December Marketing Ideas For Restaurants

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?

 

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What Foods are Celebrated in December?

 

There are four types of foods that are celebrated throughout the month of December. December is:

  • National Eggnog Month

  • National Fruit Cake Month

  • National Pear Month

  • 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

  • National Pie Day

  • National Eat a Red Apple Day

December 2

  • National Fritters Day

December 3

  • National Peppermint Latte Day

December 4

  • National Cookie Day

December 5

  • National Sacher Torte Day

  • National Comfort Food Day

December 6

  • National Gazpacho Day

  • National Microwave Oven Day

  • National Cook for Christmas Day

December 7

  • National Cotton Candy Day

  • Candy Floss Day (Great Britain)

December 8

  • National Brownie Day

  • National Rhubarb Vodka Day

December 9

  • National Pastry Day

December 10

  • National Lager Day

December 11

  • National “Have a Bagel” Day

December 12

  • Gingerbread House Day

  • National Ambrosia Day

  • National Ambrosia Day

December 13

  • National Cocoa Day

  • National Popcorn String Day

December 14

  • National Biscuits and Gravy Day

  • National Bouillabaisse Day

December 15

  • National Gingerbread Latte Day

  • National Cupcake/Lemon Cupcake Day

December 16

  • National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

December 17

  • National Maple Syrup Day

December 18

  • National “I Love Honey” Day

  • National Roast Suckling Pig Day

December 19

  • National Hard Candy Day

  • National Oatmeal Muffin Day

December 20

  • National Sangria Day

December 21

  • National French Fried Shrimp Day

  • Humbug Day

December 22

  • National Date Nut Bread Day

December 23

  • National Bake Day

  • National Pfeffernusse Day

December 24

  • National Eggnog Day

December 25

  • National Pumpkin Pie Day

December 26

  • National Candy Cane Day

December 27

  • National Fruitcake Day

December 28

  • National Chocolate Candy Day

December 29

  • National “Get on the Scales” Day

  • National Pepper Pot Day

December 30

  • National Bacon Day

  • National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

  • Baking Soda Day

December 31

  • National Champagne Day

  • 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.