Preparing for Christmas: A Month-by-Month Hospitality Planner

The festive season is the busiest (and most profitable!) time of year for restaurants, but only if you’re ready for it.

ResDiary's festive report has shown that those who are more organised and start preparing for Chrismas earlier tend to be busier and more satisfied with the performance of their venues over the festive period – with a quarter of hospitality operators who started their festive prep before August already fully booked by September. 

If you want that to be your venue too, then we’ve pulled together the perfect tool to make it happen.

Our month-by-month festive planner will help you get ahead, stay organised, and make the most of Christmas, this year, and every year that follows. 

Sneak Peek

✅ January: Reflect and reset 

Use the quiet post-festive period to review how Christmas went. Who booked early? Who spent the most? Use your booking data to spot trends and build a list of VIPs to target next time.
 

🎁 February: Reward loyalty 

Send early bird offers and booking incentives to your best customers. A little appreciation goes a long way in building customer loyalty and putting your venue front-of-mind when customers start thinking about Christmas bookings. 

🪑 March: Plan your space 

Bigger groups mean more planning. Set up your festive floor plan now so you’re not scrambling later. 80% of restauranteurs say they accommodate an increased number of large parties during the festive season, and a smart booking system can help you manage this with ease. 

🍽️ April: Build your menus 

Create festive set menus and pre-order options to get ahead of the game. Having these set up as drafts within your booking system alongside an inventory tracker will help keep things smooth for your team when Winter rolls around. 

📣 May - July: Start building buzz 

Get your marketing ready. Think email teasers, social media sneak peeks, and a festive landing page on your website. The earlier you start, the better your festive period, as 90% of venues that advertise their promotions before August say they’re busier and make more revenue during the festive season. 

📆 August - September: Go go go!

Launch your Christmas campaign! Open bookings, share your menus, and shout about it everywhere.
 

🎉 October - December: Deliver the magic 

You’ve done the prep and now it’s time to shine. More than 70% of venues that sell out for the festive season will be fully booked by November, so it’s time to keep communication clear, staff supported, and operations running efficiently. Plus, don’t forget to collect feedback for next year! 

Preparing for Christmas: A Month-by-Month Guide for Hospitality Pros

Want to make this Christmas your best yet? Start your preparations now by downloading our month-by-month planner: