Restaurant Marketing Tips for the 2024 Holiday Season

Here are some restaurant marketing tips for the 2024 holiday season. You might be wondering, why should we think about holiday tips in the middle of summer? It’s simple: you’ll need this much time to take full advantage of the in-house and catering potential for your business. So, here are some restaurant marketing tips for the 2024 holiday season.

Catering is Back and Stronger Than Ever

Before we dive into the tips, it’s important to note that catering is experiencing a resurgence. The catering market size was expected to reach $72.67 billion by the end of 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% (QSR, 2023). Catering is growing and will continue to grow, with a significant portion taking place over the holiday season.

A recent survey of 300 independent and small-chain restaurants indicated that the holidays account for an average of 20% of a restaurant’s annual sales, with this figure rising to 49% for fine dining establishments (Purdue).

Restaurant Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season

Decoration: People love holiday decorations, so be sure to decorate both the inside and outside of your restaurants. Decorating outside draws attention to your business, helping it stand out from the crowd. Inside decorations give patrons a festive feeling, making them want to spend more time with you. Just ensure that decorations don’t interfere with guests’ enjoyment of their visit.

Social Awareness: Start offering catering options year-round, with a stronger push beginning in early September. Use messages like, “The holiday season comes up fast, will you be ready for your holiday parties?” or “We’re already booking holiday parties; don’t wait, you may miss out!” Start decorating your social media just before Thanksgiving. Timing is key, as many people get frustrated when holiday promotions start too early.

Social Media Advertising: Develop a calendar for the months leading up to and following the holiday season to promote catering options, gift cards, and special food offerings. This will help attract more guests.

Special Menus: Offering special holiday menus is crucial. People expect seasonal meals during the holiday season. Even if many guests order their usual favorites, they appreciate having seasonal options available.

Email Contact: If you have a loyalty program, use your email and text lists to keep in touch with customers. Send out newsletters about your restaurant, as many customers feel they don’t hear enough from local businesses. Frequent communication can help keep your restaurant top-of-mind.

Restaurant Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season – Dessert

Finally, make sure your dessert menu is ready. Your guests will eat a lot of dessert over the holidays. In a recent survey, three-quarters (74%) of consumers said they’re more likely to give in to their cravings for sweets at the end of the year.

Here’s the deal, ice cream is always great (and with Super Dairy Blends it’s even better), but during the holidays it’s even more important. Think of all the holiday meals being served that are simply incomplete without dessert. Warm brownies, apple pie, warm cookies, and everything else that are so much better with freshly made gelato or ice cream.

These are just some of the tips we have for the holiday season. But we can’t emphasize enough that you need to be thinking ahead so your holidays go off without a hitch.

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