Christmas is Here! Is Your Restaurant Ready?
Christmas is right around the corner. And it’s time to transform your restaurant into a hub for Christmas celebrations.
Imagine the cozy glow of fairy lights, the aroma of oven-baked cookies, the joyful sound of holiday music—and lots of customers!
Christmas is the perfect time to increase customer footfall in your restaurant. You can do so by incorporating festive elements into your restaurant. Additionally, a compelling marketing strategy will also help you promote your restaurant to new customers.
In fact, it is this marketing strategy that can either boost or completely tank your holiday sales—both online and offline.
So without much ado, let’s explore Christmas marketing and promotion ideas for your restaurant. Let’s make this Christmas a season of resounding restaurant success!
Restaurant Marketing Ideas to Try this Christmas
1. Update Restaurant Hours for Christmas
Many restaurants in the USA, UK, and Australia close their doors on Christmas Day. But you can capitalize on this opportunity to attract more customers and boost business sales.
By staying open, you can position your restaurant as a go-to destination for holiday celebrations. Update your business profile on Google and communicate your Christmas operating hours.
To enhance your restaurant’s efficiency, consider implementing online table reservations. This allows customers to book their table in advance, reducing wait times and improving the overall dining experience.
For busy periods like Christmas, consider adding a “join the waiting list” option. This allows customers to add their names to a virtual queue, freeing up your staff to focus on other tasks.
2. Update your Restaurant’s Website
When users visit your website, they should see that they can spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at your restaurant.
Create a festive banner featuring traditional Christmas colors like red, green, and gold to make the announcement in style, and post it on your homepage.
Even a simple “We’re open on Christmas Day!” will do the trick. Find Christmas banner inspirations below:
You can also add interactive͏ elements like spin-the-wheel and giveaways to your website to boost click-through rates and encourage participation.
This is a fun way for customers to engage with your restaurant brand. Plus, they get to win discounts, fr͏ee dishes, and special offers.
3. Up your Social Media Game
Social media is a powerful tool to connect with your customers and promote your restaurant’s holiday offerings.
So, here are some tips to maximize your social media efforts:
Share Festive Content:
Post eye-catching photos and videos of your holiday decorations, menu items, and special events. Use relevant hashtags like #ChristmasDinner, #HolidayCheers, and #Restaurant.
You can also engage your virtual customers with fun contests, such as a “Caption This” photo contest or a holiday giveaway.
Try InstaLive:
Go Instagram Live and host live cooking demonstrations, cocktail-making sessions, or virtual holiday parties.
You can also collaborate with Instagram influencers and local food bloggers to bolster your online reach.
Encourage User-Generated Content:
Lastly, encourage your customers to share their dining experiences on social media by using a specific hashtag. You can also offer discounts to customers who are willing to post about their dining experience at your restaurant on social media.
By actively engaging with your audience on social media, you can build brand awareness, generate buzz, and drive foot traffic to your restaurant.
4. Create Christmas-Themed Menus
While many restaurants stick to their regular menus, even during festive seasons, you have the opportunity to create a truly memorable dining experience. By introducing a limited-time Christmas-themed menu, you can entice your customers and drive sales.
Classic Holiday Fare: Offer timeless favorites like roasted turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes.
Seasonal Specials: Introduce unique dishes that incorporate festive flavors, such as gingerbread-spiced desserts or cranberry-infused cocktails.
Limited-Time Offers: Create a sense of urgency by highlighting the limited availability of your holiday menu.
By offering a special holiday menu, you can attract new customers, delight your regular customers, and boost your bottom line.
5. Stock up your Inventory for the Festive Season
Also, remember to make sure you have enough of every ingredient needed to create your signature specials.
You wouldn’t want to have to tell a customer you’re out of their favorite Christmas food deals.
But if you do run out, let people know the dish is no longer available. You can do so easily with the menu creator from Deonde’s online food ordering suite that allows you to mark items as “Out of stock”.
If you want to run an organized business during a usually overwhelming time, online food ordering systems, like Deonde, can help you schedule orders online.
Even if your restaurant is closed, clients can still order their food for the next day.
This way, when you begin accepting orders the next day, you can better plan the dishes you have to prepare and ensure they all meet your restaurant’s quality criteria.
6. Decorate your Restaurant
Encourage customers to spend time at your restaurant by creating a magical holiday atmosphere.
Here are some restaurant decor tips to consider:
- Make a striking first impression with a large, ornate wreath wrapped with ribbons, bells, or pine cones.
- Illuminate your restaurant with twinkling bright lights. Drape them along walls, ceilings, and windows to create a warm and inviting ambiance.
- A beautifully decorated Christmas tree can be a focal point of your restaurant. Encourage a sense of community by inviting customers to decorate the tree with ornaments or write holiday wishes.
- Create intimate dining areas with plush pillows, blankets, and soft lighting. If your restaurant has a fireplace, decorate it with stockings and logs to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
By incorporating these elements, you can elevate your restaurant’s holiday appeal and attract more customers.
7. Offer Holiday Promotions for Your Restaurant
Entice your customers with irresistible holiday promotions. Not only will it tap into the festive spirit, but it will also strategically boost your sales and customer engagement.
In a National Restaurant Association report, 77% of customers plan to leave some of their cooking to restaurants for the upcoming holiday season.
Grab this opportunity by offering exclusive discounts on your menu, buy-one-get-one-free deals, or special holiday meal packages.
To make these promotions, analyze past sales data to identify your favored dishes.
8. Invite Santa!
Not really—but you still can make your restaurant a destination for holiday outings by hosting Santa visits.
Set up a special corner where Santa can meet with kids, take photos, and maybe even hand out small gifts or candy canes.
While the parents can relax and enjoy their meals, the kids have fun with Santa, creating a memorable experience that keeps families returning year after year.
Hosting Santa visits at your restaurant is a great way to foster a family-friendly atmosphere, making your restaurant a cherished part of local holiday traditions.
9. Christmas-Themed Drinks Menu
To truly capture the holiday spirit, elevate your drink menu with festive concoctions. Offer classic warmers like mulled wine and hot toddy, and experiment with creative cocktails featuring flavors of cinnamon, cranberry, and rosemary.
Don’t forget the non-alcoholic drinkers! Delight them with delicious mocktails made with festive ingredients like cranberry-orange or apple cider.
By incorporating these strategies into your holiday plan, you can create a memorable dining experience for your customers and drive significant revenue for your business.
And don’t forget to take some pictures of your classy cocktails for Instagram to get followers feeling thirsty for your Christmas drinks.
10. Promotional Gift Cards
There’s no better time of the year to offer gift cards as people frantically look for inspiration for the perfect Christmas present.
Foodies will rejoice at opening up a gift card from a loved one offering a meal at a tasty restaurant. You can make sure that it’s yours by spreading the word through marketing channels and letting diners know they can buy a gift card for a delicious meal out at your spot.
Consider offering special gift card promotions, like a bonus £20 card for every £100 purchased.
Add attractive packaging or a small festive treat with each gift card purchase. You could even partner with local businesses to offer gift card bundles, pairing your restaurant experience with other local treats or services.
11. Create an Online Ordering App for Your Restaurant
A food delivery app powered by Deonde can significantly boost your restaurant’s holiday sales.
Streamlining online ordering, order processing, dispatch, and food delivery can help you efficiently manage the holiday rush.
Deonde’s restaurant ordering app also enables you to reach a wider customer base, increase average order value, and improve customer satisfaction.
Additionally, Deonde’s data-driven insights also help you tailor your marketing strategies and optimize your operations, ultimately driving more sales and revenue.
Benefits of Holiday-Themed Menus for Restaurants
Holiday menus are a great way to expand your restaurant menu, help people celebrate the season, and bring in a little extra money.
Most restaurants don’t want to expand their menu if they’ve created something that people like and consistently order, especially since the holidays are so busy.
However, taking the time to craft a small menu addition that uses popular holiday flavors and foods allows you to make a sustainable expansion. A holiday-themed menu can be a powerful tool for elevating your restaurant’s appeal and boosting sales during the festive season.
Here are some key benefits:
- Increased Revenue: Limited-time offers and seasonal specials can drive additional sales and attract new customers.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: A well-crafted holiday menu can create a memorable dining experience for your guests.
- Stronger Brand Image: You can strengthen your restaurant’s reputation by offering unique and innovative dishes.
- Social Media Popularity: Festive food can generate excitement on social media, leading to increased brand visibility.
- Bolstered Customer Loyalty: By offering special treats and personalized experiences, you can foster loyalty among your existing customers.
A holiday-themed menu can help you make the most of the festive season and achieve significant business growth.
How Can Deonde Help You with Christmas Marketing?
Deonde creates white-label online food ordering platforms for restaurant vendors and food delivery aggregators. While it’s not directly a marketing platform, it can indirectly contribute to your Christmas marketing efforts in the following ways:
Efficient Order Management:
Deonde can help you manage a surge in orders during the holiday season, ensuring timely deliveries and satisfied customers. By automating order taking and processing, you can minimize errors and ensure accuracy.
Enhanced Customer Experience:
Using Deonde’s online ordering suite, customers can easily place orders online, even during peak holiday times, reducing wait times and improving overall satisfaction.
Deonde can also help restaurants implement personalized offers and promotions, such as holiday discounts or special combos.
Data-Driven Insights
Deonde’s admin dashboard can help you analyze sales data to identify popular holiday items and customer preferences. This information can be used to refine your marketing strategies.
With Deonde, restaurant owners can track customer behavior to understand their ordering patterns during the holidays.
By optimizing your operations and enhancing the customer experience, Deonde can indirectly contribute to your restaurant’s success during the holiday season. Request a demo to boost your restaurant revenue!
Conclusion
With a little ahead-of-time planning, you can seamlessly implement these strategies and elevate your restaurant’s holiday appeal.
From festive decor and enticing holiday menus to effective marketing campaigns and engaging social media strategies, every aspect of your holiday plan contributes to a memorable dining experience.
Although, the key to a successful holiday season lies in creating a warm, inviting atmosphere, offering exceptional food and drinks, and providing outstanding customer service.
By focusing on these core elements, you can ensure that your restaurant becomes a beloved destination for holiday celebrations.
FAQs:
1. Are Christmas-Themed Loyalty Programs Effective for Restaurants?
Yes, Christmas-themed loyalty programs can be very effective. They encourage repeat business and can help you build customer loyalty. Consider offering special rewards, discounts, or freebies to members of your loyalty program.
2. When Should I Start Christmas Marketing?
Start your Christmas marketing early to build anticipation. Begin planning in October to launch your holiday marketing for restaurants campaign by early November. This gives you ample time to ͏promote your offers and connect with customers.
3. How can Restaurants Handle Online Orders during the Holiday Rush?
Deonde can help restaurants handle the holiday rush by streamlining order management, enhancing customer experience, and providing data-driven insights. By efficiently processing orders, minimizing errors, and offering personalized promotions, Deonde can help you maximize your restaurant’s revenue during the festive season.
4. How can Restaurants Boost Sales during Christmas?
To boost sales during the festive season, restaurants can create special Christmas-themed menus featuring festive dishes and drinks. Decorating the restaurant with festive decorations can enhance the ambiance and appeal to customers. Restaurants can also offer special promotions and discounts to incentivize ordering.
