Restaurant gift card sales jumped 13.2% in 2024, and 27% of diners are willing to spend up to 49% more on holiday meals. If your restaurant isn't capturing this surge, you're leaving serious money on the table.
The holiday season isn't just busy—it's your annual opportunity to convert one-time visitors into year-round regulars. But throwing up some tinsel and calling it "festive" won't cut it. You need campaigns that drive traffic, boost average check size, and build loyalty that lasts past January.
November-December restaurant sales increased 7.8% compared to the prior year. That's real revenue growth during a period when your fixed costs remain constant.
The math is simple: your kitchen capacity, labor, and overhead stay the same whether you're at 60% or 95% capacity. Seasonal campaigns fill that gap during historically strong spending periods, improving your bottom line without proportionally increasing your costs.
Here's what makes holiday campaigns different from your regular promotions:
Time-bound urgency creates action. Limited-time seasonal menus and promotions trigger FOMO that drives immediate bookings rather than "maybe next week" intentions.
Emotional spending overrides price sensitivity. The same customer who scrutinizes a $3 upcharge in March will happily pay $85 for a Valentine's prix fixe dinner or $120 for a New Year's Eve tasting menu.
Gift-giving extends your reach. Gift card sales totaled $17.5 million over the 2024 Black Friday weekend—a 10.8% increase from 2023. Each card sold brings in immediate cash and a future customer guaranteed to walk through your door.
Seasonal content generates organic reach. A thoughtfully plated pumpkin ravioli or Instagram-worthy gingerbread dessert earns shares and tags without paid promotion, functioning as free marketing that extends well beyond your existing follower base.
Smart operators plan holiday campaigns months in advance. Here's your strategic timeline:
July-August: Strategy and menu development—Analyze last year's holiday performance data and survey customers about holiday dining preferences. Develop themed menu concepts and lock in key ingredient suppliers, especially for Thanksgiving turkeys, prime rib, and specialty produce.
September: Creative production and staff training—Photograph seasonal menu items for marketing materials and brief front-of-house staff on special offerings. Finalize your promotional calendar and marketing budget, then set up tracking systems to measure campaign performance.
October-December: Execution and optimization—Launch campaigns according to your calendar and monitor real-time performance metrics. Adjust tactics based on early results and capture customer data for post-season remarketing.
Halloween offers a chance to showcase creativity without the pressure of premium pricing. The goal: build buzz and capture contact information for higher-value winter holidays.
A Brooklyn gastropub runs an annual Halloween costume contest with a $500 prize package—dinner for two every month for a year. The entry requirement? Post a photo wearing your costume at the restaurant with their branded hashtag. Last year generated over 2,000 posts and expanded their Instagram following by 3,200 people.
The mechanics matter. Announce the contest three weeks in advance and require in-venue photos to drive foot traffic. Judge based on creativity and community engagement, and award prizes that bring winners back repeatedly.
Limited-time seasonal items create urgency and allow premium pricing. A Seattle farm-to-table restaurant introduced "Harvest Moon Tasting Menu" for October—five courses featuring local autumn ingredients at $75 per person. They sold out 90% of their October Friday and Saturday seatings within two weeks of announcement.
The key is balancing novelty with execution speed. Your kitchen staff shouldn't need extensive retraining for three-week menu additions. Focus on creative plating and seasonal ingredient swaps rather than entirely new techniques.
Pumpkin spice isn't just for coffee chains. A Texas BBQ joint introduced "Bourbon Pumpkin Glazed Ribs" as a September special, selling 40% more rib plates during the promotion compared to their regular menu baseline. The secret? They promoted it relentlessly across email, social media, and table tents.
For more ideas on community-focused promotions that work year-round, check out our guide to local store marketing ideas for restaurants.
Thanksgiving ranks among the top revenue days for restaurants willing to serve. But the real opportunity extends beyond Thursday itself.
Offer "Thanksgiving to-go" for families who want the meal without the prep work. A Chicago Italian restaurant packages complete turkey dinners for 6-8 people at $189, requiring orders one week in advance. They sold 147 packages in 2024, generating $27,783 in revenue with minimal labor—all prep work happens during slow Monday-Wednesday shifts.
Make ordering frictionless by creating a dedicated landing page with full menu details and accepting pre-payment to reduce no-shows. Offer clear pickup windows to manage kitchen flow and include reheating instructions and plating suggestions.
Millennials and Gen Z diners created Friendsgiving—informal gatherings in the week before Thanksgiving. A Portland wine bar capitalized with "Friendsgiving Feast"—a $45 per person family-style dinner on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They require minimum parties of six and encourage groups to make reservations together, automatically filling tables during traditionally slow nights.
The economics work because you're using prep-ahead side dishes and turkey that your kitchen is already prepping for Thursday service. The incremental labor cost is minimal compared to the revenue from otherwise empty tables.
Offer a bonus card promotion: "Buy $100 in gift cards, receive a $20 bonus card for yourself." A Miami steakhouse ran this promotion from November 10-28 and moved $43,000 in gift cards, generating immediate cash flow while issuing $8,600 in bonus cards that brought customers back in January and February—historically slow months.
Full-service restaurants sold $12.3 million in gift cards over the 2024 Black Friday weekend, with average card values of $66.
The December holiday season offers the longest campaign window and the highest revenue potential.
A San Diego taqueria ran "12 Days of Tacos"—each day from December 14-25 featured a different specialty taco at $3, below their typical $5-7 price point. The campaign drove daily foot traffic, increased average check size as customers added drinks and sides, and generated consistent social media content as regulars photographed each day's special.
Structure your 12-day campaign around menu items that highlight your strengths and price points that drive traffic without killing margins. Use social media teasers announcing each day's special, and focus on easy execution that won't overwhelm your kitchen during the busiest season.
Corporate parties and social gatherings peak in December. Create tiered private event packages that simplify planning for organizers.
Example structure from a Minneapolis restaurant: Silver Package ($45/person) includes appetizer stations, two entrees, dessert, and soft drinks. Gold Package ($65/person) adds expanded appetizers, three entrees, premium dessert, and two-drink tickets. Platinum Package ($85/person) features passed hors d'oeuvres, carving station, premium bar, and dessert station.
They book 22-28 private events each December, generating $85,000-$110,000 in revenue. The key advantage: private events fill your space during times when regular service might be slower—weekday lunches, early evenings—and guarantee revenue regardless of weather or unexpected factors.
Create a special "Holiday Tasting Menu" available throughout December. An Atlanta fine-dining restaurant offers a five-course menu at $95 per person, compared to their typical $140 a la carte average, available Wednesday-Sunday throughout December. It simplifies kitchen operations, allows precise forecasting, and gives customers a reason to visit during the season.
The psychology works because you're offering perceived value—a "complete experience" for less than ordering multiple courses individually—while actually improving your margins through controlled portions and streamlined execution.
Not every restaurant should open on Christmas Day, but for those who do, premium pricing is expected and accepted. A Boston steakhouse charges $175 per person for their Christmas Day dinner—nearly double their typical average check—and books solid for both lunch and dinner seatings.
The math works because staff accept holiday pay premiums ($25-30/hour plus tips) for guaranteed busy shifts, and customers understand and expect premium pricing for holiday service. Zero marketing expense—word of mouth and your website listing generates enough demand—and high average checks offset reduced table turnover rates.
For strategies on maximizing high-value seasonal events, see our restaurant marketing ideas guide.
New Year's Eve represents the single highest-revenue night for many restaurants. The average diner spent $166 per month on restaurants, but that spikes dramatically for New Year's Eve celebrations.
Set clear expectations with fixed-price menus and mandatory reservations. A Nashville restaurant offers three seatings on New Year's Eve: 5:00 PM seating at $95 per person for families and early diners, 7:30 PM seating at $125 per person for prime dinner time, and 10:00 PM seating at $150 per person including champagne toast at midnight and late-night bites.
They require a $50 per-person deposit at booking, non-refundable within 48 hours of the event, and ask guests to select menu options in advance. This approach generated $73,000 in revenue from a single night in their 90-seat restaurant.
The opportunity doesn't end at midnight. Offer a "Recovery Brunch" menu on January 1st featuring comfort food and bottomless mimosas. A Denver brunch spot serves a fixed menu at $35 per person from 10 AM to 3 PM on New Year's Day, filling their restaurant with customers seeking low-key hangover cures.
The advantage: most New Year's Day diners are spontaneous walk-ins or last-minute searchers, meaning you can capture demand without extensive advance marketing.
Bridge the gap between holiday splurges and January budget consciousness with health-forward promotions. A Los Angeles restaurant introduced "Fresh Start January"—lighter menu options highlighted throughout January with a special $30 three-course lunch.
It generates traffic during a typically slow month while positioning your restaurant as a destination for different occasions beyond indulgent celebrations. The promotional cost is minimal—menu reprints and email marketing—and it captures customers setting up new dining routines for the new year.
Valentine's Day generates the second-highest per-person spend after New Year's Eve, but extends beyond a single night. Smart restaurants create week-long campaigns.
Rather than cramming all demand into February 14th, which falls on a Friday in 2025, offer special Valentine's menus from February 12-16. A Philadelphia Italian restaurant created a four-course prix fixe menu at $85 per person, available Wednesday through Sunday of Valentine's week.
Benefits of extending the promotion include capturing couples celebrating on less-busy nights who couldn't get reservations for Friday, spreading kitchen load across multiple services, increasing total revenue opportunity beyond a single night's seating capacity, and reducing stress on staff working what's traditionally a chaotic night.
A Chicago restaurant partnered with a local theater to offer a "Dinner & Show" package—three-course pre-theater menu at $60 per person with reserved seating for a romantic comedy showing. They sold 82 packages, generating $9,840 in guaranteed revenue while filling their 6 PM seating that's typically slower.
Look for collaboration opportunities with comedy clubs or live music venues, wine shops offering tastings, cooking class studios, and boutique hotels for romantic getaway packages.
For detailed strategies on building these types of partnerships, explore our guide to guerilla marketing for restaurants.
Don't ignore non-couples. A Brooklyn wine bar created "Galentine's Day" on February 13th—special cocktails and small plates for groups of friends celebrating together. It filled their Wednesday night with parties of 4-8 people who spent more per table than typical couples.
The key messaging: position it as a celebration, not consolation. Focus on friendship and fun rather than being single.
Easter spending is significant—37% of diners plan to spend $50-$100 on Easter restaurant meals.
Easter Sunday rivals Mother's Day for brunch traffic. A Seattle restaurant offers two brunch seatings at 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM and one dinner seating at 5:00 PM, all featuring a special menu at $48 per adult and $18 per child.
They require reservations and collect credit card information at booking, charging $25 per person for no-shows or cancellations within 24 hours. This policy reduced their no-show rate from 18% to 3% and gave them accurate capacity planning.
Use Easter as the anchor for promoting your spring menu transition. A farm-to-table restaurant in Vermont announces their spring menu on Easter weekend, featuring local asparagus, spring lamb, and fresh herbs from regional farms.
They invite local food media to a preview dinner the Wednesday before Easter, generating restaurant reviews and social media coverage that drives traffic through April and May.
Summer presents opportunities around graduations, Father's Day, Independence Day, and general warm-weather dining.
Position your restaurant for graduation parties with group packages. A college town restaurant offered "Grad Party Package"—private room rental plus $35 per person buffet option for parties of 15-40 people during May graduation season.
They booked 31 graduation parties, generating $62,000 in revenue during weeks that typically see reduced traffic as students leave for summer.
If you have outdoor space, make it a destination. A Milwaukee restaurant created "Patio Season Pass"—$100 upfront for eight $15 patio dining credits valid May-September. They sold 240 passes, generating $24,000 in immediate cash while guaranteeing repeat summer visits.
The structure works because customers perceive $120 value for $100 cost, you receive payment months before redemption, passholders visit more frequently than regular customers, and each visit typically includes additional spending beyond the $15 credit.
Father's Day lacks the established dining tradition of Mother's Day, creating opportunity for restaurants willing to build it. A Texas BBQ spot offers "Dad's BBQ Feast"—platters serving 4-6 people at $89 for Father's Day weekend.
Independence Day works best with outdoor events, BBQ promotions, and patriotic themes. A rooftop restaurant in Nashville hosts an Independence Day party with live music, BBQ buffet at $45 per person, and prime fireworks viewing. Tickets sell out within three weeks of announcement.
Email remains the highest-ROI marketing channel. But execution matters.
You can't launch effective holiday campaigns without an audience. Continuously build your email and SMS list through table tents with QR codes offering 10% off next visit for signing up, signup forms on your website and online ordering platform, in-person prompts when customers pay, contest entries requiring contact information, and receipt paper footers with signup incentives.
A well-maintained list grows 15-25% per year through these ongoing tactics. A single-location restaurant with 200 weekly covers can build a list of 3,000-5,000 engaged subscribers within a year.
Don't blast the same message to everyone. Segment your list by frequency—VIPs who visit weekly, regulars who visit monthly, occasionals who visit quarterly, and dormant customers not seen in six months. Segment by preferences including dietary restrictions, favorite menu sections, and occasion types. Segment by value—high spenders, moderate spenders, and deal-seekers. Segment by engagement—those who open most emails versus those who rarely open.
A wine-focused restaurant segments by wine preference—red, white, or sparkling—and sends targeted emails about new arrivals matching customer tastes. Their open rates run 34-38% versus 18-22% for unsegmented blasts.
Plan multi-touch sequences rather than single announcements. For Halloween, send October 3: "Our Spooky Menu Is Back" as your announcement. Follow with October 17: "One Week Until Halloween" for urgency. Send October 24: "Last Chance For Halloween Specials" as your final push. Close with November 1: "Thanks For Celebrating With Us" as a recap with November promotion preview.
Each email should have a single clear call-to-action: make a reservation, view the menu, order takeout, or buy gift cards. Multiple CTAs confuse recipients and reduce conversion rates.
SMS open rates exceed 90% within three minutes, making it ideal for last-minute promotions and flash sales. But customers are more protective of phone numbers than emails—only use SMS for high-value, timely offers.
A pizza restaurant sends SMS to their list every Tuesday at 3 PM: "Tuesday Night Special: Large 2-topping pizza $12.99, order by 8 PM tonight only." The limited-time window creates urgency and fills slower weeknight traffic.
Key SMS rules: clearly disclose you'll send promotional messages when collecting numbers, keep messages under 160 characters, include opt-out instructions, limit frequency to 2-4 messages per month maximum, and provide genuine value through exclusive deals or early access.
For more on building an effective digital marketing strategy for restaurants, including email and SMS best practices, check our comprehensive guide.
Social media drives discovery—a significant portion of younger diners find restaurant deals through social platforms.
Seasonal content outperforms generic food photos because it's timely and shareable. A San Francisco restaurant creates Instagram Reels showing their chef preparing seasonal specials—a 15-second video of torching the sugar on a pumpkin crème brûlée earned 47,000 views and generated 23 direct reservation inquiries via DMs.
Content ideas that perform include time-lapse of decorating your restaurant for the holiday, staff taste-testing new seasonal menu items, "making of" videos showing dish preparation, before/after transformations of your dining space, and customer reaction shots taken with permission.
Create branded hashtags and encourage sharing. A Boston brewery created #CheersAt[RestaurantName] for their holiday season, offering a weekly drawing for a $100 gift card among everyone who posted using the hashtag while visiting.
They received 340+ posts throughout November-December, generating authentic content that reached friends and followers of customers—estimated organic reach of 180,000+ impressions without paid promotion.
Micro-influencers with 5,000-30,000 followers offer better ROI than celebrity influencers for local restaurants. A Portland restaurant invited eight local food influencers to preview their Valentine's menu in early January.
Cost: $0 for free meals. Result: 31 social posts across Instagram and TikTok generating 280,000+ combined impressions. Conversion: 47 reservations directly attributed via unique promo codes.
For platform-specific tactics, see our guides on Instagram marketing strategies for restaurants and social media marketing strategy for restaurants.
Facebook's older demographic aligns with higher-spending customers. Create Facebook Events for every holiday special, party night, and seasonal menu launch.
A Michigan steakhouse creates detailed Facebook Events with full menu descriptions, pricing, and booking links. Their events average 400-600 "interested" clicks and 150-250 "going" confirmations, translating to 60-80 actual reservations per event.
Strategic partnerships extend reach without proportional marketing spend.
Offices and businesses book holiday parties months in advance. Reach out to HR managers and office administrators in August-September with party packages and group menus.
A Washington, DC restaurant created relationships with 14 nearby office buildings, sending quarterly emails to HR contacts about their private event options. They book 40-50 corporate events per year, with December accounting for 18-22 of those bookings.
If you're in a tourism market, partner with hotels to become their recommended restaurant for holiday travelers. A Santa Fe restaurant partnered with three boutique hotels to offer "Christmas in Santa Fe" packages—hotel stay plus dinner at the restaurant.
The restaurant receives 15-20 bookings per month from these referrals without spending on tourist advertising.
Partner with complementary businesses for mutual promotion. A wine-focused restaurant partnered with a nearby boutique wine shop—customers who spent $75+ at the wine shop received a 20% discount card for the restaurant, and restaurant guests received the same offer for the wine shop.
Both businesses reported 30-40 new customers from the promotion, with many becoming regulars.
Gift cards generate immediate cash flow and guaranteed future traffic. Full-service restaurants averaged $66 per gift card sold during the 2024 Black Friday weekend.
The most effective gift card promotion remains the bonus card structure: buy $100, get a $20 bonus card for yourself redeemable in January-February.
The economics work because you receive $100 in immediate cash, the $20 bonus cost is offset by the customer's additional spending—most add drinks, appetizers, or desserts beyond the bonus value—it drives traffic during slow January-February when you need it most, and the redeemer often brings guests who order additional items.
A Tampa restaurant ran this promotion November 15-December 31 and sold $127,000 in gift cards. The $25,400 in bonus cards issued brought customers back in January and February, generating an additional $84,000 in revenue beyond the bonus value during historically slow months.
Reach out to businesses looking for client gifts or employee rewards. Create a corporate program with bulk purchase discounts and optional personalization.
A Seattle restaurant offers corporate packages: 25-50 cards receive 5% discount, 51-100 cards receive 10% discount, and 100+ cards receive 15% discount plus free personalized messages.
They book $40,000-$60,000 in corporate gift card sales each November-December from 12-18 local businesses.
In-store card purchases totaled $7.8 million versus $7.3 million in digital sales during Black Friday weekend 2024. Physical cards still matter.
Offer both options but make physical cards appealing with premium card design using thick stock and appealing graphics, a gift card holder or small box that makes it feel like a real gift, space for a handwritten message, and availability for immediate pickup or purchase.
Digital cards work for last-minute purchasers and long-distance gifting. Make digital purchases frictionless with instant email delivery and mobile-friendly redemption.
Your holiday campaigns should drive both immediate sales and long-term loyalty. A well-structured loyalty program turns seasonal diners into year-round regulars.
Reward loyalty members with accelerated points during holidays. "Triple points on all visits December 15-31" encourages repeat visits during your busiest and most profitable period.
A California restaurant rewards loyalty members with 3x points during December. Members averaged 2.8 visits during the month versus their typical 1.4 monthly visits—nearly doubling frequency during high-margin weeks.
Give loyalty members first access to book holiday events and special menu reservations. A Minneapolis restaurant opens New Year's Eve reservations to loyalty members one week before public announcement.
This approach rewards engaged customers, ensures your most valuable guests get prime time slots, and creates exclusivity that incentivizes loyalty program enrollment.
Offer seasonal opportunities to advance loyalty tiers. "Reach Gold Status this month only: 5 visits instead of our usual 10" encourages increased frequency and locks customers into a relationship extending past the holiday.
For comprehensive loyalty integration strategies, see our restaurant marketing plan guide.
Holiday events create memorable experiences that generate word-of-mouth and social media content.
Host chef's dinners, wine pairings, or cultural celebrations around holidays. A Boston restaurant hosts an annual "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve—traditional Italian-American multi-course seafood dinner at $95 per person.
They sell 140 seats every year, their full capacity for the event, and maintain a waitlist. Diners post extensively on social media, generating organic marketing for next year's event.
Leverage your chef's expertise with holiday cooking classes. A New Orleans restaurant offers "Holiday Entertaining" classes in November at $85 per person to learn three recipes perfect for hosting.
They run six classes with 16 participants each, totaling 96 students, generating $8,160 in revenue from what's essentially a marketing event—many participants book reservations for upcoming holidays after attending.
Entertainment justifies premium pricing and extended stays, increasing beverage revenue. A Charleston restaurant books jazz trios for every Friday-Saturday in December, adding a $15 music cover to each table.
The musicians are paid $300-400 per night, covered by the music charge from 25-30 tables. The extended stay time increased beverage sales by an average of $28 per table, generating an additional $700-$840 per service.
You can't optimize what you don't measure. Track these metrics for every campaign:
Revenue metrics include total campaign revenue, both direct and attributed, revenue versus same period prior year, average check size during campaign, and items sold per campaign offer.
Customer acquisition metrics include new customers acquired, new email/SMS subscribers added, gift cards sold, and social media followers gained.
Engagement metrics include email open and click rates, social media impressions and engagement, website traffic to campaign landing pages, and reservation system traffic and conversions.
Operational metrics include food cost percentage for seasonal items, labor cost percentage during campaign periods, table turnover rates during events, and waste and inventory efficiency.
A Colorado restaurant tracks all campaigns in a spreadsheet comparing marketing spend, estimated labor hours, revenue generated, new customers acquired, and customer lifetime value from campaign acquirees. This data guides which campaigns to repeat, expand, or retire.
Managing seasonal campaigns alongside daily operations overwhelms teams using disparate systems. An integrated platform consolidates order management, delivery, POS, loyalty, and analytics.
When you're running limited-time seasonal menus across dine-in, takeout, and delivery, you need all orders flowing to one place. Spindl integrates orders from multiple delivery apps, your website, and self-service kiosks into a single interface.
This prevents the chaos of juggling multiple tablets during your busiest season and ensures kitchen tickets are prioritized correctly regardless of order source.
Built-in analytics show which promotional codes are driving orders, what items are selling best, and which channels generate the highest revenue. When your Valentine's Week email campaign launches, you can track results in real-time and adjust tactics mid-campaign.
A restaurant using Spindl noticed their Instagram promotion was outperforming their email campaign by 3:1 within 24 hours of launch. They reallocated budget to boost their top-performing Instagram posts, ultimately increasing total campaign revenue by 23%.
Your seasonal promotions should feed your loyalty program automatically. When a customer orders your holiday tasting menu, they should automatically receive bonus points without staff manually entering anything.
Integrated systems handle this seamlessly—customer orders are instantly recorded in their loyalty account, points are applied based on rules you've set, and tier progression happens automatically.
Every seasonal order, reservation, and gift card purchase adds data to customer profiles. Over time, you build detailed pictures of preferences, frequency, and lifetime value.
This data powers smarter campaigns next year. Rather than sending your Valentine's Day promotion to your entire list, you can target couples who dined with you last Valentine's Day with an early reservation offer, while sending a different message to customers who haven't visited in six months.
Use this checklist to ensure you're executing every element:
8-12 weeks before holiday:
4-6 weeks before:
2-3 weeks before:
1 week before:
During campaign:
Post-campaign:
Even experienced operators make these seasonal campaign mistakes:
Starting too late. Your November 15 email announcing Thanksgiving takeout is too late—families planned their Thanksgiving meals weeks ago. Launch campaigns 6-8 weeks before major holidays.
Overcomplicating execution. That 12-course tasting menu sounds impressive but will crush your kitchen on the busiest night of the year. Design seasonal offerings that challenge your team without breaking them.
Ignoring capacity constraints. Yes, you can book 200 covers on Valentine's Day when your typical Saturday seats 140, but your kitchen will crash and service quality will plummet. Know your limits and price accordingly to manage demand.
Forgetting about dietary restrictions. Your fixed-price holiday menu should accommodate vegetarians, gluten-free diners, and common allergies. Nothing kills word-of-mouth faster than a guest unable to participate in your special event.
Neglecting staff communication. Your servers need to understand seasonal promotions, gift card policies, menu substitutions, and event details before service starts. Hold pre-shift meetings every day during major campaigns.
Skipping post-campaign follow-up. The holiday diner who visited once should receive a "thank you" email with an incentive to return in January. Seasonal campaigns are acquisition opportunities—convert them into regulars.
The most successful seasonal campaigns become traditions customers anticipate annually. That requires consistency and continuous improvement.
A Philadelphia restaurant has hosted "Christmas Cookie Decorating Brunch" every December 15 for nine years. It started with 32 guests. Last year they sold 180 tickets across two seatings—families return annually and new families join via word-of-mouth.
They've refined the event each year with better cookies, improved decorating supplies, optimized Santa appearance times, and professional photography packages. But the core concept remains unchanged, allowing it to become a tradition.
Build your own traditions by choosing sustainable annual events you can execute consistently, refining execution each year based on feedback, creating early-bird offers for previous attendees, and documenting everything so next year's planning starts from a solid foundation rather than from scratch.
Your seasonal campaigns aren't just about December revenue—they're about building relationships that last all year. Every holiday diner who receives exceptional experience and thoughtful follow-up becomes a potential regular customer. Every gift card sold is a guaranteed future visit. Every social media post extends your reach to new audiences.
The restaurants that dominate their markets don't just participate in holidays—they own them. They become the destination people think of when planning celebrations. They create experiences worth talking about and worth returning to.
Start planning your next seasonal campaign today. Map out your calendar, develop your menu concepts, build your email list, and invest in the technology that makes execution seamless. The 2025 holiday season is already closer than you think, and the restaurants that start early will capture the customers who start planning early.
For a complete framework on connecting all these tactics into a cohesive strategy, review our restaurant marketing plan and explore additional proven tactics in our restaurant viral marketing campaigns guide.
