The holidays are well and truly here. That means it’s time for an early Christmas present in the form of December marketing ideas for restaurants to help see you through to the end of the calendar year.
The best time to properly prepare for the holidays was in August or September. That’s the best window to create catering packages, gift card programs, and other holiday promotions. But if you are behind in your marketing, don’t sweat it. We have some last-minute December marketing ideas that you can implement today.
The Christmas season is a time for sweets, and this month’s list is desert-intensive, with brownies, pies, and lemon cupcakes all covered. There are some more general days as well with National Comfort Food and National Get on the Scale days.
What can you do to take advantage of any of the below December marketing ideas for your restaurant?
What Foods are Celebrated in December?
There are four types of foods that are celebrated throughout the month of December. December is:
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National Eggnog Month
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National Fruit Cake Month
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National Pear Month
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Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruit Month
It might be hard for you to celebrate national pear month, but with Christmas only a month away you shouldn’t have any problems serving up Eggnog to your customers.
Food Days in December:
December 1
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National Pie Day
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National Eat a Red Apple Day
December 2
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National Fritters Day
December 3
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National Peppermint Latte Day
December 4
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National Cookie Day
December 5
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National Sacher Torte Day
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National Comfort Food Day
December 6
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National Gazpacho Day
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National Microwave Oven Day
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National Cook for Christmas Day
December 7
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National Cotton Candy Day
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Candy Floss Day (Great Britain)
December 8
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National Brownie Day
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National Rhubarb Vodka Day
December 9
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National Pastry Day
December 10
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National Lager Day
December 11
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National “Have a Bagel” Day
December 12
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Gingerbread House Day
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National Ambrosia Day
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National Ambrosia Day
December 13
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National Cocoa Day
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National Popcorn String Day
December 14
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National Biscuits and Gravy Day
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National Bouillabaisse Day
December 15
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National Gingerbread Latte Day
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National Cupcake/Lemon Cupcake Day
December 16
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National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 17
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National Maple Syrup Day
December 18
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National “I Love Honey” Day
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National Roast Suckling Pig Day
December 19
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National Hard Candy Day
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National Oatmeal Muffin Day
December 20
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National Sangria Day
December 21
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National French Fried Shrimp Day
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Humbug Day
December 22
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National Date Nut Bread Day
December 23
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National Bake Day
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National Pfeffernusse Day
December 24
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National Eggnog Day
December 25
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National Pumpkin Pie Day
December 26
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National Candy Cane Day
December 27
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National Fruitcake Day
December 28
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National Chocolate Candy Day
December 29
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National “Get on the Scales” Day
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National Pepper Pot Day
December 30
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National Bacon Day
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National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
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Baking Soda Day
December 31
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National Champagne Day
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National Vinegar Day
Three Restaurant Marketing Ideas for December 2019
If you are looking for some specific December marketing ideas, try out these three below.
Instagram Gift Cards
Restaurants are the nation’s favorite place to purchase gift cards and a great way to get guaranteed spending and increase cashflow ahead of a traditionally quiet January. But just because you haven’t printed gift cards doesn’t mean that you can’t sell them as thoughtful gifts. Instagram provides restaurant owners with a fast and easy way to sell digital gift cards. Three steps are all it takes to get selling gift cards on Instagram and we cover those steps in detail in our dedicated article which you can access here.
Work Christmas Parties
Do you advertise the fact that you take work Christmas party bookings? If you don’t it’s not too late! There will be plenty of offices still looking for a great place to host their Christmas and they’ll be willing to pay a lot for it — especially if you offer the option to hire out your entire restaurant. You don’t even have to serve a traditional menu, either. Plenty of people will be sick of turkey by the time the office Christmas meal comes around and dying to try a Mexican, Italian or Asian take on a festive meal. With large parties, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Eggnog Specials
There isn’t a restaurant in America that couldn’t introduce an Eggnog special into their menu for the month of December. For some, it will be a case of serving straight-up Eggnog. Others may be able to put a culinary twist on the drink or perhaps serve it in a cocktail. Everyone feels obliged to drink a glass at this time of the year, and what better time than when you’re having a meal with loved ones? It’s a great opportunity for restaurants to cash in on this divisive drink.
Get a Jumpstart on the New Year
There’s no better time like the present. If you’re planning on making a New Year’s Resolution to improve your restaurant marketing, why not start today? Sign up to our restaurant marketing platform NGAZE — the leading marketing platform in the industry. Get in touch today to find out more.
Written By: Ed Currington
This article was republished from The Digital Restaurant. You can read the original article here.