Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - banner - both - 07.18

Catch of the Season - banner - both - 07.22

Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Butterball - Quality, Versatility, and Consistency - banner - both - 07.19

Campbells Culinary Reserve Jerk Chicken - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Great Bacon in Half the Time - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Cargill - Truvia Serve America's Best-Selling Stevia Sweetener - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - skyscraper - both - 09.24

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Bulk and Single-Serve Packets - skyscraper - both - 09.21

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Style and Substance - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - banner - both - 05.18

Fabri-Kal - Packaging solutions for environmental and off-premise needs - banner - both - 11.19

Why Dart Paper - banner - both - 08.26

Catch of the Season - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Wild Alaska Salmon Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Don't Labor Over Great Chicken - banner - both - 02.20

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Meats - Unparalleled Flavor - banner - both - 02.20

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper - both - 04.23

Cargill - Truvia Serve Americas Best Selling Stevia Sweetener - banner - both - 03.19

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Banner Ad - 1 - MM - Recipes - Operator - supersized

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - banner - both - 07.21

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - banner - both - 03.19

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Crackers - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - banner - both - 01.20

Campbells Culinary Reserve Jerk Chicken - both - banner - 02.26

Nestle Stouffer White Mac and Cheese - banner - both - 08.18

Fuel Foodservice Sales - banner - both - 07.26

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - banner - 02.26

Flattop Grillers - banner - both - 06.24.26

Compostable Fiber Hinged Trays - banner - both - 08.26

Tyson - Bonici - Crave Chorizo - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Tyson - Jimmy Dean - Loaded with Flavor - banner - both - 04.21

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - skyscraper - both - 07.18

Entree Redi Wild Alaska Pollock - skyscraper - both - 08.25

Performance Dairy Extra Melt - banner - both - 04.24

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt banner with chef - both - 04.23

Going Green - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Compostable Fiber Containers - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Banner Ad - 4 - PICs - Operator - supersized

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Style and Substance - banner - both - 04.18

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - skyscraper - both - 08.25

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - We Cook It - Operators Take Credit - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Check Out the Major Products Product Guide - skyscraper - OE - 03.22

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Compostable Fiber Hinged Trays - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Reel in Greater Appeal - skyscraper - both - 10.22

Simplot GoodGrains - skyscraper - both - 01.20

General Mills - Gluten Free Options - banner - both - 03.18

Certified Cage-Free Egg Bites - Portable, Protein-Packed Breakfast - banner - both - 09.23

Ambrosia Chocolate - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Simplot Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - banner - both - 08.20

Why Dart PET & RPET - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - banner - both - 03.23

Deliver Flavor and Value with Galbani Mozzarella - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - banner - both - 04.18

Reel in Greater Appeal - both - banner - 10.22

Skyscraper Ad - MM - Cook - Operator

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - banner - both - 01.20

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Ease Your Operator's Kitchen - banner - both - 02.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - You've Never Seen Bacon Like This - banner - both - 02.20

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - skyscraper - both - 03.23

A Family of Fine Cheeses - skyscraper - both - 08.22

Shrimp that Brings the Big Picture - skyscraper - both - 11.22

Why Dart PET & RPET - banner - both - 08.26

Compostable Fiber Containers - banner - both - 08.26

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - skyscraper - both - 02.23

Empress 5-Compartment School Food Tray - 05.22

Jennie-O Take Burgers Over the Top with Turkey - skyscraper - both - 03.20

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - banner - both - 02.23

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - banner - both - 04.20

Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

TamperGuard Snack Boxes - banner - both - 08.26

Performance Dairy Craveable Flavor and Time Savings - banner - both - 04.24

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - banner - both - 09.24

Jennie-O No Basic Burger Here - banner - both - 03.20

Nestle - Every Season is Pumpkin Season - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Dart Foam to Fiber - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Compostable Fiber Dinnerware - banner - both - 08.26

Kraft - Bold Flavor, New Home. - skycraper - both - 08.22

Why Dart Fiber - skyscraper - both - 08.26

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - banner - both - 04.19

Sugar Foods ecoStick Dispensers Beverage Station - skyscraper - both -10.16

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Nestle Minors Slow-Simmered Stock - Free Sample - banner - both - 02.20

Performance Dairy Clarified Butter - banner - both - 04.24

Fuel Foodservice Sales - skyscraper - both - 07.26

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Why Dart Polypropelene - banner - both - 08.26

Portion Roast and Stew Meats - banner - both - 06.24.26

Campbells V8 Peach Mango and Pomegranate Blueberry - both - skycraper - 02.26

Basic American Shred Competition operator banner ad - 12.17

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Products - Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - banner - both - 02.20

Grab 'n Go! Anytime. Every Time - banner - both - 07.23

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Chips and Pretzels - 2 - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Rich's Plant Based Cooking Creme - banner - both - 02.18

Savor Imports - banner - both - 06.24

To increase restaurant holiday sales, sell in the right order: parties and catering in early November, gift cards before Black Friday, take-home feasts and last-minute cards in December. Here are 20 ways to do it, each with a launch date, a channel, and the exact visual it needs.
Quick Summary: The 2026 holiday season runs on fixed dates: Thanksgiving on 26 November, Hanukkah from 4 December, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve on Thursdays. The fastest way to increase restaurant holiday sales is to book big-ticket parties first, launch cards by 16 November, and have every visual ready a week before launch.
Week-by-week plan to increase restaurant holiday sales (Nov 1 to Dec 31)
The marketing strategies below are scheduled against the 2026 calendar. Each row tells you when to launch, where to announce it and which visual to have ready before it goes live, so you never hunt for a photo in the middle of the rush.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Launch
</td>
<td width="204">
Tactic
</td>
<td width="156">
Channel
</td>
<td width="168">
Visual needed
</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 2
</td>
<td width="204">
Corporate party tiers
</td>
<td width="156">
Email, calls
</td>
<td width="168">
Party-package flyer
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 2
</td>
<td width="204">
Private-dining calendar
</td>
<td width="156">
Events page
</td>
<td width="168">
Private-room table
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 9
</td>
<td width="204">
Office catering trays
</td>
<td width="156">
Past-client email
</td>
<td width="168">
Overhead tray shot
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 9
</td>
<td width="204">
Holiday set menu
</td>
<td width="156">
Website
</td>
<td width="168">
Holiday menu photo set
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 9
</td>
<td width="204">
Ticketed Dec 24, 31
</td>
<td width="156">
Booking page
</td>
<td width="168">
Two-seating poster
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 16
</td>
<td width="204">
Bonus card offer
</td>
<td width="156">
Host stand
</td>
<td width="168">
Gift-card counter poster
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 16
</td>
<td width="204">
Card on every check
</td>
<td width="156">
Table tents
</td>
<td width="168">
Table-tent poster
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 23
</td>
<td width="204">
Experience cards
</td>
<td width="156">
Email
</td>
<td width="168">
Chef's-table photo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 25
</td>
<td width="204">
Flyer in pickup bags
</td>
<td width="156">
Printed insert
</td>
<td width="168">
Party flyer (reuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Nov 27
</td>
<td width="204">
Black Friday push
</td>
<td width="156">
Email, social
</td>
<td width="168">
Card tile
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 1
</td>
<td width="204">
Holiday drinks list
</td>
<td width="156">
Bar list
</td>
<td width="168">
Drink photo set
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 1
</td>
<td width="204">
Giving Tuesday dish
</td>
<td width="156">
Local press
</td>
<td width="168">
Hero dish
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 4
</td>
<td width="204">
Hanukkah specials
</td>
<td width="156">
Email segment
</td>
<td width="168">
Tree-free plates
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 7
</td>
<td width="204">
Dec 24 feast pickup
</td>
<td width="156">
Online ordering
</td>
<td width="168">
Family-style spread
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 7
</td>
<td width="204">
Pastry gift boxes
</td>
<td width="156">
Counter
</td>
<td width="168">
Cookie-box flat lay
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 7
</td>
<td width="204">
Geo-targeted ads
</td>
<td width="156">
Meta, Google
</td>
<td width="168">
Flyer, set (reuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 13
</td>
<td width="204">
12-day countdown
</td>
<td width="156">
Instagram
</td>
<td width="168">
Dish tiles (reuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 21
</td>
<td width="204">
Last-minute e-cards
</td>
<td width="156">
SMS
</td>
<td width="168">
Card tile (reuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 26
</td>
<td width="204">
Family table for 8
</td>
<td width="156">
Google post
</td>
<td width="168">
Long-table shot
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">
Dec 26
</td>
<td width="204">
January bounce-back
</td>
<td width="156">
Every check
</td>
<td width="168">
Bounce-back card
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Total: about 30 visuals, mostly an eight-dish holiday set, four drinks and six posters or flyers.
Nov 2 to 15: book the big tickets first (tactics 1&ndash;5)
Parties, catering and prepaid set menus are the most valuable covers of the season, and people book them weeks ahead. <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opentable-serves-up-2025-dining-predictions-302310134.html" target="_blank">OpenTable's 2024 research</a> found 55% of Americans planned to dine in groups over the holidays, with parties of six or more up 8% year over year.
1. Corporate party tiers. Three packages, say $45, $65 and $85 a head, drinks allowance printed. Email office managers on 2 November, then call your top 20 customers. Our <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/food-flyer-ideas" target="_blank">food flyer ideas</a> cover the layout.
2. Private-dining calendar. List every open December Friday and Saturday on your events page; mark dates as they book. Borrow the <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/grow-catering-sales" target="_blank">deposit terms</a> caterers and <a href="https://foodshot.ai/use-cases/event-venues" target="_blank">event venues</a> use.
3. Office catering trays. Email past clients one overhead tray photo on 9 November. <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/5-major-trends-defining-the-restaurant-industry-in-2024/" target="_blank">Toast data in FSR Magazine</a> put 35% of 2023's same-store catering orders in Q4, at a $160 average ticket. <a href="https://foodshot.ai/use-cases/catering" target="_blank">Caterers</a>: see our <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/catering-marketing-ideas" target="_blank">catering marketing ideas</a> and <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/doordash-large-orders" target="_blank">large DoorDash orders</a>.
4. Holiday set menu, live early. Put three festive courses on your website and <a href="https://foodshot.ai/solutions/google-business-profile-for-restaurants" target="_blank">Google Business Profile</a> by 9 November, each with a photo and a line; our <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/menu-descriptions" target="_blank">dish descriptions</a> guide helps.
5. Ticket 24 and 31 December. Sell two prepaid seatings each night, an early family one and a later, pricier one, so a no-show costs the guest, not you.
Nov 16 to 30: sell gift cards before Black Friday (tactics 6&ndash;10)
Cards are the cheapest way to increase restaurant holiday sales, because the cash arrives before the guest does. In the <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/restaurant-gift-cards-the-holiday-favorite-on-everyone%E2%80%99s-wish-list-says-restaurant-association/" target="_blank">National Restaurant Association's November 2024 survey</a>, 59% of adults planned to give a restaurant gift card this holiday season, rising to 74% of Gen Z.
6. Bonus card, January window. Buy $100 online, get a $20 bonus valid 4 January to 28 February. The Cheesecake Factory ran a $15-per-$50 bonus from 14 November 2024, <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/restaurant-gift-card-sales-up-17-percent-during-thanksgiving-weekend-paytronix/735960/" target="_blank">Restaurant Dive reported</a>. Under <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1005/20/" target="_blank">Regulation E</a>, paid value can't expire for five years; a labelled promotional card can expire sooner.
7. Card on every check. 48% of adults surveyed planned to buy straight from the restaurant, <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/restaurant-gift-cards-figure-large-years-holiday-shopping-lists" target="_blank">Restaurant Business reported</a>. Put a tent on every table; the server who sells most by 20 December wins paid time off.
8. Experience cards. Sell a chef's-table dinner for two or a cocktail class at a fixed price. Photograph the experience, not the plastic.
9. Flyer in every Thanksgiving bag. Pickup day, 25 November, puts your food on family tables the week people plan December. The tray and pie offers are in our <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/fall-restaurant-promotion-ideas" target="_blank">fall restaurant promotion ideas</a>.
10. Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Paytronix counted $17.5 million in restaurant card purchases over the 2024 Thanksgiving weekend, up from $15.8 million, with full-service cards averaging $66. Email the bonus on 27 November, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
Dec 1 to 6: give weeknights a reason (tactics 11&ndash;13)
Early December is when office parties begin and families go out together. These three tactics increase restaurant holiday sales on the weeknights you still have open by giving diners a dated reason to visit: one drinks list, one charity dish, one Hanukkah menu.
11. Holiday drinks list. Four festive cocktails and two zero-proof versions, live 1 December. Drinks are the easiest upsell for <a href="https://foodshot.ai/use-cases/bars-lounges" target="_blank">bars and lounges</a>; <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/cocktail-photography" target="_blank">shoot the drinks</a> on a dark background.
12. Giving Tuesday dish. Pledge $2 from every order of one dish to a local food bank, then announce it on social media and to local press.
13. Hanukkah, 4 to 12 December. Run latkes, brisket or sufganiyot as specials for all eight nights, photographed without trees, tinsel or red-and-green props.
Dec 7 to 23: catch take-home and last-minute buyers (tactics 14&ndash;18)
By mid-December most diners have booked their nights out, so the last big chance to increase restaurant holiday sales sits in take-home feasts, edible gifts, and last-minute cards. The <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/restaurants-ready-for-the-holiday-rush-with-more-consumers-planning-to-dine-out/" target="_blank">NRA's 2023 survey</a> found 48% of adults planned takeout or delivery during the holidays.
14. Christmas Eve feast pickup. Dinner for six, collected 24 December, with online ordering closing 20 December. You buy against a known count.
15. Pastry gift boxes. A $30 box of house cookies by the register sells to customers who need a host gift tonight. <a href="https://foodshot.ai/use-cases/bakeries" target="_blank">Bakeries</a> can pre-sell boxes to offices.
16. Geo-targeted ads. Reach diners within a few miles through <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/instagram-ads-for-restaurants" target="_blank">Instagram ads</a> and <a href="https://foodshot.ai/solutions/facebook-ads-for-restaurants" target="_blank">Facebook ads</a>, and bid on "holiday party" searches in <a href="https://foodshot.ai/solutions/google-ads-for-restaurants" target="_blank">Google Ads</a>. Never boost a blurry photo.
17. 12-day social media countdown. One dish, drink or offer a day from 13 to 24 December, cut from your set. Our <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/restaurant-instagram-marketing">Instagram routine</a> keeps it under two hours a week; invite <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/food-influencer-guide" target="_blank">local food creators</a> for day one.
18. Last-minute e-cards. Paytronix data shows 23 December is typically the season's best day for gift card sales. Text loyalty members on 21 and 23 December with an online link that delivers instantly.
Dec 24 to 31: turn the rush into January (tactics 19&ndash;20)
The final week is your last chance to increase restaurant holiday sales and your first chance to fill January. These two tactics help you seat families with relatives in town, and give customers a dated reason to come back in a slow month.
19. Family table for eight. A fixed-price long-table lunch from 26 to 30 December for customers with family visiting. Post it on your Google profile.
20. January bounce-back card. Hand every guest a $10 card valid 4 to 31 January, and email it to your loyalty list. Toast reported card redemptions 76% above the annual average in January 2021.
Make every visual on the calendar from photos you already have
You don't need a December shoot to increase restaurant holiday sales. Take one <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/how-to-take-good-food-photos" target="_blank">window-light phone photo</a> of each dish, then restyle it in FoodShot with <a href="https://foodshot.ai/themes/christmas" target="_blank">Christmas food photo styles</a> or <a href="https://foodshot.ai/themes/thanksgiving" target="_blank">Thanksgiving food photo presets</a>. The dish stays yours; the table, light, and props change.
Poster Mode turns them into the counter poster, party flyer and New Year's Eve poster; My Styles keeps your brand's look. FoodShot makes artwork only; print wherever you usually do. Commercial use needs a <a href="https://foodshot.ai/pricing" target="_blank">paid plan</a>, since free images are watermarked, and 30 visuals fit in one month of the Business plan's 100 credits. More year-round tactics: <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/restaurant-marketing-ideas" target="_blank">restaurant marketing ideas</a>.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a restaurant start holiday marketing?
Start party outreach by the first week of November. Have card offers live by mid-November: Paytronix saw 2024 card buying surge up to two weeks before Black Friday, and customers who book early help you staff the holiday season.
What is the fastest way to increase restaurant holiday sales?
Gift cards. They cost almost nothing to launch, bring cash in ahead of time and, with a January bonus, boost a quiet month. The <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/consumers-to-spend-second-highest-amount-on-record-according-to-nrf-holiday-survey" target="_blank">NRF's 2025 survey</a> found gift cards were the most-wanted gift of the holiday season, named by 50% of shoppers.
Should restaurants open on Christmas Day?
Only if prepaid tickets cover the cost. Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026: easy to fill, hard to staff. If you close, sell the feast for pickup instead.
Source: Ali Tanis, <a href="https://foodshot.ai/blog/increase-restaurant-holiday-sales" target="_blank">FoodShot AI</a>
Editor&rsquo;s Note: This article is for informational purposes only, and no endorsement of any vendor(s) should be inferred.

To increase restaurant holiday sales, sell in the right order: parties and catering in early November, gift cards before Black Friday, take-home feasts and last-minute cards in December. Here are 20 ways to do it.

20 Ways to Increase Restaurant Holiday Sales, Week by Week

Adding seasonal ingredients to familiar menu items doesn&rsquo;t mean you have to abandon following consumer trends as a whole. Here are a few 2026 industry trends that can easily be tied into a fall or winter holiday dish:
<ul>
<li>Resurgence of animal meats &ndash; proteins are featured in many holiday dishes.</li>
<li>Sweet &amp; (salty, savory, spicy, etc.) - incorporate popular sweet flavors like maple or sweet potato with spicy, savory, etc., complementary ingredients.</li>
<li>Nostalgia and whimsy &ndash; capitalize on the nostalgia that the holiday season makes customers crave.</li>
<li>Florals and herbals &ndash; consumers are specifically interested in herbs and spices during the fall and winter.</li>
<li>Maximalist flavors &ndash; fall and winter flavors are remembered fondly for a reason. Keep their boldness alive with maximalist flavor combinations, like cranberry, sweet potato, and turkey.</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s easy to get lost in thought when creating new menu items. Tying your ideas down to a larger trend can make ideation simpler and more impactful than starting from scratch.
Content courtesy of Lamb Weston

Here are a few 2026 industry trends that can easily be tied into a fall or winter holiday dish.

Fall Flavors Meet Year-Round Foodservice Trends

Warm up your customers&rsquo; plates with something that tickles the taste buds. Find trendy, seasonal treats <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes#f-Season=Winter" target="_blank">here</a>.
Content courtesy of General Mills Foodservice

Warm up your customers’ plates with something that tickles the taste buds.

The Chill Is in the Air!

Holiday event marketing works best as a sales and operations process, not a seasonal social media campaign. Large corporate buyers can start researching vendors as early as July or August, with shortlists forming around September and many contracts finalized in October and November.
That means restaurants starting in mid-September may already be late for some large company parties &mdash; but they are not too late for the season. Smaller team dinners, weekday events, private dining, off-site catering, and unfilled dates can still generate business.
Start by narrowing what you can profitably sell. Confirm the dates and event types your team can handle, package them clearly, and make it easy for buyers to get a quote and commit.
Before you market, check capacity
Before promoting every available holiday date, determine which bookings the restaurant can execute without hurting regular service.&nbsp;Review:
<ul>
<li>Private-room and dining-room capacity</li>
<li>Kitchen throughput during the proposed service window</li>
<li>Available managers, servers, bartenders, and culinary staff</li>
<li>Conflicts between off-site catering and in-house service</li>
<li>Expected revenue displaced by a private-room or full-restaurant buyout</li>
<li>Delivery, setup, breakdown, and travel requirements for off-site work</li>
</ul>
Treat a buyout differently from a large reservation. Your minimum should account for the sales you expect to give up, the labor required for the event, and any exclusivity premium the date can support.
The goal is to decide which dates to sell aggressively, which to protect for regular service, and which types of events fit the operation you already have.
1. Publish a holiday booking page
Create a dedicated <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/operations/marketing-ideas-for-restaurants/" target="_blank">holiday events and catering page</a> before contacting prospects. It should answer the questions a buyer has during the first review:
<ul>
<li>What types of events can the restaurant handle?</li>
<li>Is the offer on-premise private dining, a full buyout, or off-site catering?</li>
<li>What are the guest-count ranges?</li>
<li>What does each package include?</li>
<li>What dates or service windows are available?</li>
<li>How does the inquiry process work?</li>
<li>What information is needed for a quote?</li>
</ul>
Use two or three fixed packages rather than sending an open-ended menu. A <a href="https://www.tableview.com/blog/restaurant-catering-private-events/" target="_blank">sample structure</a> from Tableview includes an Essential tier at $65 per person, a Premium tier at $85, and a Chef&rsquo;s Table tier at $110.
The page should also show practical inclusions, such as room-use time, service staffing, beverage options, linens, audio-visual support, and a minimum spend. A corporate buyer is comparing the whole event experience, not just the food.
Add one clear inquiry form. Ask for the date, guest count, event type, preferred location, service style, budget range, and dietary requirements. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, halal, and allergy-specific options are <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/menus/common-dietary-restrictions/" target="_blank">standard expectations</a> at holiday events, according to <a href="https://cateringfunnels.com/blog/corporate-holiday-party-catering-playbook" target="_blank">Catering Funnels</a>.
2. Build a corporate prospect list
Create a prospect list instead of waiting for search traffic. Start with companies within your restaurant&rsquo;s delivery or travel range, then identify the people most likely to initiate the process:
<ul>
<li>Event coordinators</li>
<li>Executive assistants</li>
<li>HR managers</li>
<li>Department heads</li>
<li>Office or workplace managers</li>
</ul>
For a late-Q3 campaign, divide the list into three groups:
<ol>
<li>Companies that have not announced a holiday event.</li>
<li>Past private-event or catering clients.</li>
<li>Smaller teams that can approve a dinner without a formal procurement process.</li>
</ol>
Track each prospect in a basic spreadsheet or CRM:
<ul>
<li>Company</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>Role</li>
<li>Guest estimate</li>
<li>Preferred date</li>
<li>Offer sent</li>
<li>Next follow-up</li>
<li>Status</li>
</ul>
3. Create packages from actual event costs
Holiday packages should make an event easier to sell and easier to execute &mdash; not simply make it cheaper.
Start with the real cost of delivering each package:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/operations/food-cost-percentage/" target="_blank">Food and beverage cost</a></li>
<li>Event-specific labor and supervision</li>
<li>Bartender coverage</li>
<li>Room setup, linens, rentals, and AV</li>
<li>Delivery, transport, and off-site setup</li>
<li>Opportunity cost when private events displace regular diners</li>
</ul>
Fixed menus can be a useful <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/restaurants/restaurant-pricing-strategy-guide/" target="_blank">pricing strategy</a> because they reduce customization, simplify purchasing and prep, and give corporate buyers a package they can approve internally. But do not assume a fixed menu will automatically produce a specific margin or faster kitchen throughput. Test it using your own event data.
Track average check, food cost, labor, ticket times, waste, and guest feedback after each event. Those numbers will tell you whether the package is actually more profitable than normal service.
4. Use segmented outreach, not one generic post
Send the holiday offer to people who have a reason to book. Segment past private-event leads, former corporate clients, loyalty members, and business contacts separately. The message for a law firm arranging a 40-person dinner should not look like the message for a family considering a six-person reservation.
<a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/technology/restaurant-email-marketing/" target="_blank">Email outreach</a> should carry the complete package, while LinkedIn or direct messages can open the conversation with event coordinators, executive assistants, and HR managers. Make the next step easy: offer two available dates, attach the package PDF, and ask for the guest count and event format.
5. Set a response-time standard
A lead that waits three days may already be comparing another venue. Set an owner for event inquiries and define the response process before the campaign starts.
Tableview recommends acknowledging an inquiry in under two hours with one clarifying question, then sending a package PDF within 24 hours for qualified leads.
The first response should confirm:
<ul>
<li>Date and preferred service window</li>
<li>Guest count or range</li>
<li>On-premise or off-site service</li>
<li>Occasion and desired atmosphere</li>
<li>Menu restrictions</li>
<li>Budget or minimum-spend expectations</li>
</ul>
Log the time received, time acknowledged, time quoted, and final outcome. If the inquiry-to-contract rate falls below 25%, Tableview suggests treating that as a warning threshold. Do not assume the response time is the cause. Check lead quality, date availability, package clarity, price, follow-up, and the number of competing options first.
6. Protect the booking with deposits and deadlines
A proposal does not protect holiday revenue until both sides know what has been agreed to and the booking requirements are met.
Your agreement should cover:
<ul>
<li>Deposit amount and payment date</li>
<li>Balance due date</li>
<li>Cancellation and refund terms</li>
<li>Minimum guest count or food-and-beverage spend</li>
<li>Final headcount and menu deadline</li>
<li>Charges or limits for late changes</li>
<li>Setup, overtime, service, and beverage terms</li>
</ul>
Once details are confirmed, translate them into a <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/startups/beo-template/" target="_blank">banquet event order</a> (BEO) that the kitchen, service team, and client can all work from. Include the timeline, menu quantities, allergy and dietary notes, staffing requirements, setup instructions, payment status, and final guest count.
Deposit and cancellation rules vary by jurisdiction, so have your terms reviewed locally and make sure your payment processor supports the way you intend to store cards or charge later.
Research from Italy and Spain suggests that deposits, card guarantees, and automated confirmation messages can reduce no-shows. The absolute no-show rates varied considerably between the two datasets, so use the direction of the finding &mdash; not either country's percentage &mdash; as the benchmark. Measure your own protected and unprotected bookings after the season.
7. Follow up for the next booking
The event should not be the end of the relationship. Within 48 hours, send a thank-you, the final invoice if the balance remains open, and photos if the team took them and guest privacy permits. Include one specific invitation, such as a future weekday lunch or another team event.
Use that follow-up to invite the client to book a future date. Record the company, event type, guest count, package, margin, and next likely occasion <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/technology/best-restaurant-crm/" target="_blank">in the CRM</a>. A holiday party can become a recurring lunch, client reception, or annual event, but only if someone schedules the next contact.
Last bite
Holiday event marketing is not primarily a question of how many seasonal posts you publish. It is a capacity, pricing, sales, and execution problem.
For the rest of the 2026 season, focus on dates you can still sell profitably, packages the kitchen can execute consistently, and prospects who can still make a decision. Then use this year's inquiry, margin, and booking data to start next year's campaign earlier.
The best holiday booking is not simply the biggest one. It is the booking your restaurant can deliver well and profitably without damaging the rest of the operation.
Source: <a href="https://www.therestauranthq.com/marketing/holiday-marketing-ideas-for-event-and-catering-bookings/" target="_blank">The Restaurant HQ</a>
Editor&rsquo;s Note: This article is for informational purposes only, and no endorsement of any vendor(s) should be inferred.

Seven practical holiday marketing ideas to help restaurants win event and catering bookings while protecting margins and operations.

Holiday Marketing Ideas for Event and Catering Bookings

A dishmachine that doesn&rsquo;t work well sends dirty wares to customers in the front-of-house, and leaves employees with residue on pots and pans in the back-of-house. To keep this key equipment in top shape, and save a service call, John Albring, technical advisor at Clark Service Group, based in Lancaster, Pa., offers the following mistakes to avoid:
<ul>
<li>Not scrapping wares. Albring, who spent 17 years in the field has seen numerous calls that stem from condiment packets or similar items getting stuck in impellers. Watch out for poppy seeds, too, which will plug a wash arm in no time. &ldquo;They circulate and then they get stuck in the wash arms and we have to go out because the dishmachine isn&rsquo;t cleaning,&rdquo; Albring says. &ldquo;Turns out all the wash arms are plugged, so there&rsquo;s never water actually hitting the dishes.&rdquo; Make sure employees don&rsquo;t send extra debris through the machine, and keep the wash rams clean. Many of today&rsquo;s models come with wash arms that are user-friendly and don&rsquo;t require any tools to remove, clean and reattach them.</li>
<li>Not cleaning screens. Especially on flight-types, clogged screens could eventually rupture pump seals and suction hoses. &ldquo;The next thing you know, there&rsquo;s water all over the floor,&rdquo; Albring says. &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t use the machine and they have a leak.&rdquo; If a machine is heavily used, cleaning screens should be a daily routine. Employees can remove them, check them, and if they&rsquo;re blocked, use a pre-rinse unit at a nearby sink to blast them out.</li>
<li>Getting the chemicals wrong. Albring has seen machines pull too much detergent, foam up and then the probes don&rsquo;t read right and they don&rsquo;t fill properly. He also has seen detergent that is wrong or too concentrated and ends up eating the metal, especially the impellers. &ldquo;Some models have a bronze impeller and if the right chemicals aren&rsquo;t used, they can actually eat the impeller.,&rdquo; Albring says. &ldquo;I just took out a solid bronze impeller two months ago that was almost paper thin and I could bend it with my hands.&rdquo; In that situation, the cost to the operator was at first a poorly functioning dishmachine, followed by several days of downtime for repairs, which included replacing the impeller and wash pump motor. Use test strips to check the machine is using the right amount of chemicals. And watch the chemical use; if employees are constantly running out of jugs, something&rsquo;s wrong.</li>
<li>Not regularly deliming. Not performing this task could plug the wash arms and wear out the heating elements. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to burn out faster if they&rsquo;re coated in scale,&rdquo; Albring says. Scale also can coat probes and lead to fill and chemical errors. Next thing, an operator puts in a service call for a technician, who ends up cleaning the probe and recommending a delime cycle run. How often to delime depends on the water is extra hard, it could be as often as once a week.</li>
<li>Improperly loading the unit. &ldquo;People try to jam large trays or large pots in somewhere where they&rsquo;re not supposed to fit,&rdquo; Albring says. &ldquo;And if they&rsquo;re surrounded by smaller wares, they might block them from getting washed. Not only that, but they&rsquo;re going to hit your conveyor drive and your wash arms and they could break something that&rsquo;s going to end up being expensive.&rdquo; If the item doesn&rsquo;t fit in the racks that came with the machine or just looks too big, it probably shouldn&rsquo;t be in there.</li>
</ul>
By avoiding these few mistakes, a dishmachine will deliver properly clean wares, keeping the customer experience in check and helping employees prepare quality menu items.
Source: Allison Rezendes, <a href="https://www.fermag.com/articles/5-mistakes-to-avoid-with-dishmachines/" target="_blank">fermag.com</a>

Clark Service Group’s John Albring points to a few common errors that will take down a dishmachine.

5 Mistakes to Avoid with Dishmachines

Too many restaurants ask, "What sounds fun?" The better question is, "What can we execute perfectly on our busiest nights?"
Build dishes around ingredients you already buy.
A holiday menu should never be built around excitement. It should be built around profitability and execution. If your kitchen can&rsquo;t consistently execute it during the busiest season of the year, it doesn&rsquo;t matter how creative it is. Keep reading to learn how to build a holiday menu that actually makes you money, not the most exciting one. Getting your restaurant menu pricing right is where that difference shows up.
Start with the menu&rsquo;s purpose, not the excitement
When I coach restaurant owners on developing a holiday menu that will make money, I start with first principles. A holiday menu&rsquo;s job isn&rsquo;t to prove your chef is creative or show off seasonal ingredients. Its job is to increase sales, protect profitability, deliver a great guest experience, and make life easier for your team. If it does all four, you&rsquo;ve won.
Too many restaurants ask, &ldquo;What sounds fun?&rdquo; The better question is, &ldquo;What can we execute perfectly on our busiest nights?&rdquo; Every new item you put on the menu adds new ingredients, prep, training, and chances for mistakes. Picture your kitchen on a Friday night in December, every table full, tickets stacked. That&rsquo;s not the moment to lean on recipes your cooks have only made twice.
Hope is not a strategy. Execution is.
Use what you already have for your holiday menu
One of the fastest ways to destroy holiday profits is buying ingredients you&rsquo;ll only use in one dish, then throwing the leftovers away in January. Instead, build dishes around ingredients you already buy. Can the same mushroom work in three menu items? Can that seasonal sauce work with chicken, pasta, and steak? Every ingredient should earn its place in the walk-in. The restaurants that make the most money during the holidays aren&rsquo;t buying the most ingredients; they&rsquo;re using their ingredients more intelligently.
Price your holiday menu for value, not fear
This is where restaurant owners get nervous about restaurant menu pricing. They worry about charging too much. Instead, ask what a guest is really buying when they&rsquo;ve already decided to celebrate at your restaurant. They&rsquo;re buying memories, atmosphere, and celebration, not the cheapest plate in town.
Stop pricing from fear. Price your menu based on value, and understand what each plate contributes toward labor, rent, utilities, and profit. Food cost percentages matter, but contribution matters more. A dish with a slightly higher food cost may still make you more money if it delivers more dollars to your bottom line. Don&rsquo;t confuse percentages with profit.
Protect your portions and your prep
Holiday volume exposes every weakness in your operation. If one cook serves 6 ounces, another serves 8 and another serves 10, your food cost isn&rsquo;t rising because of inflation. It&rsquo;s rising because your standards disappeared. Every recipe needs exact portions, and every garnish and protein needs a set size. Guessing gets expensive. Consistency makes money.
This is also where recipe costing becomes non-negotiable. Too many restaurants create a holiday special before they know what it costs. Every recipe should be fully costed before it reaches your menu, because once it&rsquo;s printed, your restaurant menu pricing decisions are locked in. Know your numbers first, then decide your price.
Watch for bottlenecks
Ask where a dish creates bottlenecks. Does it tie up the grill or the fryer? Does it need one person who knows a complicated finishing process? During slow periods, that&rsquo;s fine. During December, a few extra minutes become longer ticket times, frustrated guests, and refunds and bad reviews. The best holiday menu is often the simplest one. Simple doesn&rsquo;t mean boring; it means repeatable, so cooks can produce beautiful plates over and over under pressure.
Test your holiday menu before you launch it
Before your holiday menu launches, test it. Cook, time, plate and taste every dish. Ask your cooks where they struggled and your servers what guests will ask. Find the problems now instead of on your busiest Saturday night. Skipping this leaves your team to figure it out during service, which is unfair to them and expensive to you.
Keep your holiday menu focused
You don&rsquo;t need 15 holiday specials, and you don&rsquo;t have to please everyone. More choices mean more complexity. A smaller menu that&rsquo;s profitable, consistent, and easy to execute will almost always outperform a large menu that&rsquo;s hard to produce. Guests remember a great experience, not how many entrees you offered.
So, as you plan your holiday menu, don&rsquo;t ask how creative you can be. Ask whether your team can execute it consistently, whether it uses ingredients you already buy, whether every recipe is costed, whether it generates a strong contribution margin, whether it avoids bottlenecks, and whether you&rsquo;ve tested it before launch.
If the answer is yes across the board, you&rsquo;re building a menu designed to make money from day one. Profitable holiday menus don&rsquo;t happen by accident. They&rsquo;re intentionally designed.
Source: David Scott Peters, <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/does-your-holiday-menu-actually-make-money/" target="_blank">FSR</a>

Too many restaurants ask, "What sounds fun?" The better question is, "What can we execute perfectly on our busiest nights?"

Does Your Holiday Menu Actually Make Money?

The holiday season is a time for friends, family, and celebration. And if you own a restaurant, it&rsquo;s also time to make some money! The holidays are brimming with opportunities to boost your restaurant sales and traffic. Combine those factors, wrap them with a bow, and they amount to one big gift for the whole restaurant industry.
But are you taking full advantage? Are you doing everything you could be to boost restaurant holiday sales? If your restaurant isn&rsquo;t seeing a marked increase in restaurant revenue during the holidays, the answer is probably no.
Consumers are shopping, hosting, and gathering. Your customers are out there looking for ways to spend their holiday bonus. They're searching for the perfect gift card, a great catering menu, or a place to host the office holiday party.
So how can you be sure that those searches lead to your restaurant? How can you take advantage of all these opportunities and boost restaurant holiday sales and traffic? What are some proven strategies for increasing restaurant revenue during the holidays? In short, how can your restaurant get in on all the holiday fun this year?
Read on for a few helpful tips for increasing holiday restaurant sales.
Celebrate Good Times (Come On)
There&rsquo;s more opportunity to go around for restaurants during the holidays. A survey from the <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/consumers-plan-to-let-restaurants-do-the-cooking-during-the-holidays/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">National Restaurant Association</a> showed that 77% of consumers turned to restaurants for help with holiday planning. The same survey found that 82% of consumers patronize restaurants during the holidays to ease the stress that often accompanies this time of year.
Not only are consumers more likely to dine out or <a href="https://backofhouse.io/online-ordering-delivery" target="_blank">order</a> from restaurants during the holidays, but they&rsquo;re also willing to spend more this time of year. According to an article from reservation platform <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/resources/holiday-guest-trends-report/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">Tock</a>, 88% of surveyed respondents are willing to spend more on a meal during the festive season than they would at other times of the year.
Make sure you put your restaurant in a position to take advantage of all that extra celebratory spending. Here are a few key revenue drivers to help you boost restaurant holiday sales.
3 Ways to Boost Restaurant Holiday Sales
Your customers are already planning for the holidays. Make sure your restaurant is a part of those plans by offering:
<ul>
<li>Fun, easy-to-use gift cards</li>
<li>Cool, accommodating spaces for hosting private parties</li>
<li>Reliable, flexible offsite catering</li>
</ul>
Let&rsquo;s take a look at how each of these opportunities can help you boost restaurant holiday sales this year.
1. Promote Your Gift Cards Like Crazy
According to the research, people love getting restaurant gift cards.
The Perfect Present
In a <a href="https://restaurant.org/education-and-resources/resource-library/12-reasons-this-season-for-restaurant-gift-cards/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">National Restaurant Association</a> survey, 62% of consumers said they&rsquo;d like to receive a gift card to their favorite restaurant as a holiday present.
Holiday shoppers are clearly getting the message. According to a recent article from restaurant management platform <a href="https://www.katalystos.com/blog/gift-cards-the-revenue-channel-most-restaurants-ignore?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">Katalyst</a>, roughly 46% of annual gift-card sales take place in November and December. The article notes that gift card sales spike 17% during the Thanksgiving weekend alone.
Why Gift Cards are Great For Your Restaurant
Gift cards come with some unique revenue-boosting benefits. For one thing, according to <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/operations/expert-takes/3-surprising-ways-gift-cards-drive-higher-margins-restaurants/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">FSR Magazine</a>, 72% of gift recipients will spend more than the original value of their card when redeeming.
And, says a <a href="https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/gift-card-statistics/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">Capital One</a> survey, 43% of American adults have unused gift cards, and 20% have allowed at least one gift certificate to expire. Some portion of the gift cards you sell will never be redeemed, which is obviously great for your margins.
Katalyst notes that when you combine the gift overspend and under-usage with the seasonal surge, the holidays should provide the highest volume window of the year. These figures point to one important conclusion. If you aren&rsquo;t pushing your gift card program hard in the weeks leading up to the holiday season, you&rsquo;re leaving money on the table.
Get the Word Out About Your Gift Cards
You should be aggressively promoting your gift card program in the fall. And if you&rsquo;re not satisfied with your current <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/should-my-restaurant-offer-gift-cards" target="_blank">gift card program</a>, look for help from a reputable third-party provider.
2. Become an Event Destination
Event hosting is a huge driver of customer traffic during the holiday season.
Boost Your Bottom Line
Private event hosting brings in more guests, more dollars per guest, and a higher profit margin per occasion than everyday dining. According to <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/operations/expert-takes/how-restaurants-can-change-perceptions-about-private-dining-and-why-they-should/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">FSR</a>, the average ticket size for an event is 5 to 20 times bigger than the average ticket size for a regular full-service table.
Plan With Precision
Event booking can provide a more predictable revenue stream than everyday dining. According to <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/operations/expert-takes/how-restaurants-can-change-perceptions-about-private-dining-and-why-they-should/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">FSR</a>, most private events are booked 30 to 60 days ahead of their actual date. That lines up perfectly with the four- to six-week lead time that most experts recommend for planning holiday specials, schedules, and food orders.
With event hosting software, you can anticipate inventory needs and staffing needs with far greater precision. This not only reduces the likelihood of food and labor waste, but with advanced scheduling, you can also help to navigate staff vacations and reduce the likelihood of staff burnout during this busy time of year.
As an added benefit, if you collect a deposit at the time of booking, as most event venues do, event planning can improve your cash flow going into the holidays.
Get the Right Event Planning Tech
Of course, in order for event hosting to be an effective driver of revenue, you need a strategy for <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/5-things-to-do-now-to-drive-restaurant-event-bookings-in-2026" target="_blank">easy booking</a>, an efficient <a href="https://backofhouse.io/scheduling-platforms" target="_blank">staff schedule</a>, and a way to <a href="https://backofhouse.io/food-inventory" target="_blank">streamline inventory</a>. Fortunately, many of the top event hosting platforms out there can help you do all of this and more.
3. Cater to Your Crowd
If you offer catering services, make sure you&rsquo;re promoting the heck out of them this holiday season. If you don&rsquo;t already offer catering to your customers, this holiday season is a great time to start. Why?
Customers Crave Caterings
Not only is catering a great way to boost restaurant holiday sales, but it&rsquo;s also something your customers expect you to do. As <a href="https://backofhouse.io/vendors/olo" target="_blank">Olo</a> Senior Product Manager Kate Franco explained to us during a <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/why-your-small-catering-operation-should-think-bigger" target="_blank">recent chat</a>, &ldquo;Catering is happening to you, whether you&rsquo;re planning for it or not.&rdquo;
As Kate told us, if your customers really like your food, they&rsquo;re probably already looking for a catering menu on your website. That&rsquo;s even more likely to be true during the holiday season.
Hosting for the Holidays
An <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/consumers-plan-to-let-restaurants-do-the-cooking-during-the-holidays/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">NRA survey</a> found that 50% of consumers had plans to host family gatherings with the help of restaurant takeout and delivery services. Help your customers keep these plans by offering and promoting a strategically designed catering menu.
In one client case study, <a href="https://www.olo.com/blog/the-catering-boom-7-reasons-your-restaurant-cant-afford-to-miss-out/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=holiday-rush" target="_blank">Olo</a> says, Black Bear Diner saw a 5% increase in holiday revenue just by adding a simple catering menu made up of crowd favorites.
More broadly speaking, Olo reports that the average catering ticket today is $350, which is 10 times the average mealtime ticket of $35. Capitalize on customer expectations by creating and promoting a special holiday catering menu.
Stay in the Loop This Holiday
The best part is that, if you do it right, these tips for increasing holiday restaurant sales should also help to boost traffic and sales in the year ahead. Gift cards, event hosting, and catering are not only great for increasing restaurant revenue during the holidays. These strategies are also extremely effective for new customer acquisition and retention.
So how can you be sure you&rsquo;re maximizing the long-term potential of these added revenue streams? Start by staying up to date on all of the industry&rsquo;s latest trends, tech, and headlines.
Source: Dan Durkin, <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/plan-now-to-take-advantage-of-the-holiday-rush-in-your-restaurant" target="_blank">Back of House</a>
Editor&rsquo;s Note: This article is for informational purposes only, and no endorsement of any vendor(s) should be inferred.

Are you doing everything you could be to boost restaurant holiday sales? If your restaurant isn’t seeing a marked increase in restaurant revenue during the holidays, the answer is probably no.

Plan Now to Take Advantage of the Holiday Rush in Your Restaurant

For restaurant operators, the labor market is migraine-inducing stuff these days. Quit rates are high &ndash; among Gen Z, Gen X, and virtually all categories of employees &ndash; and some workers simply don&rsquo;t seem worth $15-plus per hour.
According to Cornell&rsquo;s Center for Hospitality Research, the average total cost of restaurant turnover is $5,864 per employee. Meanwhile, a fast-food restaurant&rsquo;s turnover can exceed 100% annually.
Workforce expert Scott Siff believes restaurants may not have a labor problem as much as an untapped-talent issue. The answer, he believes, is hiring more employees aged 55-plus.
&ldquo;We need to update our assumptions about the retirement age and about how long people can continue contributing,&rdquo; said Siff, the founder of Pivoters, a job-matching platform. &ldquo;We need &hellip; to move our labor pool into the 21st century. We just can&rsquo;t afford to keep operating on a century-old model, set of assumptions, and infrastructure.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re in the restaurant business and not hiring these (older) folks, you really are missing out.&rdquo;
Older Employees Often Overlooked
Foodservice isn&rsquo;t the only industry that, historically, prefers younger employees. When the Social Security Act was enacted in 1935, it left most Americans envisioning those around 65 years old as being bound for a nursing home. And that is painfully antiquated logic, Siff said.
&ldquo;Back then, in 1935, life expectancy was only 61,&rdquo; Siff told The Food Institute. &ldquo;Almost a century has passed, but the law and assumptions have barely budged; people are still expected to retire around 65.
&ldquo;A retirement age of 65 is way out of date. People today [often] live into their mid-80s.&rdquo;
Siff feels that the modern job-matching infrastructure is due for an overhaul. After all, job-matching platforms tend to skew toward <a href="https://foodinstitute.com/focus/the-age-of-discontent-gen-z-is-frustrated-at-work/" target="_blank">younger</a> and mid-career workers, potentially leaving older job seekers as a less-visible segment of the hiring pool.
&ldquo;The average age of job-seekers on the major job-matching platforms is about 28 to 30 years old,&rdquo; Siff said. &ldquo;That means if you show up as someone 55-plus, you&rsquo;re going to stand out as out of place, and your chances of getting a job &ndash; even one you&rsquo;re totally qualified for &ndash; are not very good.&rdquo;
Foodservice&rsquo;s Hiring Edge?
Restaurant operators are hiring these days, but they&rsquo;re rather cautious, as indicated by National Restaurant Association <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/restaurant-economic-insights/economic-indicators/restaurant-job-openings/" target="_blank">research</a>.
NRA statistics show that the number of workers quitting their jobs in the accommodations and foodservice industry rose from 598,000 in May 2026 to 638,000 in June. Workers don&rsquo;t typically leave their jobs voluntarily during periods of heightened <a href="https://foodinstitute.com/foodservice/inflation-reality-check-while-cpi-cool-food-costs-keep-cooking/" target="_blank">economic uncertainty</a> &ndash; like the present &ndash; yet the sector&rsquo;s quit rate has averaged a still-elevated 4.3% year-to-date.
In Siff&rsquo;s opinion, those stats should make older employees &ndash; who are typically rather loyal &ndash; all the more appealing to restaurants. He has found that, in general, employees aged 55-plus tend to boast the following traits in 2026:
<ul>
<li>Extensive work experience</li>
<li>Impressive soft skills</li>
<li>Better-than-expected tech savviness</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s 65-year-olds are about the equivalent of someone in their mid-40s a couple decades ago. They have years of work ahead of them,&rdquo; Siff contended. &ldquo;They stay in their jobs longer, and they&rsquo;re happier employees &ndash; in fact, the happiest of any age cohort &ndash; which means a happier workplace (that) translates directly to better customer service.&rdquo;
Siff has found that older employees often possess a rich set of interpersonal skills, which can help restaurant staffs defuse tense situations. In his experience, employees 55-plus boast the type of positive disposition that can be ideal for building staff morale.
Conversely, younger employees are often focused more on their careers, with an eye on quickly progressing along their career path, the expert said.
&ldquo;Workers 55-plus are looking for jobs, not careers,&rdquo; Siff said. &ldquo;They get that the purpose of work is to contribute to the organization employing them, not just to develop their own professional profile.
&ldquo;When (older employees) find a job they like, they stay. That translates to huge cost savings in terms of <a href="https://foodinstitute.com/focus/ghosting-is-haunting-foodservice-hiring/" target="_blank">recruiting</a> and training, but also to stability on the team.&rdquo;
Source: Kelly Beaton, <a href="https://foodinstitute.com/focus/gen-x-and-baby-boomers-the-solution-to-restaurant-turnover/" target="_blank">The Food Institute</a>

Workforce expert Scott Siff believes restaurants may not have a labor problem as much as an untapped-talent issue.

Gen X and Baby Boomers: The Solution to Restaurant Turnover?