Most families like to enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving, but not everyone has time to cook one. While you might think business will be slow during the holiday, there are actually numerous individuals who’d prefer to spend Turkey Day at a restaurant rather than at home. For example, some people can’t make it home for the holidays, while others don’t want to stress about throwing a large party. By staying open, your restaurant can provide patrons a place to celebrate the holiday in a non-traditional way. In this detailed guide, we provide you with numerous ways to make your restaurant the place to be on Thanksgiving.
Create A Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
Customers looking to dine at a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day aren’t looking to eat your regular food items. They want food that is traditionally served at a Thanksgiving dinner. Creating a Thanksgiving menu allows you to meet your customers’ expectations. These are some classic dishes customers typically crave during the holiday:
- Roasted turkey
- Mashed potatoes
- Macaroni and cheese
- Cranberry sauce
- Stuffing
- Cornbread
- Sweet potatoes
- Ham
- Pumpkin pie
If you really want to take customers’ needs into consideration, include a healthy Thanksgiving menu. With so many people following diets such as veganism and vegetarianism, you’ll make your restaurant more accessible. Consider adding these dishes to your Turkey Day menu:
- Cauliflower stuffing
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Offer Thanksgiving To-Go Food
Those who don’t want to cook but still want to enjoy dinner at home will be looking for restaurants that offer Thanksgiving food to go. Creating a Thanksgiving take out menu will allow you to expand your target audience. Many restaurants and supermarkets have begun offering prepared Thanksgiving meals, making it essential to advertise your menu items early and offer top-quality food.
Throw A Thanksgiving Party
Customers will love the idea of eating and partying at a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day. You can entertain your guests with games or have a football watch party. To make your foodservice establishment stand out from the competition, create special Thanksgiving cocktails your customers can't get anywhere else.
Remember not to allow more customers than your restaurant's maximum occupancy to ensure your staff can efficiently serve tables and customers feel safe. To spread the word about your restaurant's Thanksgiving Day festivities, you should consider passing out flyers and sharing details on social media.
Promote a “Friendsgiving” Event
Most of the time, Thanksgiving only involves family members and does not include friends. To ensure your customers see their friends during the holiday, hold a Friendsgiving event a few days before Thanksgiving. Customers will appreciate a special time to celebrate with their friends. Also, it doesn’t have to be dinner! You can hold a Thanksgiving breakfast, brunch, or lunch, to give customers more options in terms of scheduling. Consider hiring a photographer to capture the special moments.
Spread The Word
Social media should be at the top of your list of Thanksgiving restaurant marketing ideas. Since you need time to promote your business and Thanksgiving offerings, we recommend to start marketing a month in advance.
Show your customers how thankful you are for their loyalty by giving away offers on social media. Ask them to share what they are most thankful for and to show off their delicious Thanksgiving meals. You’ll be sure to see a growth in your follower and engagement numbers and generate word-of-mouth marketing from loyal customers.
Be Open All Day Long
Sometimes customers purchase food items at the last minute for Thanksgiving dinners. Being open all day allows them to run into your restaurant and purchase cooked dishes they need for their gathering. Simply ensure to promote that your restaurant will be open on Thanksgiving to increase foot traffic. A simple “We’re open on Thanksgiving!” can go a long way and help out your customers when they most need it.
