Blog / December 2, 2020
The Restaurant’s Guide to Christmas: Ideas For Promotions, Marketing, and Menus
Lenny DeFranco
As one of the biggest events on the hospitality calendar, Christmas brings a sled-load of opportunity for restaurants with great promotion ideas. With more people out and about and willing to spend cash over the holidays, there is a huge opportunity for restaurants to maximize revenue. There’s also a huge amount of competition. A well-constructed Christmas promotion and marketing campaign can help your restaurant stand out from competitors. By making the most of your customer data, it’s possible to maximize holiday covers while planning for the quieter months ahead. Using a smart restaurant marketing system alongside compelling promotions, you can be sure of a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year for your restaurant.
Christmas promotion ideas
The options for Christmas promotions for restaurants are endless. In this article, we’ve come up with a few suggestions to inspire you. The important thing to remember is to offer value to the customer. A compelling offer draws them in and helps them choose you over the other restaurants also offering holiday promotions. When planning your Christmas promotion, keep customer data top-of-mind. Think about ways to use the data you already have to inform your holiday strategy, and to collect new customer data during service. This way, you can offer a more personalized experience for your guests while collecting valuable insights that can be used to boost revenue in the quieter months following the holidays.Come up with great Christmas menu ideas
A well-executed Christmas menu is an excellent way to drive direct reservations and collect data you can use in your restaurant’s marketing campaigns. Whether you are able to offer an entire Christmas set menu or a couple of seasonal specials, it’s a great opportunity to show some festive flair. Here are some classic promotional Christmas menu ideas that you can ask your chefs to get creative with:Christmas Eve’s “Feast of Seven Fishes”
- Modern twists on classics like Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce
- Showstopping roast ham, turkey, or duck
- Home-smoked salmon for New Year’s celebrations
Promotional drinks ideas
1. Brew your own festive beer
Offering a holiday beer with a branded, festive label is a great way to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t feel comfortable brewing yourself, you could partner with a local brewery and commission one. In this arrangement, you’d also mutually benefit from cross-promotion.2. Offer seasonal cocktails
A good way to increase the average ticket value at a time when people are open to spending more is to offer Christmas-themed cocktails, so why not add your signature twist to a holiday classic? Here are some ideas to get your mixologists’ inspiration flowing:3. Seasonal upsells
Christmas is a time to eat, drink, and be merry, so take advantage of the loosening of belts and purse strings by encouraging your team to offer seasonal upsells. Here are a few potential offers:- Glass of port with a cheeseboard
- Brandy after dessert
- Pre-dinner glass of champagne or seasonal cocktail