Restaurant Holiday Menus 2026: What to Print, When to Order
Restaurant holiday menus get more use than anything else you print all year. The stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve is the busiest few weeks for most restaurants and bars. Office parties, family dinners, a packed bar the night before Thanksgiving, and one big night to close it out. Your menu gets picked up, passed around, and set down next to more drinks in these weeks than in most months combined.
Here is what the numbers say about the holiday rush, which pieces are worth printing, and when you need to order so they arrive in time.
| In a hurry? Jump to the holiday order-by dates, or price your holiday menus now. |
The holiday rush, by the numbers
Put those together and the pattern is clear. More big tables, more to-go and catering orders, more drinks, and guests who want something special for the occasion. Each of those is a reason to print a separate piece instead of squeezing it all onto your everyday menu.
Most restaurant holiday menus are not a new menu
The restaurants whose holiday orders go smoothest do not reprint everything. They keep the core menu as it is and add short, separate pieces for what changes. Start by writing down only what is new:
- Seasonal dishes and drinks
- A set menu or prix fixe for parties
- Thanksgiving or Christmas to-go and catering orders
- New Year's Eve specials and seatings
If that list fits on one page, one insert or card is all you need.
Full reprint, insert, or one-night card?
Four holiday menu pieces worth printing
Holiday menu order-by dates for 2026
Most orders ship same or next business day. The part people forget is everything around that: your designer's turnaround, a proof you actually read, and the carrier's holiday slowdown in December. Work backward from the night itself.
| The night | Date | Send us your file by |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving | Wed Nov 25 and Thu Nov 26 | Mon Nov 16 |
| Office parties and holiday menus | The first two weeks of December | Mon Nov 30 |
| Christmas Eve and Christmas | Thu Dec 24 and Fri Dec 25 | Mon Dec 14 |
| New Year's Eve | Thu Dec 31 | Fri Dec 18 |
Those dates leave room for a proof and ground shipping. Cutting it closer is sometimes possible. Call the shop and ask before you count on it.
New Year's Eve menus: guests book late, you can't
In OpenTable's reservation data, 54% of New Year's Eve bookings came in after Dec. 17. The menu has to be printed and on the table before those bookings roll in, not after. The same goes for office parties: the host picks a restaurant in November and wants to see the party menu before they commit.
Three things that save a reprint
- Ask your designer early. They are slammed in November too. Get the holiday file on their list now.
- Read the proof once, slowly. Every price, every dish, the date on the New Year's Eve card. A typo is cheap to fix before it prints.
- Print the piece that changes, not the whole menu. An insert you pull in January costs a lot less than a full menu you throw away.
Ready to print your holiday pieces?We print full-color waterproof menus, inserts, cards, and folded table tents from your artwork. Small runs are fine. The minimum is 25, custom sizes go up to 12 x 18, and the back side prints free.
Most orders ship same or next business day. |
Restaurant holiday menus: quick answers
Can I order a small run just for New Year's Eve?
Yes. The minimum order is 25, which covers most one-night menus. Order what you will use that night and nothing more.
Can you make table tents for holiday drinks?
Yes. We fold on 8 and 10 mil stock, so a drink card can stand up on the table.
When should I order New Year's Eve menus?
Send your file by Friday, Dec 18. That leaves room for a proof and slower holiday shipping before Thursday, Dec 31.
When is the last day to order for Thanksgiving?
Send your file by Monday, Nov 16 to have menus in hand with room to spare. Later is sometimes possible. Call and ask.
Should the holiday items go on my regular menu or a separate card?
A separate card, almost every time. It keeps your core menu clean, and you can pull it in January without reprinting anything.
Sources
- Toast, Thanksgiving Eve for Restaurants: Top Insights, transaction data for Nov. 27, 2024 vs. the average 2024 Wednesday.
- Toast, Holiday Parties Fuel Catering Boom for Restaurants, Q4 2024 Restaurant Trends Report, March 2025.
- Nation's Restaurant News, 2024 holiday restaurant dining trends can serve as a blueprint for 2025, reporting a Tock survey of 1,000+ diners, Sept. 2024.
- Restaurant Business, Get ready for a potentially big New Year's Eve, reporting OpenTable New Year's Eve reservation data (2019 season).
