8 ideas for bringing the Christmas spirit to your restaurant

How can you adapt your restaurant to the Christmas spirit without distorting it?

In December, average spending on sit-down dinners rose by 20% in France. With family or friends, the French allocated a more substantial budget to their end-of-year outings: the average ticket stood at €75 in December 2017 vs. €64 the rest of the year. And 2017 is no exception, with December regularly posting excellent figures. So how do you stack the odds in your favor? First of all, by reading our first article, which gives numerous ideas for activations, and finally by following the very concrete advice that follows to instill the Christmas spirit in your restaurant:

1. Install string lights outdoors

The first reason for this is that in December, the days get shorter, and night falls earlier, making it difficult to see the restaurants. On the other hand, Christmas decorations bloom in the streets, giving them a festive air. Illuminating your restaurant with or without Christmas colors is a great way to catch the eye of passers-by, and encourage them to step through the door.

2. Focus on a "HyggeHygge"ambiance inside

Investing in plaids, candles and cushions gives a coocooning effect that's much sought-after in these cold weather periods. Useful during traditional service times, this atmosphere can also attract customers during off-peak hours (late morning, afternoon) looking for a warm, friendly place to recharge their batteries. Dimming the lights (as well as being more ecological and economical) reinforces this effect.

3. Put up a Christmas tree in the dining room and let customers decorate it.

One of the strongest symbols of Christmas is the Christmas tree. While homes, department stores and some city-center squares vie to display the most beautiful Christmas tree, restaurateurs rarely make a fuss about it. And yet, as well as helping to create a festive and convivial atmosphere, the tree can even engage and retain customers as soon as they are invited to help decorate it. If a restaurant's clientele consists mainly of families, decorating the tree is a perfect kid-friendly activity. The restaurant owner can also decorate the foot of the tree with gifts for his luckiest customers...

4. Introduce golden tickets to win gifts for loyal customers

Made famous by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the golden ticket system can engage customers on site and online at social media. How does it work? The restaurant owner can insert a few golden tickets among the receipts. What's on offer? A cocktail, a dessert, an invitation to dinner, authorization to pick up a gift under the tree... the options are endless. In addition to amusing customers, this type of scheme can go viral and contribute to your reputation if properly relayed on social media.

5. Add Christmas drinks to the menu

Spiced hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, mulled wine and even mulled cider (recipe right here) are particularly popular in December. Comforting, these drinks are often snapped up by customers, as evidenced by the success of Startbucks' regular Pumpkin Spice Latte.

6. Replace the traditional chocolate square with coffee with a Christmas cookie

Inexpensive in terms of raw materials, quick to make and pleasant to look at and taste, Christmas cookies often please those to whom they are offered, provided the execution is well done. Offering customers a cookie with every coffee they order not only brings a smile to their face, but also builds loyalty and makes it easier to share at social media.

7. Propose a New Year's Eve menu, display it in the restaurant and online, and share it with the relevant media.

Sharing your holiday meals in a restaurant? The idea is becoming increasingly popular. But for restaurateurs to make the most of it, the offer has to be attractive and well publicized to guarantee success. The gourmet restaurant Fanfan, which we support, advertised its New Year's Eve menu on its social media website and in a number of relevant media.

8. Have staff wear Christmas sweaters

If your waiters' sense of humor allows it, sporting Christmas sweaters will set the tone and put a smile on the face of every guest. More discreetly, clothing in Christmas tones (red, green, gold, etc.) will suffice to set the mood for the end of the year. While staying within reason, giving your restaurant a Christmas atmosphere is a great way to stand out during this festive season. If you'd like to imagine a very specific activation for the festive season, our team will be delighted to help you.