With the days getting shorter and colder, the holidays are approaching. While that term means many things, for some, it means Christmas. The warmth of a fire, the glow of a well-lit tree, and the comfort of family and friends are what make the season. Luckily for restauranteurs, that’s right in our wheelhouse! In this blog, we’re talking about Christmas; more accurately, we’re breaking down Christmas ideas for restaurants.
How Christmas Themed Ideas Attract More Guests
While this will vary from restaurant to restaurant, the simple truth is that Christmas-themed ideas can go miles when it comes to attracting guests. You can opt for a more practical approach and offer Christmas-themed drinks or specials, or you can go all-out and decorate for the season. No matter how you choose to embrace the season, what matters is that you embrace it.
Festive Christmas Decor Ideas for Restaurants
Just as people eat first with their eyes, they relax first with their eyes. Since we want our guests to be comfortable, this means that we need to focus on Christmas decor ideas for restaurants. Below are a handful of excellent ideas to bring a bit of Christmas spirit to your restaurant, take a peek!
Entrance and Exterior Decorations
The first thing your guests see is your entrance and exterior. Christmas lights at your entrance are a great option for several reasons. First and foremost, they’re a staple of the holidays in many corners of the world, making for easy decor. Second, though, is the fact that they light up your business. The easier your door is to see, the better — and Christmas lights do just that.
Beyond that, adding a hint of holly and a few garlands can really bring out the holiday spirit. If you want to get really creative, consider creating a themed garland that ties back into your restaurant. You can go as easy as a branded garland, or go as complicated as decorations that tie into the cuisine that you create or your brand values — and remember, creativity is good here!
Beyond your entryway, window displays are the first thing that guests will see when approaching your restaurant. Because of this, we want to make it pop. You can continue the theme above and throw up lights and garlands, yes, but what if you want to be unique? Consider creating a display that highlights your company values (for example, farm-to-table) to encourage newcomers to check you out.
Dining Area Decor
Once our guests have entered the building, it’s time to make them feel at home. This is where our dining area decor comes into place.
Table decor is a hard thing to perfect. You want the table to feel inviting and comfortable, but it also needs to work ergonomically; plates, glasses, and silverware need to fit onto the table. As such, it’s important to think about how your decorations fit into the physical needs of the table. With that said, let’s talk about table centerpieces and Christmas-themed place settings.
Garlands are incredibly common during this season, and for good reason. They come in a wide variety of sizes, are easily customized, and are simple to set up. Consider using a garland surrounding your usual table settings (and maybe a candle or two) to ease guests into the comfortable holiday vibes.
Beyond your tables, we need to think about your walls. With proper Christmas decorations, every inch of your business will scream warmth, comfort, and happiness. Consider investing in holiday-inspired art from local artists for your walls. Even if you don’t want them for the rest of the year, many artists will be thrilled to display their art on your walls (assuming you help sell them, of course), and that’s a great opportunity to get your walls in the holiday spirit.
While a tree indoors is certainly a struggle for the smaller businesses out there, if you have the space to accommodate one, it’s an easy way to create Christmas-themed decor. It also allows your staff to have a bit of fun with decoration.
Bar and Countertop Decor
Seasonal drink garnishes are an easy win for any bar during the holidays. Items like dried oranges, roasted chestnuts, and cinnamon sticks are an excellent way to mimic the flavors of the season while also looking good. Beyond garnishes, though, feel free to decorate the bar with Christmas-themed decorations!
Christmas Promotion Ideas to Attract More Customers
Now that we’ve talked about decor, let’s break down a few Christmas promotion ideas for restaurants.
Holiday-Themed Menus and Specials
Specials and themed menus are the name of the game for the holidays. You can do so much with what people expect from the holidays, so there’s really no reason not to do it.
Christmas-themed cocktails and mocktails are a great way to lean into the season. Whether you opt for a classic mulled wine or boozy eggnog, or you lean into the more creative side of bar work, themed cocktails are almost always a win. You’ll want to lean into the theme of warmth here, so combinations that use strong bourbon or rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coffee are almost always a good option.
Desserts and appetizers are one of the easiest ways to lean (affordably) into the season. Rather than build a whole new menu, focus on a few things that really scream Christmas. Desserts that evoke nostalgia are always great, so things like Christmas trifle, sticky toffee pudding, or pannetonne are all great options. As for appetizers, consider creating a few puff pastry bites with fig and ricotta or a nice mushroom blend.
Seasonal Discounts and Special Offers
The spirit of the season for the holidays is giving. As such, it makes sense that you should lean into discounts, deals, and special offers. Let’s look at a few options.
Twelve Days of Christmas is an incredibly common theme for families around the world once the holidays roll around. Often, it’s centered around an advent calendar or similar way to reveal treats and gifts over the course of a little less than two weeks. Believe it or not, you can do the same thing.
Consider Twelve Days of Cocktails, featuring a new cocktail each day leading up to Christmas, or a similar theme using desserts. You can also offer discounts on themed menu items throughout the season, leading up to a “buy one, get one” style deal directly before the holidays fully start.
Family discounts make great sense for the holidays because, after all, they’re all about family. Offer discounts for reservations on parties over six people or go so far as to offer a special Christmas party for families and friends.
Gift Card Promotions for the Holiday Season
Now, it’s time to talk about gift cards and holiday promotions. Gift cards make excellent sense for the holidays. Bulk gift card purchases aren’t entirely common, but it’s good to encourage them when they come around. One great way to do so is to offer a discounted meal to groups who buy multiple gift cards. Another is to offer a discount for guests who use gift cards. From the day after Christmas to New Year’s Eve, consider offering a small (5-10%) discount for guests who use gift cards.
Along a similar note as the previous point, offering options for people who buy gift cards is a wonderful way to incentivize their purchase. This is where your holiday-themed cocktails and desserts come into play.
Hosting Special Christmas Events
Lastly, we need to discuss holiday events. These are a great way to build local attention, and they often look great on social media, so they’re really a win-win.
If you plan to remain open on Christmas eve or day, consider offering a special menu. It can be as simple as a few of your themed cocktails, desserts, and appetizers with a classic ham or goose dinner, or as complicated as you like. What matters is that you lean into the spirit of the holiday.
Themed brunches and dinners are very popular. They’re exciting for guests, something new for staff to work on, and a great way to bring in guests for a special event. Just as I mentioned above, you can go the easy route with a few specials, or you can build a whole new menu — what matters is that it’s fun to make and delicious to eat.
And lastly, if you run a family-friendly business, consider having a local Santa Clause come in to visit with kids. If you really want to encourage families to come in, offer free kids meals or a discount for families that see him.
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