How to Maximize Restaurant Profits During the Holiday Rush
Every restaurant gets hit by the holiday rush, but larger reservations, bigger takeout orders, and a full rail from open to close don’t guarantee a profitable season.
In fact, with 77% of consumers planning to rely on restaurants for at least some of their holiday cooking, higher demand can just as easily expose cracks in your operation as it can boost your bottom line.
Profits can slip away in countless ways: overstaffing on slow days, underestimating ingredient demand, letting third-party commissions eat into your earnings, or failing to promote your most profitable dishes.
The restaurants that win during the holiday chaos plan early, make choices based on real data, and turn holiday traffic into new year-round regulars.
In this article, you will learn:
- How to forecast customer demand using last year’s data
- Simple ways to boost profits with your holiday menu
- How to turn first-time guests into loyal repeat customers
Get Ahead Of The Rush With Historical Data Forecasting
The best way to prepare your restaurant for the coming rush is to look at your data from last year. Let’s take a closer look at where to find the best answers.
Review last year’s performance
Start by pulling your sales data for November and December. Look for trends like peak traffic days, bestsellers, and underperforming items. This information helps you predict when to staff up, what to promote, and which dishes deserve a prime spot on your menu.
Get in front of supply chain issues
Once you’ve identified what’s likely to sell, make sure your vendors can supply it and give you plenty of it so you can avoid 86ing items or having to do last-minute substitutions.
Seasonal ingredients move quickly this time of year, and you don’t want to lose sales because of an empty walk-in.
Be prepared by:
- Locking in delivery schedules and expected times of day for the drop off
- Pre-order high-demand items before they become scarce
- Order dry goods and nonperishables in advance while prices are still stable.
- Secure extra packaging for catering and to-go orders
Being proactive here protects both your revenue and your reputation.
Plan catering and group orders early
December is prime time for office lunches, holiday parties, and family gatherings, all of which tend to involve large, high-margin orders. But if you wait until these opportunities come to you, you’ll miss out.
Set up a streamlined catering menu, establish clear order deadlines, and start marketing those options now. Even a few early orders on the books can help stabilize cash flow and reduce last-minute stress.
Turn Your Menu Into A Profit Engine
Don’t ignore the power of your menu to drive revenue during the holidays. With a few strategic updates, you can make it easier for guests to choose higher-margin items, speed up service, and keep profits strong all season long.
Create limited-time dishes that boost your bottom line
Add limited-time dishes that feel festive, but have high margins and are easy for the kitchen to execute. Focus on menu items that primarily use existing ingredients or share the same steps of prep as your current menu.
You can also:
- Offer shareable platters or family-style bundles for larger groups
- Rotate in a few comforting holiday flavors guests can’t get year-round
Design your menu to subtly guide guests toward high-profit items
Leverage menu engineering techniques to place high-margin dishes in parts of your menu that get noticed first. Highlight your most profitable dishes with clear menu descriptions, callout boxes, or featured placement in online ordering menus.
When updating your digital menu, check how it looks on mobile. Make sure photos load quickly, navigation feels intuitive, and top earners appear near the top, where guests are most likely to click.
Simplify your menu to serve faster and sell more
More menu items don’t always mean more profits—especially when you’re slammed. A leaner, holiday-optimized menu can reduce ticket times, improve order accuracy, and keep your team sane during peak hours.
Audit your current offerings and consider pausing low performers temporarily. Make sure every item pulls its weight—either in profitability, popularity, or ease of execution.
Streamline Operations with Order Aggregation and Staffing Plans
Usually, when restaurants talk about making the holidays profitable, they’re referring to selling as much food and drink as possible, but an often overlooked strategy is streamlining their operations.
Holiday rush chaos can quietly eat away profits, creating a snowball of small inefficiencies that add up to big money once the season is over. With a few smart operational moves, you can save yourself time, stress, and most of all, money.
Below are a few ways to plan ahead. Also, if you’re wondering how to turn all that holiday traffic into loyal customers, this quick video breaks it down.
Finalize staffing schedules early and cross-train your team
Scheduling during the holidays can be a serious challenge. You need a full team to handle the rush, but time-off requests, seasonal illnesses, and burnout all make it harder to keep shifts covered.
Get ahead of it by finalizing your schedules early and making sure your staff is set up for flexibility. You can also cross-train your team in the time leading up to the holiday season. If more staff members can cover multiple positions, they can step in wherever they’re needed.
Use Order Aggregation to simplify your takeout
If you’re juggling multiple delivery platforms, tablet clutter can slow down your whole operation. Order Aggregation combines all your incoming online orders into one system, so your team can focus on fulfillment instead of constantly shuffling tablets and tracking orders.
It also helps:
- Reduce errors like duplicate orders
- Keeps your menus synced
- Speeds up your takeout and delivery flow
Keep staff morale high during the busiest weeks
Even the best-run shifts are exhausting during the holidays. A little appreciation goes a long way in keeping your team motivated and showing them they’re valued.
Small gestures like shift meals, raffle prizes, or even a handwritten thank-you note from management can make a tough day feel worth it. If your budget allows, consider offering bonuses or incentives tied to team goals, like hitting a certain number of 5-star reviews or catering orders.
Drive More Guests To Direct Ordering
The holidays bring a surge of online orders, and that’s a prime opportunity to steer guests toward your most profitable channel: direct ordering.
Every order that comes through your own site instead of a third-party app saves you money and builds stronger customer relationships.
Promote your direct link everywhere guests find you
Make your direct ordering link impossible to miss. Add it to your website, Instagram bio, and Google Business Profile. The easier it is to find, the more likely people will use it.
- Feature your link in holiday promotions or special offers
- Use QR codes on menus, flyers, and takeout packaging
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Set your Direct Ordering link as “Preferred by Business”
You can mark your direct ordering link as “Preferred by Business” on Google, this encourages diners to choose the ordering platform that will bring you the most profits. It’s a simple update that drives more traffic directly to your commission-free ordering page and helps you stand out from third-party listings. Read this article to learn more.
Reward guests who order direct
If you want diners to skip third-party apps, the best way to do it is to incentivize direct ordering with a loyalty program.
Offering discounts to diners who order straight from you not only saves you money in fees, it also encourages repeat business from guests who already love your food. These incentives don’t have to be large, just enough to pull them away from the expensive delivery apps and remind them their loyalty pays off.
Turn Holiday Traffic Into Year-Round Customers
The holiday rush is the perfect opportunity to build your loyal customer base. Using a few strategic, automated marketing tools, you can turn one-time holiday diners into year-round repeat customers.
Start by encouraging guests to join your rewards program
The holidays are the perfect time to promote your loyalty program. Add signup prompts to your email marketing, table tents, or takeout packaging. When guests are already in a giving (and spending) mood, they’re far more likely to join.
Collect customer data to stay connected
Each online order gives you valuable insights—names, order history, and contact info you can use to re-engage later. Make sure your online ordering system captures these details so you can build segmented lists for post-holiday campaigns.
Just be upfront about how you’ll use their data and keep the sign-up process simple. A clear value exchange makes guests more likely to opt in.
Make This Holiday Rush Your Most Profitable Yet
A well-planned holiday season doesn’t just boost sales—it sets the tone for lasting success. Use what you’ve built during the rush to strengthen guest relationships and keep revenue steady long after the decorations come down.
Contact ChowNow to learn how Order Aggregation and Direct Online Ordering can simplify your holiday operations, cut down tablet chaos, and turn more of your takeout traffic into commission-free profits.
Maximizing Holiday Profits Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should restaurants start preparing for the holiday rush?
Restaurant operators should start preparing for the holiday rush at least 4–6 weeks in advance. Early planning gives you time to review historical sales data, confirm vendor availability, build seasonal menus, and promote catering or group order options before peak demand hits.
What kinds of holiday specials actually increase restaurant profits?
High-margin holiday specials that are easy to prep and use existing ingredients are best for increasing restaurant profits. Festive bundles, limited-time offers, and add-ons like seasonal drinks or desserts can help raise check averages without overloading your kitchen.
How can restaurants drive more direct online orders instead of relying on delivery apps?
Encourage guests to order through your restaurant’s own website instead of third-party apps. Add your direct ordering link to social media, Google Business Profile, and email promotions, and reward customers who order direct with loyalty points or exclusive offers.
What are the best ways to manage and motivate restaurant staff during the busy season?
To motivate and manage restaurant staff during the holiday season, consider offering flexible schedules, cross-training opportunities, and small perks like shift meals or raffles. A little appreciation goes a long way when your team is working longer or more stressful shifts.
Use Takeout to Drive Customer Loyalty
Takeout isn’t just a convenience—it’s a powerful tool for building lasting relationships with your diners. But keeping diners engaged and coming back can be a challenge. In this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize your takeout strategy to encourage repeat business, increase direct orders, and strengthen customer loyalty.
