6 Money-Making Restaurant Promotional Ideas for the Holidays

Wow, it’s already the second week of November! We’re not sure where the time has gone, but the holiday’s are coming up quick! This is good news for restaurants, because it provides ample opportunities to bring guests in and share the holiday spirit!

What is your restaurant doing to generate more money during the holidays? Here’s 6 restaurant promotional ideas for the holidays, with a few bonus ideas at the end!

Promote your event space

Businesses love to treat their employees to a fun holiday party and you should take advantage of this as many days as possible during the holidays. Use social media and email marketing to promote these spaces along with party options (food, decor, space size, etc). You may also consider direct mail to businesses in the area to catch them at the time they are thinking of locations.

Promote early too, many parties will be booking their party space 1-2 months in advance, so don’t slack on getting the word out there!

Promote your catering

Along with the event space, promote your catering too! Some companies will have their parties at a venue that doesn’t offer food or at a space in their own offices. You won’t want to miss a chance to earn their business! Use email and social media, as well as your website, to promote these offers. Also consider promoting in your restaurant too, maybe hand out information sheets with checkbooks or have a sign near the door.

Send e-Greeting Cards

Nothing makes your email list feel special like sending well wishes for the holidays and maybe a little treat too. Consider offering them a special gift, $5 off of $20 or something festive like a free glass of mulled wine. Looking for an email marketing platform, check out eateria. We’ve built several templates for the holidays, making it easy to put together a promotion!

Gift Cards

Who doesn’t love a gift card from their favorite restaurant? It’ll bring in instant revenue to your restaurant for the holidays and make an easy gift for some shoppers! Bonus is that people will generally spend above the gift card amount because they view it as ‘free’ money, so you’ll generate even more revenue!

One of our clients, Tap House Grill was able to increase sell $112,000 in gift card sales in just a few weeks.

Throw a big party!

Everyone loves a holiday party (or maybe it’s just me) – ugly holiday sweaters and New Years parties are both popular options! A party for a cause is also a great idea over the holidays. Consider support campaigns like toy or coat drives, food pantries or other local organizations that could use a boost during the winter.

If you’re restaurant offers food from different countries where the culture celebrates the holidays in a fun and different way, consider hosting a themed party. You could teach your guests about the culture and it’d be a lot of fun!

These parties will help generate buzz around your restaurant. Consider hosting the party on a slow night to draw in a crowd that wouldn’t usually be there for maximum profit gain.

Offer comfort food to bring in the relatives!

Okay, not your own relatives, though they may also enjoy stopping into your restaurant for heart-warming foods. We’re talking about everyone who has to entertain their families over the holidays, which can be exhausting especially when you have to cook big meals.

Advertise the meals that you have available over the holidays, even consider family style dinners to make it easier on your staff. This could help increase your business and save a few people from exhaustion this holiday season.

Bonus Tips

Don’t forget about your staff! – They deserve to enjoy the holidays too, so be mindful of their schedules and try to be fair with workload.  Consider treating them with a holiday party of special gift to thank them for their hard work!

Online Ordering & Table Reservations – Advertise that you have these services available. You’ll hopefully book up your restaurant in advance and attract those who want to stay in with carry out.