6 Holiday Marketing Ideas for Restaurants

The holiday season is upon us! And, as a restaurant owner, that means you need to be thinking about marketing strategies that will help your business thrive over the holidays.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, the marketing ideas you once had may not be as effective as they used to be.

That’s why we’re sharing six of our favorite holiday marketing ideas for restaurants in 2021! Best of all, we believe these ideas can work for any restaurant, regardless of your marketing budget.

Here’s a quick preview of those six ideas:

1. Go festive offline and online
2. Create festive menus and promotions
3. Offer holiday gift cards and vouchers
4. Run a catering service
5. Organize holiday events
6. Give back to the community

We’ll share more about how to best implement each one. But, before we do, let’s answer two questions that will help you plan your holiday marketing strategies.

How Can Restaurants Use Holidays to Boost Sales in 2021?

You already know that during the holidays people tend to come together to eat, drink, and celebrate. For example, companies usually host end-of-year parties and families gather for reunions.

But you also know that with the pandemic, a lot of those gatherings are looking a little different than they used to. And, to boost sales during this time, you’ll need to be strategic when planning your holiday marketing.

The good news? It’s likely to pay off. According to a report from Deloitte, in 2021 holiday retail sales are likely to increase between 7-9% when compared to the 2020 holiday season. And, yes, this forecast includes restaurants! 

So, it’s good you’re here to make sure you grab a slice of this holiday profit pie! But which of the upcoming holidays are most worth your time and effort? Let’s take a look.

Which Holidays are Best for Restaurants to Offer Promotions?

As we’re already at the end of 2021, there are three holidays in particular that you should aim to capitalize on by creating unique dine-in or takeaway experiences to market to your customers.

Black Friday

When you think about Black Friday, you likely focus on the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. And that’s because retailers usually offer discounts so huge that customers come to stores in record numbers that nearly always make the news.

As a result, Black Friday is regularly regarded as one of the biggest retail sales events. Retailers made a total of $7.4 billion in sales during Black Friday in 2019. 

As we’ll show later on, you can join the craze and cash in on the sales potential of this holiday as a restaurant owner by marketing different deals and promotions.

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. This year, it's November 26th.

Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to celebrating small businesses. While less known than Black Friday, consumers are encouraged to shop locally on this day—something many consumers are hoping to do in 2021.

According to Groupon, 75% of consumers are looking forward to supporting small businesses as we move into the “new normal.” If your restaurant is a small business, make sure consumers know! 

When is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is the Saturday following Black Friday. This year, it’s November 27th. 

New Year's Eve

According to FSR Magazine, New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest holidays for restaurants. And, with the right planning, your restaurant could be a part of how people ring in the new year!

6 Restaurant Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales During the Holidays 

Of course, COVID-19 has changed how we celebrate the holidays. But there are several marketing ideas that could still help you to thrive and improve your restaurant operations before the end of the year. Here are six of our favorites.

#1 Go Festive Offline and Online

First thing first: make sure you create a festive mood in your restaurant! Turn on the music (include pop songs like "Oh Santa" by Mariah Carey) and put up the appropriate decorations.

You don’t have to go over the top, but make sure you have the basics.  For example, if you are decorating for Christmas, at least put up a Christmas tree with lights. Does this really matter? Yep! Experts say that, for many, putting up decorations evokes feelings of excitement and nostalgia. Your customers may come to associate these positive feelings with your restaurant, even if they are just there for take out.

Online, keep the festive mood going. Update your website to reflect holidays and line up posts on your social media about the holiday specials you have in store. If you have a mailing list, consider sending subscribers an e-greeting card.

#2 Create Festive Menus and Promotions

Millions of customers eat out during holidays, including Thanksgiving! So, curating festive menus could bring in additional sales for your restaurant. For example, you could combine some of your menu items to create festive family meals. 

Starbucks is the pioneer of creating seasonal offerings. Not only do they set up in-store Christmas decorations right away, but they also offer special, festive beverages and takeaway cups exclusively for this time of year. This marketing strategy works by creating anticipation among customers who love their products. 

#3 Offer Holiday Gift Cards and Vouchers

If you haven’t already done this, you should do it now. Research from Blackhawk Network says that 83% of the consumers want to give gift cards instead of physical gifts this year. Plus, restaurant gift cards are a profitable and convenient way to expand your customer base.

Include information about how customers can purchase gift cards in your online and offline holiday marketing campaigns. You should also train your staff to upsell holiday gift cards and vouchers to customers—especially on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. And don’t forget that, because we’re still living through the pandemic, it’s also a smart idea to sell digital gift vouchers that customers can purchase entirely online.

#4 Run a Catering Service

Social distancing restrictions are not as strict as they used to be. But that doesn’t mean everyone who wants to celebrate the holidays with your restaurant is comfortable dining in. Offering a catering service could be a great solution for those who want to have parties without having to share space with strangers.

You might also consider engaging with companies whose employees are still working from home. Those companies might want to replace their usual in-person holiday parties with something more remote-friendly. For example, you could offer to prepare and deliver individual festival boxed meals to their employees’ doorsteps. 

Restaurants in Michigan catered more than 250,000 special meals for Thanksgiving in 2020, which helped them to recover from some revenue losses due to the pandemic. 

#5 Organize Holiday Events 

COVID-19 restrictions might change the landscape of events and parties. But by planning ahead and following your local COVID-related restrictions, holiday events can help boost your sales.

For example, you might offer a private dining room for small holiday parties. You could promote using the space for a holiday event by creating holiday packages that include festive menu offerings, venue fees, staffing fees, and decorating fees. You can also incentivize your customers by offering early bird discounts so you can lock down the dates and plan for the event. 

#6 Give Back to the Community

It’s always a good idea to spread the holiday joy with those in your surrounding community who are in need. It’s also what many of your customers want you to do. According to one study, more than 80% of customers prefer to spend their money at socially responsible businesses. 

There are many ways to give back during the holidays. For example, you could:

• Make it easy for customers to round up their bills to the nearest dollar to donate to a local charity
• Designate a drop-off spot for your local food bank in your restaurant
• Incorporate marketing strategy #4 from this list by following Dunkin’ Donuts’ gift card donation scheme. For every gift card purchase, the company donates $1 to Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to help families affected by COVID-19

Final Thoughts

As we close out the year, it’s clear that the holidays still won’t be looking like they used to before the start of the pandemic. But that’s not going to stop people entirely from celebrating, gathering, and eating good food!

By implementing one or more of the holiday marketing ideas we’ve shared, you can make sure consumers want to dine in or take away from your restaurant this holiday season!

And, if you're looking for more ideas on how to end the year on a high note, check out our article on how to offset rising business costs in 2021-2022!