Operators embrace the season with festive decor, themed drinks, and seasonal menus, and must balance revenue with much-needed rest
December 9, 2024
Juggling work, travel, and social obligations, the holidays are a hectic time of year for everyone. But the stress is often magnified for those in the restaurant industry, who must navigate the season with added pressure on their businesses.
Depending on the concept and location, some restaurants take advantage of the chance to rest and reset, shutting their doors for extended breaks, while others harness the holidays as a necessary revenue driver, even staffing up to meet increased demand. Some go all out with festive décor and host nightly private events and corporate parties; others enjoy quieter dining rooms with their neighborhood regulars.
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula to navigate the holidays, but one major takeaway: The holidays are a marathon, not a sprint.
“We now consider the holidays a six-to-eight-week season, in which we lean into vibe, décor, seasonal drinks and more,” said Jon Alexis, founder of Dallas-based hospitality group Imperial Fizz, which operates TJ’s Seafood, Ramble Room, Birdie’s Eastside, and other concepts. “As people enjoy gathering at the holidays, our focus turns to prioritizing hospitality for large parties and corporate events.”
To glean more insights from the industry, we polled a dozen restaurateurs to see how they approach the holidays, from staffing and hours to seasonal decor, special menus, and catering.
Many restaurants are decorating for the holiday season
“I’m like Elf because my birthday is Christmas Day, so I get excited. We have a seven-and-a-half-foot tree in the front entry, a large wreath on the back wall, and lots of greenery with twinkly lights, bows, and ornaments over the banquettes.”
— Leigh Hutchinson, chef and owner of Via Triozzi in Dallas
“We are going all out for the holidays this year. We always have a big beautiful tree, which takes pride of place in the middle of the backroom. This year, we’ll also be adding some additional festive flourishes throughout the restaurant. And in honor of the season, we’re hosting our first tree-lighting holiday party, which is really just an excuse for us to curate the holiday party of our dreams. Think deviled eggs, pigs in blankets, Champagne towers, and ice sculptures.”
—Cressida Greening, owner of Winona’s in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Over the years, the amount of holiday décor in our locations has expanded significantly, with some sites now featuring elaborate displays that create a distinct festive atmosphere upon entry. It’s hard not to smile when you see our rooms lit up with Christmas lights. We also incorporate Hanukkah decorations to ensure all our guests feel welcome and celebrated. While our main decorations include lights and garlands, we also add wreaths and seasonal trinkets throughout the spaces to enhance the festive vibe.”
—Mike Herchuck, director of operations for American Social Bar & Kitchen, with five locations in Florida
“Each restaurant will feature décor tailored to its New Year’s Eve theme. Amal’s ‘Midnight Bazaar’ is inspired by a traditional Lebanese souk/marketplace, Level 6’s ‘Noche de Discoteca’ captures the vibrant energy of Spanish nightlife, Sofia’s ‘Ciao Bella’ channels the glamour of a masquerade party, and Byblos’ ‘Vice on Collins 2025’ celebrates our beautiful South Beach location and Miami’s rich Art Deco history.”
—Seko Sener, regional director of operations and development for INK Entertainment Group, with restaurants in Toronto and Miami
Some are serving themed drinks and seasonal dishes
“From a culinary perspective, we are diving deeper into special menus and holiday themes. At Tía Carmen, we are thinking a lot about what Latin families eat for the holidays — for example, tamales or bacalao, which are both traditional holiday favorites.”
—Angelo Sosa, executive chef of Kembara and Tía Carmen in Phoenix, and Tía Carmen and Carmocha in Indian Wells, Calif.
“One of our new cocktails is called Sweater Weather and it screams fall and wintertime. We are keeping our regular menu, so the neighborhood can still come in for their favorites, but will still offer off-menu selections that are seasonal.”
— Brittni Clayton, co-owner of Goldie’s in Dallas
“We give our chefs the freedom to create seasonal specials that showcase their creativity while honoring holiday traditions with innovative twists.”
—Ignacio Garcia-Menocal and Francesco Balli, co-founders and co-CEOs of Grove Bay Hospitality Group in Miami
“Coming from a Sicilian-American family, I love the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and on the Saturday and Sunday before Christmas, we’ll be offering our version. It’ll be a four-course menu with optional wine pairings. Our guests can either choose that for the whole table to enjoy, or order from the regular menu.”
—Leigh Hutchinson, Via Triozzi in Dallas
“We’re gearing up to host a special New Year’s Day daytime service. We’ll open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and plan to offer items you might expect to see at a Cantonese café and other nostalgic, comforting things. It feels in line with the menu that we typically offer for dinner at Tolo, but it has been so fun to ideate on new items that we don’t offer regularly, mostly breakfast-y things, like a congee with egg or Hong Kong condensed milk toast. We’re offering a shorter New Year’s Eve service so that our team, which runs tight and small, can close up earlier and get ready for our service the following day. We like to do an à la carte menu on New Year’s Eve because it feels more flexible to pop by for some Champagne and comforting food before popping over to wherever the ball-drop plans are.”
—Ron Yan, chef at Tolo in New York City
“Throughout December, we are offering a selection of three seasonally inspired specialty cocktails, each carefully crafted to capture the festive spirit of the season. … Partridge in a Pear Tree is our twist on a Pear Martini, featuring Grey Goose vodka, Pear Réal syrup, lemon, simple syrup, gold edible glitter, and a maraschino cherry, all presented in a festive Christmas ornament with edible gold glitter.”
—Mike Herchuck, American Social Bar & Kitchen
Many lean into catering and events
“This time of year is thankfully hectic for us; we tend to fill up with several large corporate gatherings and events, and reservations in general are always higher. Due to the layout of our tables and the fact that none of them are affixed, we can accommodate anywhere from standard table sizes up to 40 guests at a single table.”
—Jenner Tomaska, executive chef and co-owner of Esmé and Bar Esmé in Chicago
“Our catering team is extra busy this month, both making food for people’s holiday parties and gatherings and hosting events at our event venue, Zingerman’s Greyline. We have a holiday menu that includes some seasonal specialties, like crab puffs, bacon-wrapped dates, and short rib with polenta. Our team delights in making the holidays special for people.”
—Jennifer Santi, marketing and communications manager at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“The holiday season brings a high demand for private parties, and we’re actively hosting events at all venues. Guests are encouraged to book their holiday parties soon or call ahead for catering requests. We tailor the events to their liking, including custom menus.”
—Seko Sener, INK Entertainment Group
“Private events are a cornerstone of our business year-round, and December is no exception. We have the capability to host six to seven holiday parties simultaneously, with a dedicated team ensuring each event is special. Guests can choose items from our year-round events menu or work with our team to create a uniquely curated menu.”
— Mike Herchuck, American Social Bar & Kitchen
Some restaurants close for Christmas and New Year’s, others stay open and staff up
“It’s an annual tradition of ours now that we take a ‘winter break’ during the holidays, typically spanning at least Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. For a team of folks who work so hard throughout the year in an industry that is so demanding, and who always have others’ needs at top of mind, it’s important to us that they’re able to spend time with friends and family and be the ones being taken care of for once.”
— Emmeline Zhao, managing partner and sommelier at Cora in New York City
“Miss Kim has been very lucky this year that the business has been consistent and growing. We have decided that instead of longer hours or extra striving, we will take extra days off around each major holiday to give more time to our staff to spend with their loved ones and get much needed rest. Yes, we will lose some short-term revenue, but I feel that it is an investment in our staff. I am doing it because I believe it is ultimately beneficial to my business. We work nights, we work weekends, and we work a lot of holidays. When it makes sense for our business, financially and otherwise, I think it is a good tool for retention. As an owner and an operator of a small business, I can use those days off too!”
— Ji Hye Kim, chef and owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“I’d like to say we are taking time off to rest the team, though this is our prime time to excite and surprise our guests and engage with them with a spectacular offering, so we are increasing staffing to maximize this busy season.”
—Angelo Sosa
“We’ll be closing for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day to give our staff a few days off, we are always closed the first week of January each year. This is notoriously the slowest month of the year, and closing this week just gives us an opportunity to rest and also to take care of any maintenance that is needed. As a family-run business, it’s invaluable to have a week where the restaurant is closed and we can recalibrate. We prefer not to hire seasonally as we feel it is unfair for our staff and does not foster the kind of culture which we hope to nurture. Instead we ask staff to be mindful of the needs of the restaurant during this busy time and to make sure any time-off requests are submitted with ample notice.”
— Cressida Greening, Winona’s
“We’ve decided to close for Christmas Day and New Year’s, offering our team a chance to step back and actually enjoy the holidays — something we don’t take for granted after too many years of working through sad Christmases and soulless New Year’s Day brunches. …We’re looking forward to stepping into the new year recharged and ready to continue the work we love.”
—Tim Meyers, chef and owner of Field Guide in Brooklyn
“Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on Tuesday this year, and we happen to be closed on Tuesday, and then we’ll be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, so our staff will get two-day breaks each time.”
—Leigh Hutchinson, Via Triozzi
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