The holidays are here—and with them, packed dining rooms, takeout surges, and guests expecting a flawless experience. With a little planning and some versatile ingredients (hello,
eggs and
potatoes), you can keep your holiday menu festive, flexible, and profitable.
Why Guests Are Flocking to Restaurants for Holidays More people are skipping the stress of home-cooked holiday meals and heading straight to restaurants or ordering takeout. According to
National Restaurant Association, 63% of Gen Z, 59% of Millennials, and over half of baby boomers plan to order their entire holiday meal from restaurants, either dine-in or takeout. This shift presents a big opportunity for operators to capture both on- and off-premise demand. That’s a huge opportunity—if you know your audience and design a menu that fits their needs.
Menu Flexibility is Key You’ll see all kinds of diners: big groups, solo guests, office parties, and casual meetups. Make it easy for everyone with family-style bundles, prix-fixe options, and shareable bites. And don’t forget: great packaging keeps your food tasting just as good at home as it does in-house.
Early Menu Planning: The Key to Holiday Success at Your Restaurant To offer guests a menu that dazzles, getting ahead of the season is essential. It’s about fine-tuning the menu and preparing staff for the holiday rush and year-end parties. Expect larger order sizes and more online and
catering orders than you’ve had all year. Having your seasonal offerings ready to launch will give you maximum lead time on these spikes and a competitive edge during the boom of holiday reservations and orders. Once you’ve got your plan, it’s time to get creative. Holiday-themed restaurant specials and
limited-time offers (LTOs) are a proven way to attract attention and drive traffic. Christmas is the holiday with the most interest in restaurant specials (68%), followed by Valentine’s Day (44%) and New Year’s Eve/Day (40% each).
1 Eggs and Potatoes: Your Holiday Menu Heroes When it comes to
versatile ingredients that can be used across courses, dayparts, and cuisines, eggs and potatoes are no-brainers. For guests, they’re the nostalgic flavors of the season. For your kitchen, they’re consistent, adaptable workhorses on your menu. They pair well with holiday spices, roasted veggies and regional flavors, from
brunch bakes to savory sides and showstopping appetizers. Creating exciting LTOs with these staple ingredients is a snap. Thought
mashed potatoes were just a side dish? Surprise! They’re the ultimate speed-scratch ingredient in soups, bakes and—wait for it:
pizza. Easy Holiday Menu Wins with Versatile Ingredients Ready for some inspiration? Put eggs and potatoes to work on a few high-impact, low-lift recipes this season:
Sources:
1SNAP! Seasonal Insights, Winter Trends 2024, Datassential, 2024
2SNAP! Seasonal Insights, Fall Trends 2025, Datassential, 2025