Operational & Business Insights

2023 Holiday Marketing Guide for Your Restaurant

November 23, 2023

Want to know how to attract customers during the holidays? When patrons visit your restaurant, they expect great food. But during holidays, they want something more—a memorable experience that turns a meal into a celebration. So, how do you make sure your place stands out during these special times? Our holiday marketing plan has you covered. We'll guide you through how to maximize holiday sales and keeping your restaurant bustling through the end of the year.

1. Creating a festive atmosphere: Adapting your restaurant for special occasions

Whether it's dining in or taking out, making every moment feel like a celebration is the key to market your restaurant during the holidays.

Decorating to fit special occasions

Setting the stage is key to any celebration. Getting your restaurant holiday-ready goes beyond just the menu—it’s about embracing the holiday spirit in every corner. Your aim is to make customers feel like they're part of the celebration from the moment they step in. To attract customers during the holidays, prepare your entrance, dining areas, and the ambience to commemorate the holiday spirit.

An easy and effective way to infuse the theme is by embracing seasonal colours. Colours can strongly influence our mood, energy levels, and even appetite. Leverage this by crafting a colour scheme that invites customers to fully savour the experience at your restaurant.

Holiday Marketing Tip – Embrace the traditional holiday theme by incorporating red into your colour scheme. Red not only fits with the season, but also stimulates appetite.

Hosting holiday events

As of 2023, 65% of Canadian consumers say eating out at restaurants is one of the top activities they enjoy with friends. This trend becomes particularly significant during holidays when people opt for their favorite restaurants due to limited time for cooking. Make the most of this opportunity by hosting holiday events—invite celebrities, musicians, or arrange various engaging activities to create a festive atmosphere.

2. Offer A Holiday Menu

Make Your Menu Festive with Seasonal Flavours and Limited-Time Offers (LTOs)

To add a festive touch to your regular meals, consider making small changes like swapping ingredients or adding a twist to traditional dishes. Give these revamped dishes catchy, temporary names on your menu to stand out and create excitement for customers when they order.

According to our 2023 Canadian Foodservice Trend Report, younger consumers have higher expectations for food quality and service. Keep this in mind when planning a menu with seasonal flavours or limited-time offerings (LTOs). Introducing new menu items as limited-time offerings allows customers to try them without much risk, giving you insights into what works for future considerations. This way, you can offer something new for younger customers while keeping your regular items intact.

Expand Beyond Food with Your Holiday Menu

Restaurants aren't just about food anymore. Recent trends show that customers are more interested in ordering a variety of beverages when dining out. Roughly one-third of consumers purchase two to three beverages per week from food service, and fewer people now say they never buy beverages compared to before the pandemic in 2018.

Take a closer look at the beverage section of your menu. Do you offer seasonal alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks? Are there opportunities for customers to enjoy novelty drinks outside of regular mealtimes? The aim is to have easy-to-make beverages that cater to various tastes. For instance, consider adding colourful mocktails like our Tropical Sunrise or Fuzzy Peach to provide sweet notes during the cold weather.

Offer Special Holiday Promotions

Holiday promotions are well-received by customers eager to try something different. This is a great chance to effortlessly introduce new dishes or delight customers by offering their favorites at discounted prices. Special holiday promotions can increase sales and attract new customers, setting your restaurant apart from others.

Looking for holiday promotion ideas for your restaurant? Start by building a theme that fits your business. For example, if your restaurant offers great multi-course meals, offer a holiday set menu promotion for your customers to enjoy during date night or family night outs.

3. Set up your restaurant for delivery success

Many Canadians now prefer celebrating holidays with family and friends in the comfort of their homes, a trend that grew significantly during the pandemic. Offering better off-premise food services or even a temporary offer of free delivery during the holidays can be a great promotion for your restaurant.

Ensure you team up with reliable food delivery platforms or set up your own delivery system to make ordering easy and enjoyable for customers. As a bonus, consider including special holiday promotions or giveaways with online orders. It's a pleasant surprise for your regulars and a way to attract new customers.

4. Season of giving: Giving back to the community

Our 2023 Canadian Foodservice Trend Report shows that people—both companies and customers—are now more concerned about our planet's health and supporting our communities. This means your customers care about how your business contributes to the community and its impact. Take advantage of the holiday season, known for giving, to remind your customers about your business values. Show what your business believes in by creating sustainability and philanthropy projects for the holidays.

5. Enhance Your Holiday Marketing Plan with Digital Channels

Using social media drastically improves promotion awareness. Posting holiday promotion details together with photos that show the festive atmosphere at your restaurant increases online engagement as well as the number of visits and online orders. Learn more about your customers to determine the best platform to communicate with them and go ahead to let them know all news about special offers and events.

If you’re looking to build a personalized communication strategy into your holiday marketing plan, email marketing is the best option. Inform your customers of relevant news and events or share promotions directly to their inbox.

The information presented here offers a general industry perspective and may not directly apply to your specific business operations. Consult with the appropriate subject matter experts before making any business decisions.