Thanksgiving is coming up, which means it’s time to prepare your restaurant for the holiday rush. Although traditional celebrations often involve spending time with friends and family, many of your customers might prefer not to cook a big dinner. That’s where your restaurant comes in. With the right Thanksgiving marketing ideas, you can help diners enjoy a relaxing gathering — and boost your restaurant’s revenue with special seasonal deals.

4 Thanksgiving promotion ideas to test out

Although Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, food is an equally important component. For restaurant owners, the holiday is an opportunity to celebrate seasonal dishes and create beautiful dining experiences. The trick? Finding Thanksgiving marketing ideas that resonate with your target audience.

1. Pre-order Thanksgiving meals

Hosting Thanksgiving is a joy, but it’s also a big responsibility. Take some of the stress off your customers’ plates by offering Thanksgiving meals for pre-order. Guests can pick up the food on Thanksgiving morning before relaxing with family and friends — it’s an easy way for them to provide a restaurant-quality meal without spending the entire day in the kitchen.

The key to a successful Thanksgiving dinner pre-order promotion is to offer different package options. Cater to a range of customers by offering dinner for two, family-style meals, and à la carte dishes. Guests who don’t want to cook at all can order a meal that includes roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. People who want to prepare a turkey themselves might choose to order just the sides.

Make a pre-ordered meal more attractive by adding a discount to your Thanksgiving marketing campaign. Give a percentage off for people who order early, or offer a bundle price for meals that include dessert and drinks. Load the options into your online ordering system and customers can place their order at any time. List your Thanksgiving dinner on Grubhub to deliver right to your diners’ doorsteps.

2. Thanksgiving brunch or buffet

Thanksgiving is strongly associated with one specific meal: a turkey dinner served family-style. Surprise your customers by breaking with tradition and hosting a special Thanksgiving brunch or buffet. The unexpected change of pace can pique diners’ interest and convince them to book a reservation.

Keep the surprises coming with a menu that includes Thanksgiving classics and dishes that put a modern spin on seasonal ingredients. In addition to turkey breast and sweet potato casserole, you could serve miniature cranberry and goat cheese tarts, pumpkin gnocchi, and apple cider martinis. Add a few bestsellers from your regular menu, such as baked macaroni and cheese or fig and prosciutto flatbread.

Host the meal in the days leading up to the holiday or on Thanksgiving itself. To get families in the door, try a discounted kids menu or special group pricing.

3. Friendsgiving group discounts

Thanksgiving promos don’t always have to fall on the holiday itself. Encourage groups of friends to celebrate together in the days leading up to Thanksgiving by hosting Friendsgiving discounts. Offer 10% off for tables of 10 or more, for example, or create a special family-style set menu for large groups. A friend-focused Thanksgiving promo is a great way to fill your restaurant earlier in the week, when the dining room might otherwise be quiet.

There’s no need to stick to a traditional menu — many people celebrate both Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, and they may not want to eat two large turkey dinners in one week. Instead, give your chef the freedom to get creative with the flavors of the season.

As you design a holiday marketing campaign, bear in mind that this type of Thanksgiving promotion is likely to attract friends who want to celebrate together but don’t have the time to prepare a full meal before Thanksgiving. This audience segment is likely to respond to ads and social media posts that focus on the joy of community and the convenience of a restaurant Friendsgiving.

4. Gift card promotions

Many of your customers are starting to think about Christmas shopping by the time the end of November comes around. Take the hassle out of gift giving by creating a Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday gift card sale. This Thanksgiving marketing idea increases gift card sales in the short term and drives traffic in the future — and because recipients are likely to bring a guest, it builds brand awareness and expands your audience.

The type of gift card promotion ideas you should choose depends on your business goals. If you want to encourage families to come in for Thanksgiving dinner, you could offer a $50 gift card for every table of 10 or more. Alternatively, keep it simple by handing out a $10 bonus gift card with every $50 gift card. Offer both digital and physical cards to suit different delivery preferences.

Taking advantage of Turkey Day

Dining out on Thanksgiving is an increasingly popular option; in 2022, in-person holiday dining at restaurants rose by 15.1% from the previous year. As customers continue to opt out of cooking, Thanksgiving can be a lucrative opportunity for your establishment.

The first few weeks of November are the ideal time to step up your Thanksgiving marketing. Don’t limit yourself to Turkey Day promotions; campaigns focused on national food holidays can also help your business avoid the slow season. Plus, when customers interact with other ads and marketing posts on social media, it primes the algorithm to show more of your content — including Thanksgiving promos. Getting your brand in front of customers boosts awareness and leads to more business throughout the winter holidays.

Here’s the best part: Because Thanksgiving is traditionally a dine-at-home holiday, you’ll likely have less competition. That means you can experiment with promotions and marketing to find a mix that garners the biggest response. Don’t have a full staff? Consider offering delivery and takeout only. Staying open the entire day? Highlight the joy of a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner and quality time with loved ones. Creating a fantastic holiday experience encourages customer loyalty and keeps diners coming back throughout the year. 

Running promotions on Grubhub: What to know

Thanksgiving is one of the top days for food delivery, which means your restaurant needs a reliable delivery partner. At Grubhub, we do more than provide professional delivery drivers on demand — our platform also makes it easy to run customized promotions to go with your Thanksgiving marketing ideas. Simply add your deals and specials, schedule them to run during predetermined hours, and watch the orders roll in. We also offer free marketing tools that make it easy to set up campaigns so you can focus your energy on the most important task: serving fantastic meals to guests. Log into your Merchant Portal to start running a promotion to reach more diners today.

Tackle turkey day with Grubhub

Whether you are opening your restaurant to anti-cooking diners, creating a menu to help customers celebrate the holiday at home or closing your doors for the day, it’s important to have a Thanksgiving plan for your restaurant. And if you want to reach even more customers this holiday season, consider partnering with Grubhub to get access to over 33 million diners who are searching for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.