December is a month filled with holidays and seasonal celebrations. As a business, it can be difficult to get in the holiday spirit without fear of offending or excluding patrons. From Hanukkah to Christmas and Winter Solstice to Kwanzaa, your customers want to feel the joy of the season all around them.
Restaurants that are decorated for the holiday season can feel warm and inviting to diners and help them feel like part of your family.
There are two basic strategies you could use when decorating this holiday season:
- Be all-inclusive. Opt for decorations that celebrate the season rather than any specific holiday. Colors like silver and gold feel festive, but aren’t associated with any particular celebration. Utilizing seasonal plants and foods in your decor will give the feeling of the season without invoking a certain holiday spirit.
- Stay true to you. Decorating your restaurant for the holidays can include traditional decor from the country inspiring your cuisine for a more authentic feel. Family restaurants could also use the holidays the family celebrates in decorating as it is an extension of your theme.
Whichever you choose, be prepared to share with disgruntled guests just why you chose this option. If they understand where you are coming from, they may have a more positive experience.
While many would suggest hiring a decorator, that option may not be in the budget. A few ways to create your own holiday decor include:
- Ask the staff. You may not consider yourself a great decorator, but perhaps someone on your staff has the creativity and eye for it.
- Enhance your basic decor, don’t compete with it. Replacing every decorative item for the holiday season is not necessary, a few choice substitutions could be all you need.
- Focus on the entrance and exit. This will be the place of biggest impact.
- Use everyday items like glassware in your decor.
- Buy decorations in the off-season to save money and choose items you can reuse year after year.
- Think simple. A few strands of lights, some ribbon, and fresh greenery can go a long way.
From elaborate events to providing a holiday meal to families, your restaurant will help bring holiday cheer into the lives of many. Consider your theme, beliefs, and customers when decorating this holiday season and you can’t go wrong.