Thanksgiving week remains one of the most profitable, and operationally intense, times of the year for restaurants. Between private parties, increased takeout orders, holiday travelers, and larger-than-usual group dining, operators have a narrow window to maximize sales while keeping service running smoothly.
This guide breaks down the most effective marketing ideas and operational tactics restaurants are using in 2025 to drive traffic, increase revenue, and minimize holiday chaos.
Seasonal items spark urgency and give guests a reason to choose your restaurant over others.
Operators are seeing success with:
TipHaus Pro tip: Promote these items with short-form video.
Thanksgiving week isn’t just about family dining - younger guests often celebrate Friendsgiving at restaurants to avoid complexities of hosting and cooking.
Ideas that perform well:
This is also a great strong driver of pre-booked covers before the holiday rush.
Thanksgiving takeout has grown steadily year over year, not just for turkeys, but for sides, desserts, and scratch-made dishes guests don’t want to cook. A 2024 Popmenu survey found that 42% of U.S. consumers planned to order takeout or delivery from restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner, and 75% of those said it was easier, we expect this trend to continue upward.
Operators are leaning into:
TipHaus Pro tip: Push pre-orders 10 -14 days early and automate reminders across email and social.
Guests are already out and about the weekend before Thanksgiving, and restaurants can capture this traffic.
Popular options:
This primes your restaurant as a go-to holiday stop before the season officially begins!
Meet Emily Bini, Director of Marketing & Events at The Bunker (7 locations in New York), as she shares how TipHaus completely transformed their tip management process:
Key Results:
Want to save time and simplify tip management at your restaurant or entertainment venue? Schedule your free trial with TipHaus today!
Thanksgiving week has unpredictable patterns - high traffic, uneven reservations, large parties, and more complex table turns.
Operators are preparing by:
Thanksgiving week often includes private events, buyouts, large checks, and multiple job codes in a single shift. Operators using TipHaus have found success reviewing:
If you’re a TipHaus operator, you can revisit our on-demand recording on Custom Team Adjustments to help you streamline unique holiday tipping structures. This is especially valuable during November–December when private events and mixed-role shifts spike.
Small operational changes can meaningfully improve holiday conversion.
Add or update:
A simple holiday message to guests (via email or social) builds connection and brand trust.
Short and heartfelt works best:
Thanksgiving week is one of the most opportunity-rich moments of the year for restaurants, but also one of the most operationally demanding. With the right mix of proactive marketing, streamlined operations, and clear guest communication, restaurants can drive strong revenue while keeping their teams supported during the holiday rush.
If you’re already a TipHaus operator, you can revisit our on-demand Custom Team Adjustments session to quickly streamline unique holiday tipping structures during this event-heavy season.
If you’re not using TipHaus yet, our team is happy to walk you through the platform and show how simple it is to manage different tipping rules for private events, large parties, multiple job codes, and complex holiday shifts. You can reach out anytime for a free trial and hands-on demo!
