ANZAC Day Restaurant Demand: How to Plan Stock & Staff

ANZAC Day (25 April) is a unique trading opportunity for Australian hospitality venues — but it requires smart demand planning. Unlike Christmas or Melbourne Cup, ANZAC Day demand is unpredictable: some venues see tradies and locals flooding in for breakfast and lunch, others stay quiet if the date falls mid-week. Getting your stock orders, staffing, and menu right can mean the difference between a bumper day and wasted inventory.

This guide shows you how to forecast ANZAC Day demand, manage your suppliers, and avoid costly mistakes.

Why ANZAC Day Demand Is Hard to Predict

ANZAC Day trading patterns vary wildly across Australia. In regional towns and suburban pubs, you'll see strong demand from tradies and RSL members. In CBD restaurants, demand might be softer if 25 April falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Unlike Christmas (always busy) or Melbourne Cup (predictable betting crowd), ANZAC Day's footfall depends on:

• Day of the week — if it's a Friday or Saturday, expect higher casual traffic
• Location — pubs and RSL clubs near military memorials see 20–40% higher demand than city restaurants
• Your venue type — cafes see breakfast rushes; bars see evening crowds; restaurants see mixed patterns
• Weather — warm ANZAC Days drive outdoor seating and longer stays
• Local events — dawn services, parades, and memorial services drive foot traffic

In 2024, ANZAC Day falls on a Thursday, which typically generates moderate demand across most venues. In 2025, it's a Friday — expect 15–25% higher footfall than a mid-week ANZAC Day.

Step 1: Analyse Your Historical ANZAC Day Data

Before you order stock or roster staff, pull last year's numbers. Look at:

• Covers served — breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Average spend per head — did customers order premium items or just coffee?
• Peak hours — when did the rush hit?
• Waste — what didn't sell?
• Staff utilisation — were you overstaffed or under-resourced?

If you don't have clean data, ask your POS system (Square, Toast, Lightspeed) to export a report for 25 April last year. Compare it to a regular Thursday or Friday to see the uplift.

Real example: A suburban Melbourne pub served 180 covers on ANZAC Day 2023 (Wednesday) versus 240 covers on a typical Friday. That's a 33% uplift, but only because ANZAC Day fell mid-week — locals made a special trip.

Step 2: Forecast Demand by Daypart

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner demand patterns differ sharply on ANZAC Day. Use this framework:

Breakfast (6am–11am)

Expect 40–60% higher demand than a regular Thursday or Friday, especially if you're near tradies or a busy shopping strip. Breakfast is the easiest daypart to predict because it's habitual.

Stock for: Extra eggs, bacon, sourdough, milk, coffee beans. Order 50% more than usual.

Lunch (11am–3pm)

This is where ANZAC Day varies most. If you're near an RSL, memorial, or pub precinct, expect 60–100% uplift. City restaurants might see only 10–20% uplift.

Stock for: Mains, beer, soft drinks, bread. Order based on your venue's ANZAC Day history — don't guess.

Dinner (5pm–10pm)

Demand typically drops to normal or below-normal levels. Many customers eat lunch and leave; families go home. Some venues see a slight evening uptick from post-dinner drinks.

Stock for: Standard levels, but keep flexibility for last-minute orders from Bidvest or PFD if lunch runs long.

Step 3: Place Smart Supplier Orders

Timing is critical. ANZAC Day falls during the school holidays (late April), so suppliers like Bidvest, PFD, and Countrywide experience peak demand 3–5 days before. Here's the playbook:

Order Timeline

10 days before (15 April): Place your core order with your primary supplier — proteins, dairy, produce. Don't wait; supplier inventory tightens fast.

5 days before (20 April): Confirm your order and check delivery dates. ANZAC Day itself is a public holiday, so deliveries may arrive 24 April (Wednesday) or earlier.

2 days before (23 April): Place a small top-up order with a secondary supplier (e.g., if Bidvest is your main, call Countrywide for backup stock of high-risk items like eggs, bread, or premium cuts).

Public holiday note: ANZAC Day is a gazetted public holiday in all Australian states. Venues that trade on ANZAC Day must pay penalty rates (typically 50–100% loading depending on your award). Check your enterprise agreement and factor labour costs into pricing.

What to Order More Of

• Proteins: 40–50% extra (chicken, beef, seafood — based on your menu)
• Eggs: 60% extra (breakfast and baking)
• Bread/pastries: 50% extra (breakfast and lunch)
• Beer & RTDs: 70% extra (ANZAC Day is a drinking occasion)
• Coffee: 40% extra
• Soft drinks: 30% extra
• Dairy (milk, cream): 40% extra

Don't over-order perishables that won't sell post-ANZAC Day. If 26 April is quiet (usually is), you'll waste stock.

Step 4: Roster Staff Strategically

ANZAC Day labour is expensive. Penalty rates (typically 50% loading for hospitality awards) mean your wage bill could jump 30–40%. Staff your venue to match demand, not to be over-cautious.

Staffing Formula

• Breakfast (6am–11am): +30% more staff than a regular day
• Lunch (11am–3pm): +50% more staff (this is your peak)
• Dinner (5pm–10pm): Standard levels or -10% (expect lower demand)

Example: A 60-cover cafe normally runs 4 staff for breakfast. On ANZAC Day, roster 5–6. For lunch, if you normally run 6, roster 9–10.

Confirm staff availability 2 weeks ahead — ANZAC Day often falls during school holidays, and staff may have plans.

Step 5: Manage Your Menu & Pricing

Don't discount on ANZAC Day — demand is high, and you're paying penalty rates. Instead:

• Keep your standard menu — customers expect consistency
• Add 1–2 specials — lighter options for breakfast (e.g., ANZAC biscuit toast), hearty lunch options (e.g., meat pie, steak sandwich)
• Price fairly — a 10% premium on labour-intensive items is reasonable given penalty rates
• Highlight GST — remind customers that all prices include GST (some venues forget to update signage)

Step 6: Track & Adjust in Real Time

On the day, monitor your POS closely:

• Covers at 12pm: Are you tracking to forecast? If you're 20% ahead, call your supplier for a quick top-up.
• Waste at 2pm: If a dish isn't selling, pull it and pivot to what's moving.
• Staff fatigue at 4pm: If lunch ran longer than expected, give staff a break before dinner service.

Tools like Calso can flag demand spikes and help you predict stock needs in real time, so you're not flying blind.

Common ANZAC Day Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-ordering perishables: Stock that doesn't sell on ANZAC Day often goes to waste on 26 April (a quiet Friday for many venues).
2. Under-staffing lunch: This is where most venues lose money — customers wait 45 minutes, get frustrated, and don't return.
3. Forgetting to update suppliers: If your usual delivery day is Monday, confirm your ANZAC Day delivery date in writing.
4. Ignoring penalty rates: Venues that don't account for 50–100% labour loading often run at a loss on public holidays.
5. Not checking your POS history: Guessing demand is expensive. Use your data.

Final Checklist: ANZAC Day Demand Planning

• Pull last year's POS data (covers, spend, waste)
• Forecast demand by daypart (breakfast +40%, lunch +60%, dinner +10%)
• Place core supplier order 10 days ahead
• Confirm delivery date with Bidvest, PFD, or Countrywide
• Place top-up order 2 days ahead
• Roster staff 2 weeks ahead (confirm availability)
• Calculate penalty rates and price menu accordingly
• Monitor POS and waste on the day
• Debrief after ANZAC Day — what worked, what didn't?

ANZAC Day is a trading opportunity, not a headache — but it requires planning. Get your demand forecast, supplier orders, and staffing right, and you'll turn a solid profit while honouring the day.