The holidays are some of the busiest days for food delivery. For restaurants, they represent a huge opportunity to bring in more revenue and find new customers that might just stick with you throughout the coming year.
DoorDash is giving your promotion a holiday boost
DoorDash's Deck the Doorstep campaign can help restaurants who are running Promotions get more orders and even more visibility in the app. If you're running a Discount for New Customers promotion from November 29–December 21, DoorDash may increase its value by up to 25% at no additional cost to you (e.g., a Spend $30, Get $8 promo can become Spend $30, Get $10). And, restaurants with active promotions will get featured in holiday savings homepage carousel to maximize in-app exposure.
Mendocino Farms is offering a Spend $40, Get $8 promo ahead of the winter holidays to help drive sales and make the busy holiday season more enjoyable for their customers. On average, stores running promotions see up to a 20% boost in sales.*
"With DoorDash Promotions, more guests get to eat happy and try Mendocino Farms."
10 holiday marketing tips for restaurants
Holidays are an opportunity to connect with your local community, bring in new customers, and build relationships with your regulars. Here are ten tips for restaurants to drive more sales during holidays and special occasions.
1. Create a limited-time holiday menu
The change in seasons means different ingredients are available and that customers have specific cravings. Decadent desserts, hot beverages, and hearty warm meals that might not have sold well a few months ago could be exactly what your customers are looking for now. Everyone is looking for a little bit of extra comfort this time of year. A holiday menu can also provide a nice change to your menu for regulars and give them a new reason to fall in love with your restaurant.
"We created Sushi Boxes [at Uchi Restaurants] to be enjoyed at any time of the year, but are excited to push this offer for the first time this holiday season. In terms of in-store traffic, we always have Omakase, but we offer a special Omakase for New Years Eve," said Ellen Gruber, Growth Marketing Manager, Hai Hospitality.
2. Bring in more business with holiday specials and promotions
Holiday specials and promotions are a great way to get more customers ordering this time of year. Your customers might be stressed or overwhelmed from holiday planning and a night off from thinking about what’s for dinner could be just what they need. Offer them discounts through DoorDash or in-store promotions to help encourage them to spend a night relaxing and enjoying a meal from your restaurant.
3. Encourage guests to order ahead for delivery on holidays like Christmas Day or New Year's Day
Christmas Day food delivery and takeout are increasingly popular each year, with searches for 'Christmas Day dinner delivery near me' jumping 150% year over year, according to KWFinder. Encourage your customers to order ahead for takeout and delivery on holidays like Christmas and New Year's. It will give them one less thing to think about once that day arrives and it will also help your own planning. Send out an email to your marketing list or post on social media to encourage early ordering.
4. Offer special menu items exclusively for delivery, like meal bundles based on group size
Delivery can be an impactful revenue source for your business, particularly if your dining room is full and you still want to reach more customers. Many businesses like Cote offer delivery-exclusive menu items to help make takeout meals feel special.
"When designing Miami's delivery menu, our goal was to make it unique while staying true to Cote. To achieve this, we introduced two exclusive dishes: Galbi Jjim and Steak Dup-bap. These offerings are available exclusively for delivery, allowing our Miami guests to experience something exceptional from Cote without having to leave the house,” shared Catherine Lamberson, Marketing Communications Manager at Gracious Hospitality Management, Cote's restaurant Group. "Both come with rice and cabbage kimchi, perfect for a cozy night in. We wanted to create a sense of excitement and exclusivity, ensuring that the delivery menu feels just as special as dining with us in person."
Group bundles serve different amounts of people for special prices, and can simplify larger delivery and takeout orders for groups. Restaurants like Carrabba's offer Family Bundles year-round, and the team at Sylvia's in Harlem has noticed an increase in group orders around the holidays.
"We find that special packages that could feed a family (3-5 people) gain traction especially considering the general rises in cost of food and delivery. BOGO deals (buy one get one) have also done well. We are also very interested in enhancing our loyalty rewards programs as we have an abundance of repeat customers."
5. Increase order value by offering restaurant holiday gift card promotions and holiday gift packages
Offering gift cards with special promotions not only incentivize customers to purchase gift cards, but help make their gift giving a little bit easier this season. Plus, the more diners that purchase gift cards for friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors, the more new customers could be exposed to your business and potentially become recurring business for you.
For example, Boston's Tavern in the Square offers Winter Winnings, where guests who purchase a $50 gift card get a $10 bonus gift card, and a chance to win even bigger prizes on a scratch off card with each gift card purchase.
Themed alcohol gift packages are another way to increase order value this holiday season. With so many of your customers planning parties this time of year, offering drink kits like eggnog or festive mulled wine makes party planning easier for them and helps bring in extra revenue for your restaurant.
6. Create a holiday operations plan with staff and vendors
The holidays are a difficult time for planning in the hospitality industry. The demand for service increases but vendors and staff need time off to celebrate with their own loved ones. Restaurant operators are thinking smarter about operational planning to keep staff retention and spirits high.
"Staffing continues to be an issue across the industry," shared K. De'Sean Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Sylvia Woods, Inc. for Sylvia's. "From an operations perspective, major upticks in delivery sometimes run parallel with the busiest periods for in-house dining. We are in the midst of trying to create a better kitchen layout to avoid one aspect of the business negatively impacting the other (in-house vs. takeout/delivery)."
It’s important to make a plan well ahead of busy days, events, and holidays for staff time off and any vendor interactions you might need.
"Operational challenges are pretty universal across the industry during this time of year. Vendors close for the holidays, staff want extra time off. We have to plan accordingly and be more vigilant about what needs to happen over the next few weeks to prepare properly. Inventory may take a little longer to arrive, so having a good game plan is important to being successful and ensuring that guests don't feel the gaps, if there are any."
7. Share holiday-related marketing communications via email, social, your website, and SMS
Most of your customers are juggling a lot during holidays, which makes it all the more important for your restaurant marketing strategy to cut through the clutter.
Consider sending the following types of holiday marketing promos for your restaurant via email, your website, social media, and text:
Holiday specials
Holiday event invitations
Reservation deadlines and reminders for upcoming holidays
Holiday hours or special menus
Staff appreciation posts and images
Year-end wrap-ups (most popular menu item, cocktail, etc.)
Competitions or contests
Collaborations with local businesses or participation in local community gatherings
8. Offer staff incentives based on restaurant performance during holidays
Your staff wants to enjoy the holidays as well — and it’s the perfect time to show your appreciation for your team. Offering staff incentives like extra days off based on which members sell the most gift cards, or bonuses based on restaurant sales, can keep them engaged in the restaurant’s performance.
Itzel Perez, General Manager, Mendocino Farms' Brentwood location suggests creating fun rituals to motivate the team. "Our tradition is ringing cowbells every morning to get the team ready and energized for the lunch rush," she explained. "It's loud, it's noisy, and it gets everybody pumped."
9. Host holiday events, like lunch buffets, pop-up bars, or theme nights
Holiday themed pop-up bars, like this Christmas themed rooftop pop-up at Gioia Cafe and Bar in New Haven, CT, can help get people excited about your restaurant this time of year. With some festive decor, seasonal and holiday cocktails, and special desserts, you can transform your restaurant into an Instagram-worthy spot for date nights, girls nights, and family gatherings.
Themed events are perfect for drawing in a crowd that’s social media-focused. They won’t be able to resist posting about it, expanding the reach to potential new customers for you in the process.
"We've found that themed events really energize the crowd and foster a sense of community."
10. Partner with local influencers and content creators to promote holiday specials
39% of Gen Z consumers say they’ve tried a new restaurant based on the recommendation of a social media influencer. Partner with content creators or influencers in your area to create videos featuring your restaurant.
Because costs can vary pretty greatly depending on how big of a following they have, look for micro or niche influencers who have engaged audiences. Consider collaborating with creators to promote events like a pop-up concept, so there’s more urgency and they’re telling their followers to come quickly before the holiday season ends.
"We worked with about five influencers in Miami, all of different calibers — some had 3,000 followers, some had 30,000 followers. They gave out a code, so we got to track how many people redeemed it on DoorDash, and it was really successful."
Spread holiday cheer and connect with new customers this season
These ideas can help you get inspired to find new ways to connect with customers — but they shouldn't just be limited to the holiday season. If you find a holiday marketing strategy that works well for your business, it might even be something you continue in the new year and beyond.
Make sure to also take advantage of DoorDash promotions and automatically get a boost on any Deck the Doorstep campaigns running from 11/29-12/21.
How to participate:
Set up a Discount for New Customers promotion by November 22.
Make sure your promotion is live for the entire Deck the Doorstep campaign, from November 29-December 21.
DashPass customers will receive up to 25% value boost from November 29-December 5.
