Opinion

January reset: Turning the post-holiday slowdown into strategic growth

After the holiday peak, January customer traffic declines, putting pressure on restaurant operators' profit margins. Julie Powell, Senior Director of Industry Insights at Toast, writes that leveraging the slow season to implement back-of-house automation, optimize labor and inventory management, and attract customers through personalized loyalty programs and targeted marketing can effectively stop the bleeding and lay the foundation for year-round profitability. The article cites 2025 industry survey data and multiple restaurant case studies, providing actionable strategies.