Christmas dinner catering solutions can help you reach more customers and maximize profits this holiday season. After all, catering Christmas dinner tends to be stressful for many people. When you onboard solutions that simplify related tasks, you can fulfill more orders. In other words, using software that makes kitchen operations easier can let more groups have a hassle-free Christmas dinner. 

From having a catering menu to partnering with delivery service providers, there are many solutions for caterers. Now, let’s dive right in to learning all about seven of them!

7 Christmas Dinner Catering Solutions 

Christmas dinner catering solutions ease the process of large order volumes during the holiday season. Meanwhile, using them helps deliver a stress-free solution for many customers in your area. If you’re contemplating the idea of Christmas catering, note that there are many tech solutions that streamline such efforts. 

Want to learn how your restaurant can optimize the holiday season and get the most out of selling catering services? Read on:

1. Online Ordering Platform 

Give customers the option to order Christmas dinner online for the ultimate convenience. Instead of calling in a catering order or stopping by the restaurant, customers can purchase everything they need from the comfort of their home. And when you utilize a platform like Connect, all orders roll into a unified dashboard. Then, restaurant staff can view information and fulfill each order swiftly and on time.

2. Marketplace Order Insertion

Even outside the holiday season, it’s important for all restaurants to be present on food delivery apps. The ability to order food online through their favorite app of choice is how most customers purchase meals these days. Plus, it can be simple for restaurants to manage if they have the right software in place. With this in mind, publish the Christmas dinner catering menu at some point during the end of November. People may see it as they browse your menu, sparking ideas for the holiday. This timeline gives customers ample time to finalize their plans.

3. Delivery and Pick Up Services

Flexibility is key when providing a great customer experience. Some of your catering customers may need to have their order delivered. Meanwhile, others will have the time in their schedule to pick it up at the brick and mortar restaurant. Just ensure that you require customers to select a retrieval method at the time of purchasing the order. This way, your staff will have enough time to plan and hire additional delivery drivers if necessary. 

4. Live Order Monitoring

Catering orders cost quite a lot of money. Therefore, customers who opt for delivery service should be able to monitor them when en route. Not only that, but catering orders that are delivered on Christmas Day will likely take place in the midst of festivities. Some customers have to plan the delivery around the time that guests will be arriving. Others will have to coordinate the arrival time with other dishes that they’re making themselves. Regardless of the specifics, keeping track of what’s on the way is extremely helpful.

5. Specialty Christmas Catering Menu

Kitchen operations can become an absolute nightmare if every item on the menu can be purchased in large quantities. That’s why it is such a great idea to create a Christmas catering menu. Sure, Christmas Eve catering might be a bit different from the actual holiday, but for the most part, they’re similar. Various types of chefs will also be able to prepare certain ingredients and dishes in advance. As a result, day-of restaurant operations will be that much simpler.

6. Loyalty Program Integrations

When people purchase packages from the Christmas dinner catering menu, the bill will be pretty hefty. After all, each package will serve a large group. Plus, many businesses will take advantage of holiday markup pricing. This means that customers can earn a significant amount of points just from one order. Allowing this will surely be something that customers appreciate. If you want to promote the catering packages that much more, you can always give double the points for catering orders booked before a certain date. It’s a way to plan ahead and reward the most loyal customers of all.

7. Restaurant Marketing Solutions

Marketing tools are essential during the holiday season. While regular customers may be familiar with standard menu types, hours, and services, they may not be aware of time-sensitive offers. With this in mind, it’s ideal to promote the catering menus to your ideal customer profile. 

If you’re trying to figure out how to get more catering orders, try implementing these restaurant marketing strategies:

• Send out restaurant email and SMS alerts about catering services. 
• Conduct local restaurant SEO efforts targeting catering-related keywords. 
• Run paid advertising campaigns targeting your followers and related profiles. 
• Display a pop-up on the website’s homepage about how to order catering services. 
• Post sneak peeks of the Christmas dinner catering menu items on social media. 

Just remember that during the holidays, these kinds of efforts can lead to spikes in online traffic and sales. If you should notice a dip in revenue after the holiday season is over, this may be why.

Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Dinner Catering

Christmas dinner catering as well as New Year's Eve catering services can simplify the holidays for many families worldwide. It can also be a way for restaurants to maximize revenue in a streamlined manner. That’s if they have the proper solutions, of course. If you’d like to read up a bit more on the benefits and how-tos of catering Christmas dinner, we got you covered. Check out the following FAQ section for additional information.

Which Restaurants Offer Christmas Dinner Catering?

Some of the most popular restaurants that offer Christmas dinner catering are:

• Boston Market
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Cracker Barrel
• Chart House
• IHOP
• Omaha Steaks

It's also advisable to check with your favorite local restaurants. You never know what they might be planning for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Why Is Christmas Dinner Catering Important?

Christmas dinner catering is important because it provides consumers with a convenient solution for the holiday. There are many people worldwide who have limited cooking experience. There are also households who have so many guests over for Christmas that they don’t have ample space to prepare several dishes. Whatever the case may be, catering services are often the easy route.

Are Christmas Dinner Catering Services Better?

Yes, Christmas dinner catering services are in many cases better than cooking the meal yourself. For one, catering Christmas dinner is super convenient. Plus, it takes the need for skill, proper cookware, and ample kitchen space out of the equation.

When Should You Get Christmas Dinner Catered?

There are many instances when you should get Christmas dinner catered, like when you’re going to have a full house. Hosting Christmas dinner is fairly simple when you’re serving a small group. But once the guest list teeters around twenty people or more, it might be difficult to prepare and manage the necessary amount of food.

How Do You Host Christmas Dinner?

Anyone can host Christmas dinner by following these steps:

1. Determine a guest list. 
2. Send out invitations about a month before the holiday. 
3. Decorate the space for Christmas if it’s not already. 
4. Purchase ingredients Christmas week.
5. Prepare anything you can ahead of time.
6. Store everything in proper containers. 
7. Create a schedule to time everything properly. 
8. Create a festive tablescape on Christmas morning. 
9. Welcome your guests and follow your schedule from earlier.
10. Cater to any mishaps along the way and enjoy the holiday!

Get the Right Solutions Before Christmas!

Once you obtain the proper solutions, Christmas dinner catering services can be a breeze for restaurant staff. From managing orders to arranging deliveries, restaurant tech can make a massive difference. Want to learn how innovative restaurant technology can be a game changer for your business specifically? Schedule a demo with Revolution Ordering, and an industry expert will be in touch.