatever you’re planning – make sure you consider all the parts of the puzzle: crowds, staff, deliveries, stock and of course, how you will enjoy your Easter too!