It’s never too early to start talking about your holiday food and beverage menus. One study reported that 35% of consumers start buying food and beverages for the holidays a few weeks before the big day, with 52% learning about holiday offerings via word of mouth.¹

Promote holiday menus on social media, display flyers and/or tent cards inside the restaurant or send reminders in your email newsletter. Depending on your kitchen capabilities, you can make the holidays as simple or as involved as you want. The goal is to turn a healthy profit while lifting guests’ spirits.

Convenience and affordability are buzzwords this season as consumers seek easy ways to ring in the season without breaking the bank. Here are six ways to make everyone’s holidays—including yours—a little happier.

1. Keep your menus simple. Adding a holiday twist to current offerings is an easy way to make menus feel festive while avoiding staff and kitchen burnout. Consider adding peppermint or pumpkin syrup to existing coffee beverages; add pumpkin soup or deviled eggs to the appetizer menu; and create holiday-themed desserts such as sweet potato pie or a peppermint sundae. Don’t forget your delivery, takeout, and grab-and-go customers here; boxes of holiday cookies, and festive finger foods are an easy sell.

2. Integrate speed-scratch ingredients to save time and labor. High-quality speed-scratch ingredients and products can boost flavor and save you time in the kitchen. Consider gravy, tomato sauce, macaroni and cheese, and chocolate chip cookie dough that you can have on hand throughout the season.

3. Create order-ahead holiday sides and bundles. You don’t have to be open to take advantage of holiday sales. Many consumers can’t or prefer not to cook and are happy to pick up heat-and-serve casseroles, sides, turkeys, roasts, or more a day or two before a big dinner. Offer items such as lasagna, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, sausage stuffing, broccoli casserole, pumpkin pie, and apple pie to make someone’s holiday easier.

4. Make them the favorite guest. Many will travel to someone else’s house for a holiday meal and food is always a welcome gift. Promote guest gifts ranging from a box of homemade cookies or pie to fresh-baked dinner rolls with gourmet butter or hors d’oeuvres.

5. Cater office holiday parties in-office or at your restaurant. Look through your existing menu to calculate the logistics of offering family-style portions of favorite menu items for large parties. Then promote your catering options for the holiday season, either delivering to offices or renting out a room (or the entire space) to corporate clients.

6. Run a gift card promotion. ‘Tis the biggest season of the year for gift cards, so don’t miss the opportunity to sell gift cards to your business. Offer a buy-one-get-one gift card (i.e., purchase $50, get $5), or a donation to charity if a large amount is purchased (i.e., purchase a $200 gift card and 10% will go to charity).

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional

¹Unpacking Consumer Behavior: Insights From the Holiday Season! (Peekage, February, 2024)