🔥 Holiday Gear-Up Series, Part 14 (Dec 8th): Holiday Menu Specials That Actually Sell (And Don’t Wreck Your Kitchen)

It’s December 8th, and this is the time of the month where every venue suddenly thinks:

👉 “Should we do Christmas specials?”👉 “We need something festive!”👉 “People want novelty!”👉 “Let’s add a Christmas roast sandwich with 27 components!”

No.Stop right there.That’s how you end up derailing your kitchen on the busiest week of the year.

Here’s the truth:

The best holiday specials are NOT the most complicated.

They’re the ones that:

✔ Sell quickly

✔ Are easy to batch

✔ Don’t kill your food cost

✔ Don’t blow up your pass

✔ Are visually appealing

✔ Feel seasonal (without being cringe)

✔ Use ingredients you already stock

This post gives you the blueprint.

🎯 Why Most Christmas Specials Fail

Because they’re built on:

❌ Emotion, not data

❌ Overcomplication

❌ “Let’s be festive!” instead of “Let’s be profitable!”

❌ Ingredients that spoil

❌ 10-step plating during peak hour

❌ No testing

❌ No margin calculation

❌ No staff training

Your customers don’t want more complexity.They want familiar, comforting, festive-adjacent food that feels fun but doesn’t confuse them.

💥 The 6 Types of Holiday Specials That ALWAYS Sell

These work across cafés, restaurants, bars, bakeries & brunch spots.

1. The “Festive Twist on a Classic”

This is the easiest, highest-margin, lowest-risk special type.

Examples:🎄 Cranberry mayo on your chicken burger🎄 Spiced maple glaze on bacon🎄 Christmas seasoning on fries🎄 Gingerbread espresso latte🎄 White chocolate & raspberry pastry swirl

This is where you win.

2. The “Limited Edition Drink”

Drinks are insane margin.And customers LOVE festive beverages.

Options:☕ Spiced gingerbread latte☕ White choc mocha☕ Candy cane hot chocolate☕ Spiced cold brew☕ Apple cider spritz☕ Mulled mocktail for night venues

One new drink can add thousands.

3. The “Dessert of the Month”

Single dessert.One hero item.Batchable.Easy to plate.Highly Instagrammable.

Examples:✨ Pavlova cup✨ Biscoff tiramisu✨ Rum & raisin brownie✨ Baileys mousse cup (for licensed venues)✨ Gingerbread cheesecake slice

Sell it as limited edition and watch it fly.

4. The “Festive Add-On”

This is pure margin.

Ideas:➕ $3 cranberry + herb stuffing ball➕ $4 pigs in blankets (2 pcs)➕ $2 spiced maple glaze➕ $1 festive sprinkles or whipped cream upgrade➕ $3 gingerbread biscuit

Do this and your average spend jumps instantly.

5. The “Cabinet Hero” (Cafés & Mixed-Venue Only)

December cabinet items that ALWAYS fly:

🥐 Cranberry brie croissant🥐 Ham & cheese Christmas melt🥐 Festive brownie slab🥐 Shortbread stacks🥐 Cinnamon scrolls🥐 Rocky road Christmas bar

People want grab-and-go in December more than ever.

6. The “Crowd Feeders” (Perfect for Busy Venues)

Batchable → Fast → Feels festive → High profit.

Ideas:🍽 Pulled turkey slider🍽 Roast pork roll with apple slaw🍽 Christmas hash bowl🍽 Honey-glazed chicken tenders🍽 Caramel rum custard pot

If your kitchen is chaotic, this is your lane.

🔥 What NOT to Do With Your Holiday Specials

Let’s protect your sanity.

❌ No multi-component roasts

❌ No dishes with ingredients you never use

❌ No items that rely on perfect timing

❌ No “festive risottos” (just no)

❌ No menu items your staff can’t describe in 5 seconds

❌ No items that take longer than your longest dish right now

❌ No low-margin specials

Specials should be FUN, not a burden.

🎯 The Bam Bam 3-Point Holiday Special Test

Before you launch a special, it must pass:

1️⃣ Can my team execute this at peak hour?

2️⃣ Is the margin strong?

3️⃣ Will this actually SELL

If you can’t answer yes → scrap it.

💡 Want Help Designing Holiday Specials That Actually Work?

Here are your December value bonuses:

✨ FREE 1-hour Strategy Session

with every Food Safety PRO System(Use it for menu costing, specials, GP%, operational flow — whatever you need.)

✨ FREE Food Safety Essentials System

with the 3-Pack Consulting Bundle(Perfect for full menu + operations optimisation.)

✨ FREE December Content Planner

with ANY consulting booking(Helps you promote your specials properly.)

🟦 Explore services:bambamculinaryconsultants.com/services-9

Tomorrow (Dec 9): Part 15 — Christmas Week Survival Plan

The MOST important week of the year.And we’re going to map it out, step by step.

Ben

-Bam Bam Culinary Consultants