December is a whirlwind month of holidays that spur celebratory events. Start with Hanukkah’s Festival of Lights, followed by Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Each occasion has its own special foods that can increase multiple channels of customer traffic.
- Seasonal menus. Fortify your fall-winter menus with traditional favorites like turkey with stuffing and green beans; prime rib with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts; glazed ham with scalloped potatoes and stewed collard greens; and desserts like red wine-poached pears and pavlova with fresh berries and citrus.
- LTOs. Draw in more diners by offering specials on favorites like turkey-cranberry club sandwiches, pumpkin pancakes, hearty salads with roasted winter squash, and holiday pies (apple-cran, pear-pecan, and sweet potato). Or offer multi-course sit-down meals served family style.
- Get Colorful. Red and green foods (think apples, cranberries, grapes, radicchio, beets, rosemary, sage, spinach, arugula, and collard greens), set the holiday tone and add to the ambiance of holiday meals.
- Catering boxes. Not everyone wants to dine away from home. Take the cooking and clean up out of the equation by offering full holiday meals to go. Ensure dishes arrive in quality condition with proper storage containers—bonus points for sustainable packaging!
- Keep it going. Boxing Day leftovers are a great opportunity to extend holiday sales. Offer turkey-cranberry sandwiches, fried mashed potatoes, Christmas nachos, and quiche/frittatas with stuffing, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts—both in-house and for delivery.
Seasonal Produce Checklist:
- Hanukkah: MFC Potatoes, MFC Apples, MFC Oranges, RSS Wild Arugula, MFC Fennel, beets, ginger, and RSS Italian Parsley.
- Christmas: RSS Trimmed Green Beans, RSS Diced Celery, RSS Whole-Peeled Onions, cranberries, persimmons, and MFC Rosemary and Sage.
- Kwanzaa: RSS Chopped Collard Greens, MFC Bell Peppers, plantains, bananas, corn, sweet potatoes, and okra.
- New Year’s Eve: RSS Margarita Mix, RSS Juices, Baby Spinach, RSS Brussels Sprouts, and horseradish root.
- New Year’s Day: RSS Shredded Kale, MFC Grapes, pomegranate seeds, RSS Orange Segments.
