--- title: How to create a festive Christmas menu description: With Christmas around the corner, it's the perfect time to run a promotion in your cafe. We've got some tips to help you plan a special festive menu this year! image: https://blog.typsy.com/hubfs/How%20To%20Create%20a%20Festive%20Christmas%20Menu.png --- [Turn guest feedback into action with ReviewLearn ![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/arrow-right.svg)](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/reviewlearn) ![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/user-profile-circle.svg) LOGIN [Member](https://member.typsy.com/) [Manager](https://manager.typsy.com/) | [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/headphones-white.svg) CONTACT US](https://www.typsy.com/contact) [![Typsy Brand](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/typsy-public-website/New_Typsy_Logo_Red_PMS.svg)](https://www.typsy.com/) [BOOK A DEMO](https://www.typsy.com/contact/demo) [![Typsy](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/typsy-public-website/New_Typsy_Logo_Red_PMS.svg)](https://www.typsy.com/) [Search courses](https://www.typsy.com/discover/courses) - Platform Platform [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/trusted-content-at-scale.svg) Trusted content at scale The world's largest and fastest-growing hospitality library.](https://www.typsy.com/platform/hospitality-training-library) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/global-hospitalility-credentials.svg) Global hospitality credentials Industry-recognized Typsy credentials validating real-world hospitality capability.](https://www.typsy.com/platform/hospitality-certifications) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/performance-intellgience.svg) Performance intelligence AI-powered intelligence that connects learning to measurable operational performance.](https://www.typsy.com/platform/performance-intelligence) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/hospitality-learning-operations.svg) Hospitality learning operations Infrastructure that embeds workforce capability into daily hospitality operations at scale.](https://www.typsy.com/platform/learning-operations) Innovation & Tools [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/reviewlearn.svg) ReviewLearn](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/reviewlearn) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/smartcards.svg) SmartCards](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/smartcards) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/custom-content.svg) Custom content](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/custom-content) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/language-translations.svg) Language translations](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/language-translations) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/reporting.svg) Reporting](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/reporting) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/activities.svg) Activities](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/activities) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/svg-icons-2026/assign-training.svg) Assign training](https://www.typsy.com/platform/features/assign-training) [![](https://orchardcore.typsy.com/media/nav_bar_svg_310x200/reviewlearn-pink.svg) ReviewLearn Turn guest reviews into targeted training automatically. 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TRY THE CALCULATOR](https://www.typsy.com/roi-calculator) - [Pricing](https://www.typsy.com/pricing) [SIGN UP](https://www.typsy.com/pricing) [BOOK A DEMO](https://www.typsy.com/contact/demo) [Help Center](https://intercom.help/typsy/en/)[Contact Us](https://www.typsy.com/contact) Hospitality trends # How to create a festive Christmas menu [Ilona Wallace](https://blog.typsy.com/author/ilona-wallace) Nov 21, 2016 --- The silly season is fast approaching. Depending on where you are in the world, you may still be cleaning Halloween’s cobwebs off the walls as the baubles and tinsel start to go up. Deciding how far your café will go to celebrate **Christmas** is an important, and sometimes personal, choice. Here are some tips for adapting your menu for Christmas, from the subtle to the extravagant. ## **Pick Your Christmas Flavor** >   > > [A photo posted by The.CC.collection 🌾 (@the.cc.collection)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BMwBB6wBO9v/) on Nov 13, 2016 at 4:25am PST   Christmas has [unique scents and tastes](http://articles.latimes.com/2004/dec/15/food/fo-flavors15) – “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, cinnamon, gingerbread, orange, rum. These are the hallmark flavors of Christmas. An easy way to adapt your menu for the Christmas season is to add a drink special that incorporates some of these flavors. A Christmas hot chocolate has a dash of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. A Christmas cocktail combines spiced rum with a twist of orange. Simple, no fuss, easy to recreate. ## **Never Underestimate the Power of Nostalgia** >   > > [A photo posted by McGettigan's Irish Pubs (@mcgettiganspubs)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BNB6HSbghZR/) on Nov 20, 2016 at 3:11am PST   The good thing is, if you hit a winner with your Christmas special, you’ll never have to think of another one again. The promise of the return of a limited release can tap into the [nostalgia market](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/nostalgia-marketing-works/134771/) – people who fondly remember an item are more likely to be repeat purchasers if they encounter the item again. This nostalgia is the driving force behind, for example, social media campaigns to get chain restaurants to [bring back old menu options](http://time.com/59733/social-media-is-bringing-back-chain-restaurant-menu-items-from-the-dead/). The bonus is, Christmas is a season absolutely [steeped in nostalgia](http://tedium.co/2015/12/23/christmas-nostalgia-psychology/), so you’re likely to make a more memorable impression. ## **Keep it Relevant** >   > > [A photo posted by SodaStream Australia (@sodastreamau)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BMxKPEJD51E/) on Nov 13, 2016 at 3:05pm PST If you’re a seafood restaurant, don’t dump turkey on your menu for two weeks. It’s obvious that you’re trying to “cash in” on the holiday spirit, and people don’t like knowing their emotions are being played with. Try to adapt your cuisine for the season. Christmas is a [global phenomenon](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/24/world-christmas-tradition_n_4479333.html), which means different cultures celebrate the season in [different ways](https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachevsky/heavenly-christmas-foods-from-around-the-world). If mulled wine and turkey aren’t how you celebrate Christmas, think about ways to make your menu reflect the local festivities. In Australia, this could mean adding summer fruits to more recipes, or experimenting with ham off the bone. Think about your environment. It’s the perfect time to be seasonal, in more than one sense of the word!   [![Download Our Guide to Hospitality Promotions](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/752063/69d884fd-69d2-43e8-9cbe-a23f33fd1371.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/752063/69d884fd-69d2-43e8-9cbe-a23f33fd1371)   ## **Get Crafty** > ## [A photo posted by C H A L K T A L K \[Perth WA\] (@chalktalk\_wa)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BMLWblahmye/) on Oct 29, 2016 at 11:40pm PDT   You might not want or be able to change the items on your menu. If you can’t make things taste like Christmas, you might be able to make them look like Christmas. If you’re a big-budget operation, you might have special menus printed for the Christmas season, with holly and other motifs on the cards. If you can’t lash out to that extent, you could add some [fun Christmas detailing](http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2015/11/christmas-chalkboard-inspiration.html) to your chalkboard menu or specials board. It doesn’t need to be much – it might be a cardboard cut out Rudolf, or a simple sketch of some holly. ## **Prepare for End of Year Parties** >   > > [A photo posted by Geraldine (@littlebigbell)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BNCZSuRhYju/) on Nov 20, 2016 at 7:43am PST   Many businesses host end of year/Christmas parties for their staff and clients. Get ahead of the game and design your Christmas events menu well in advance. Pop this up on your website with your functions information. Potential clients will be able to quickly find what they’re looking for. Being prepared will put your client at ease – so everyone is happier all round! By limiting function menus to set options, you will ease the logistical nightmare of catering at Christmas time. The earlier your clients know what’s in store, the earlier you can secure orders with your wholesalers.    ## **Make it a Side Dish** >   > > [A photo posted by Marian Poirier (@sweetopia\_)](https://www.instagram.com/p/BNCu2OZj5VR/) on Nov 20, 2016 at 10:52am PST   Your menu doesn’t have to scream “HO HO HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Many people don’t celebrate Christmas. Some people celebrate Christmas but hate the commercial frippery around the event. So, you may wish to make a subtle addition to your menu. If you have a sweets cabinet with cakes and biscuits on display, incorporate Christmas quietly here. Perhaps some red and green icing on cupcakes. Maybe a spiced orange and poppyseed cake. Or a classic Christmas pudding!   **You Might Also Like** | ![Our 10 Favorite Cafe Promotions of 2016.png](https://blog.typsy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Our%2010%20Favorite%20Cafe%20Promotions%20of%202016.png?width=202&height=115&name=Our%2010%20Favorite%20Cafe%20Promotions%20of%202016.png) [Our 10 Favorite Cafe Promotions of 2016](https://blog.typsy.com/our-ten-favorite-cafe-promotions-from-2016-so-far)  | [![7 Christmas Promotion Ideas Your Cafe Customers Will Love.png](https://blog.typsy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/7%20Christmas%20Promotion%20Ideas%20Your%20Cafe%20Customers%20Will%20Love.png?width=202&height=115&name=7%20Christmas%20Promotion%20Ideas%20Your%20Cafe%20Customers%20Will%20Love.png)](https://blog.typsy.com/7-christmas-promotion-ideas-your-cafe-customers-will-love) [7 Christmas Promotion Ideas Your Cafe Customers Will Love](https://blog.typsy.com/7-christmas-promotion-ideas-your-cafe-customers-will-love) | [![Our Favorite Halloween Treats.png](https://blog.typsy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Our%20Favorite%20Halloween%20Treats.png?width=202&height=115&name=Our%20Favorite%20Halloween%20Treats.png)](https://blog.typsy.com/our-favorite-halloween-treats) [Our Favorite Halloween Treats](https://blog.typsy.com/our-favorite-halloween-treats)  | | --- | --- | --- | --- **Related Courses** | [![Using Cross-Promotions on Social Media .png](https://blog.typsy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Using%20Cross-Promotions%20on%20Social%20Media%20.png?width=306&height=172&name=Using%20Cross-Promotions%20on%20Social%20Media%20.png)](http://www.typsy.com/courses/using-cross-promotions-social-media/) [Using Cross-Promotions on Social Media](http://www.typsy.com/courses/using-cross-promotions-social-media/)   with Sam Mutimer | [![4 Useful Tools for DIY Menu Design .png](https://blog.typsy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/4%20Useful%20Tools%20for%20DIY%20Menu%20Design%20.png?width=306&height=172&name=4%20Useful%20Tools%20for%20DIY%20Menu%20Design%20.png)](http://www.typsy.com/courses/4-useful-tools-diy-menu-design/) [4 Useful Tools For DIY Menu Design](http://www.typsy.com/courses/4-useful-tools-diy-menu-design/) with Ryan Gromfin   | | --- | --- | [Hospitality trends](https://blog.typsy.com/topic/hospitality-trends) [Guest experience](https://blog.typsy.com/topic/guest-experience) ## Similar posts Guest experience ### [How to do something different with your Australia Day event](https://blog.typsy.com/do-something-different-with-your-australia-day-event) Celebrating Australia Day with a promotion in your venue can bring in new customers and treat regulars. Make it a party that sets you apart from... Chloe Papas Jan 18, 2017 Restaurants & Bars ### [How to hold an amazing New Year's Eve party at your venue](https://blog.typsy.com/how-to-hold-an-amazing-new-years-eve-party-at-your-venue) Want to hold a unique New Year’s Eve event at your bar or restaurant? Read our tips for inspiration – and get the edge on your competitors. Chloe Papas Dec 7, 2016 Restaurants & Bars ### [Tips for hosting a Christmas function at your hospitality venue](https://blog.typsy.com/tips-for-hosting-a-christmas-function-at-your-hospitality-venue) Most of the people who hold an end of year function at your restaurant won't be event planners – they will need your help. Here's what you should... Ilona Wallace Dec 5, 2016 ### Get notified on new marketing insights Be the first to know about new B2B SaaS Marketing insights to build or refine your marketing function with the tools and knowledge of today’s industry. 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