8 ideas to bring the Christmas spirit to your restaurant 🎄

What should you do to embody the Christmas spirit in your restaurant ? Our expert and founder, Louiza Hacène, reveals her 8 secret herbs and spices 🤫🎄

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In December, average spending on sit-down dinners usually rise by 20%. With family and friends, people spend more money on their end-of-year outings: the average ticket was €98 in December 2024 vs. €82 the rest of the year (source: Lighspeed) indicating a rise of 9.76% despite inflation. Even if customers stay home on Christmas Eve, they will spend more on going out over the holidays!

How can you make the most of it?

First of all, as you read this article and this one this one which give many ideas for activations.

Install string lights outdoors

Never under-estimate the power of lights during Christmas. In December, the days get shorter, and night falls earlier, attracting attention on light inside the restaurants.

On the other hand, Christmas decorations bloom in the streets, giving them a festive air that delights holiday fans.

Illuminating your restaurant with or without Christmas colors will catch the eye of passers-by, and encourage them to step through the door.‍

Go for a "Hygge"interior

Investing in blankets, candles and cushions gives a much needeed cocoon effect during winter's colder hours.

A laid-back and magical atmosphere will also attract customers during off-peak hours (late morning, afternoon) looking for a warm, friendly place to regain their strength.

Dimming the light (in addition to being more ecological and economical) reinforces this effect.

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

One of the strongest symbols of Christmas is the tree. While homes, department stores and town squares all compete to display the most beautiful Christmas tree, restaurant-owners rarely make a fuss about it.

✨ Yet, as well as helping to create a festive, friendly atmosphere, the tree can even engage and build customer loyalty as soon as they're offered the chance to help decorate it.

If a restaurant's clientele is mainly made up of families, decorating the tree is the perfect kid-friendly activity.

You can also put gifts under the tree for the luckiest customers, using a wheel of fortune, for example (like the one suggested by Malou).

Introduce golden tickets to win gifts for loyal customers

Made famous by Charly and the Chocolate Factory, the golden ticket system can engage customers on site and online at social media.

How does it work? Among the receipts, the restaurateur can insert a few golden tickets.

What's on the menu? A cocktail, a dessert, an invitation to dinner, authorization to pick up a gift under the tree... the options are endless.

✨ In addition to entertaining customers, this type of device can go viral and contribute to your brand awareness if it is properly relayed on social media.

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, like Startbucks' periodic Pumpkin Spice Latte.

 Most of all, margins on beverages and snacks are generally around 70-80%.

This operation will :

• Increase your average ticket;
• Improve profitability by filling off-peak hours.

Replace the traditional square of chocolate with coffee with a Christmas cookie

Inexpensive in terms of raw materials, quick to make, pleasing to the eye and to the palate, Christmas cookies often please those to whom they are given, provided the execution is well done.

Offering customers a cookie with every coffee they order not only makes them smile, it also builds loyalty and makes it easier to share on social media.

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

Spending the holidays in a restaurant? The idea is becoming increasingly popular.

✨ But for restaurateurs to make the most of it, the offer has to be tempting and well-reported in the media to guarantee its success.

The gourmet restaurant Fanfan, which we are supporting, published its New Year's Eve menu on its social media website and in a number of relevant media.

Make your staff wear Christmas sweaters

If your waiters' sense of humor allows it, wearing Christmas sweaters (especially ugly ones) will set the tone and put a smile on the face of every guest.

More discreet, clothing in Christmas tones (red, green, gold, etc.) will suffice to give your restaurant an end-of-year atmosphere, while keeping things in moderation.

If you'd like to come up with a very specific activation for the holidays, our team will be delighted to help you.

✨ Final tip: communicate, communicate, communicate!

All these initiatives make you stand out from the crowd. Too bad they're only visible from your shop window! So don't hesitate to implement a digital communications strategy on Google and social media (especially Instagram) so that your efforts are highlighted! Good luck, and above all, happy holidays 2024 ⭐

By the way, is your establishment (or your restaurants, if you have several) visible enough visible online ? Take advantage of our Malou diagnostic to scan them, get your visibility score and receive tailor-made expert advice!