Holiday Marketing Ideas
Last updated on Jul 22, 2025Corrinn McCauleyDuring the holiday season, restaurants and bars have a significant opportunity to attract customers despite the cold weather. According to recent studies, nearly 60% of consumers express their intention to visit a restaurant during the holidays, while 50% plan to opt for takeout or delivery for their at-home celebrations. As a restaurant owner or manager, it is crucial to capitalize on this surge in dining activity by implementing effective holiday marketing strategies to draw customers into your establishment. By leveraging the festive spirit and consumer preferences during this time of year, you can enhance your visibility, increase foot traffic, and ultimately boost your sales.
Restaurant Holiday Promotions
Holiday restaurant promotions can distinguish your establishment from competitors. Many potential customers are traveling to visit loved ones or hosting corporate parties, making them less inclined to cook their own full-course meal. By offering enticing restaurant promotions tailored to the holidays, you can attract customers seeking to relax and indulge in delectable food and beverages.
1. Promote Your Holiday Specials on Social Media
If you’re putting forth the effort to create special holiday promotions and events, let your customers know about them on your social media accounts. We explain how to promote your business on three popular platforms below:
- TikTok Holiday Marketing: Use TikTok to showcase your holiday specials through engaging short videos. Consider partnering with influencers or running TikTok challenges to boost engagement and reach a wider audience. Utilize trending holiday hashtags to increase visibility and drive traffic to your promotions.
- Facebook Holiday Marketing: Facebook's robust advertising tools help promote your holiday specials to a targeted audience. Create eye-catching graphics and videos that highlight your offers and discounts. Consider running Facebook ads to reach a larger audience and drive traffic to your website or store. Engage with your followers by hosting holiday-themed contests or giveaways to increase brand awareness and customer loyalty.
- Instagram Holiday Marketing: Use Instagram's visual platform to showcase your holiday specials through compelling images and videos. Create a cohesive holiday-themed feed that aligns with your brand's aesthetic. Share behind-the-scenes content, product highlights, and limited-time offers on Instagram Stories and Reels. Collaborate with influencers or brand ambassadors to reach a wider audience and drive sales during the holiday season.
2. Offer Holiday Catering Promotions
By offering catering options, you can simplify customers' hectic holiday plans and provide them with a convenient solution for their gatherings. A curated holiday menu allows patrons to tailor their offerings to their party size and their guests' flavor preferences, ensuring a personalized and memorable dining experience that caters to a diverse range of dietary needs and preferences. Consider offering a kosher Hanukkah menu, a Christmas catering menu, a Thanksgiving catering menu, and a Kwanzaa catering menu to appeal to a wide audience. By providing a variety of options, you can attract more customers and make their holiday celebrations truly special.
To enhance the customer experience, add a field to your order form that allows customers to indicate when they expect to receive their order. This simple addition can help you better manage your orders and ensure timely delivery, which is crucial during the busy holiday season. You want to make sure your customers' holiday party meal arrives hot and ready to serve, so stock up on catering supplies to package each element of the meal appropriately. To capture more business, consider offering "early bird" catering pricing at different tiers, the earlier customers book with you. Target business-to-business sales and seek opportunities to cater corporate holiday parties.
3. Add Holiday Specials to Your Restaurant Menu
As the holiday season approaches, incorporating festive specials into your restaurant menu can be a lucrative strategy to attract customers and increase sales. Coffee shops can add drink specials like white chocolate peppermint mochas and other popular winter flavors. Restaurants can use seasonal ingredients like cranberries, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other fall flavors to create dishes that capture the essence of the holidays. Create a sense of urgency and exclusivity by offering limited-time holiday specials and promoting these offerings through your marketing channels to generate excitement and drive traffic to your restaurant during the holiday season.
Holiday Recipes
By adding holiday specials to your restaurant menu, you can attract customers looking to celebrate the season with delicious food without having to carve a turkey or slave away in the kitchen. We've taken some of the guesswork out for you and provided a list of seasonal recipes you can easily incorporate into your holiday menu below.
- Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
- Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe
- Deep Fried Turkey Recipe
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Spicy Maple Glazed Turkey Recipe
- Pumpkin Creme Brulee Recipe
- Deep Fried Ham Recipe
- Winter Salad with Frisee Recipe
Holiday Drink Recipes
From holiday cocktail specials to seasonal takes on classic coffee shop drinks, we've provided a range of holiday drink special ideas.
- 12 Drinks of Christmas: holiday cocktail recipes
- Pumpkin Milkshake Recipe
- Champurrado Recipe
- Frozen Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
- White Chocolate Mocha Recipe
- Salted Caramel Martini Recipe
4. Send Out a Restaurant Holiday Card with Coupons
One effective way to spread holiday cheer and attract more customers to your restaurant is by sending out a restaurant holiday card with coupons. Included coupons or special offers could be a discount on a meal, a free appetizer, or a buy-one-get-one deal. These promotions not only encourage customers to visit your restaurant but also give them a reason to choose your establishment over competitors during the busy holiday season.
In addition to the coupon, include behind-the-scenes photos of your staff or owner. These photos provide a glimpse into the inner workings of your restaurant, adding a personal touch to your holiday greetings. Customers appreciate seeing the faces behind the food they enjoy, making them feel more connected to your business. If you have a loyalty program, consider hand-addressing and signing the card for your loyalty program members. This simple yet impactful marketing strategy allows you to connect with your customers on a personal level while also enticing them to dine at your establishment during the holiday season.
5. Decorate Your Restaurant for Christmas
By incorporating these holiday decorating ideas into your restaurant, you can attract walk-in business and create a memorable experience for your customers during the Christmas season.
- Theme and Color Scheme: Choose a theme and color scheme that aligns with your restaurant's brand and ambiance. Red and green are classic Christmas colors, but you can also opt for a more modern approach with silver and blue or gold and white.
- Exterior Decorations: Create a captivating first impression with eye-catching exterior decorations. Consider adding a wreath to the front door, stringing lights along the roofline, and placing light-up figures or a Christmas tree outside.
- Interior Decorations: Deck the halls inside your restaurant with garlands, twinkling lights, and festive centerpieces. Incorporate Christmas trees, ornaments, and candles to enhance the holiday spirit.
- Table Settings: Enhance the dining experience by incorporating holiday-themed tablecloths, napkins, and centerpieces to create a cohesive look throughout the restaurant. To add a touch of whimsy to your table settings, consider folding your cloth napkins into Christmas trees. These small details can enhance the overall ambiance of your restaurant during the holiday season.
- Window Displays: Utilize your restaurant's windows to showcase holiday-themed displays that entice passersby and draw them inside. Consider incorporating snowflakes, Santa Claus figurines, or a winter wonderland scene.
- Music and Scents: Enhance the ambiance with Christmas music playing softly in the background and seasonal scents like cinnamon, pine, or peppermint wafting through the air. Consider hiring a live band to play during peak holiday hours.
- Interactive Elements: Engage customers with interactive elements like a DIY ornament station, a holiday photo booth, or a letter-writing station to Santa. These activities can create memorable experiences for guests.
6. Host a Holiday Trivia Event
Hosting a holiday trivia event is a great way to draw in a crowd and create a festive atmosphere for your patrons. Consider centering the questions around popular Christmas movies. Create a list of trivia questions related to classic films such as "Home Alone," "Elf," and "A Christmas Story." To enhance the experience, offer food and drink specials that tie into the movie themes. For example, serve "Kevin's Cheese Pizza" for "Home Alone" fans or a green cocktail recipe for lovers of "The Grinch".
In addition to Christmas movie trivia, you can also include general holiday trivia questions to cater to a wider audience. Include questions about holiday traditions, historical facts, and popular holiday songs to keep the event engaging for everyone. To add a competitive edge, offer prizes for the winners, such as gift cards or discounts on future visits. Encourage interaction among participants by incorporating team-based trivia rounds or interactive elements like live polling or audience participation. After the trivia event, follow up with participants through thank-you emails, social media posts, or special offers to show appreciation for their participation. This will help maintain customer engagement and build loyalty for future events.
7. Give Back to Your Community
One impactful way to engage with your community during the holiday season is by organizing charitable initiatives. Giving back not only helps those in need but also fosters goodwill and strengthens your business's reputation. Here are some practical steps to incorporate community service into your holiday marketing strategy:
- Food Drive: Host a food drive at your establishment or partner with a local charity to collect non-perishable food items for families in need. Encourage customers to donate by offering discounts or promotions for their contributions.
- Toy Drive: Organize a toy drive to collect new, unwrapped toys for children who may not receive gifts during the holidays. Partner with local schools, churches, or community centers to distribute the toys to families in need.
- Donate Food to a Homeless Shelter: Reach out to a local homeless shelter or food bank to donate surplus food items from your business. Consider organizing a meal donation program where you provide hot meals to those experiencing homelessness in your community. Consult local regulatory authorities for specific laws regarding food donations.
- Community Event Booths: Increase your visibility and community engagement by setting up a booth at local events such as tree lightings, Christmas markets, or holiday parades. Use this opportunity to promote your business while also collecting donations for your charitable initiatives.
8. Christmas Pop Up Bar
A Christmas pop-up bar is a temporary bar designed to capture the spirit of the season and provide customers with a memorable experience. Restaurants can either create their own Christmas pop-up bar or partner with an existing organizer to bring this concept to life. By creating a Christmas pop-up bar within their establishment, restaurants can tailor the experience to align with their brand and offerings. This approach allows for creative freedom in designing the bar's menu, theme, and overall ambiance. From specialty holiday cocktails to festive decor, a custom pop-up bar can attract customers seeking a seasonal experience.
Alternatively, partnering with a Christmas pop-up bar organizer can streamline the process for restaurants looking to incorporate this concept into their holiday marketing strategy. These organizers specialize in curating pop-up experiences and can provide expertise in areas such as logistics, licensing, and promotion. By collaborating with a professional organizer, restaurants can benefit from their industry knowledge and established network to ensure a successful and well-executed pop-up bar event.
9. Promote Restaurant Gift Card Sales
Restaurant gift cards make for versatile and convenient gifts that can be enjoyed by recipients of all ages. During the holiday season, promoting restaurant gift card sales can be a lucrative opportunity for your business. Here are some creative ways to boost your gift card sales during the holidays:
- Corporate Gift: Encourage businesses to purchase restaurant gift cards as corporate gifts for their employees or clients. Highlight the convenience and universal appeal of gift cards as a thoughtful gesture that can be enjoyed at their leisure.
- Stocking Stuffer: Position restaurant gift cards as the perfect stocking stuffer or small gift for friends and family. Emphasize how gift cards provide the gift of choice and allow recipients to enjoy a delicious meal at your establishment.
- Raffle Prize: Partner with local organizations or businesses to offer restaurant gift cards as raffle prizes at holiday events or fundraisers. This can help increase brand visibility and attract new customers to your restaurant.
- Discount Promotion: Offer a limited-time promotion where customers receive a discount off the value of the gift card. For example, customers could purchase a $50 gift card for only $40. This incentive can encourage customers to buy gift cards as gifts or for themselves.
10. Christmas Movie Watch Party
By hosting a special movie night event, restaurants can create a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere that appeals to families, friends, and movie enthusiasts alike. Screen classic holiday films such as "It's a Wonderful Life," "Home Alone," or "Elf." These timeless movies are sure to evoke feelings of nostalgia and holiday cheer among guests, making it a memorable experience for all who attend. Offering special promotions or discounts for attendees who dress up to match the theme can also incentivize customers to attend the event and increase foot traffic during the holiday season.
To enhance the movie night experience, restaurants can offer themed menu items such as hot chocolate, popcorn, and holiday cocktails. Creating a special seasonal menu adds a fun and interactive element to the event, allowing guests to indulge in delicious treats while enjoying the movie. Create a Christmas cookie decorating station for families to participate in together while they watch. Promoting the Christmas Movie Night event through social media, email newsletters, and in-store signage can help restaurants attract a larger audience. Offering special promotions or discounts for attendees can also incentivize customers to attend the event and increase foot traffic during the holiday season.
Holiday restaurant promotions are a low-cost way to attract new customers to your business. Coupons or gift cards encourage untapped customers to give your establishment a try, and your existing clientele will appreciate your efforts to reward their loyalty. Whether you decide to transform your restaurant into a winter wonderland or establish new holiday sales, you can create a memorable dining experience this season with our holiday restaurant marketing ideas.
