A Christmas brunch menu can serve as the foundation for an extremely lucrative holiday. It’s pretty standard for most restaurant business entities to create a Christmas dinner menu–even if it’s an easy Christmas dinner menu. It’s also common for many restaurants, especially those that serve Italian cuisine, to have a 7 Fishes Christmas Eve menu. So, by creating a holiday menu where you can open your doors to the public earlier in the day, you’ll simultaneously implement product differentiation.
The process of putting together a Christmas brunch menu is just a handful of ideas away! Continue reading the rest of this article to learn more about making such a food and beverage selection.
Christmas Brunch Menu Inspiration
After waking up early on Christmas morning, many families go out for brunch to kick off the holiday. So, what should your restaurant serve to meet all your customer’s needs? After all, some will be in the mood for breakfast, while others will be seeking lunch options. So, consider the following brunch ideas to craft a complete and thorough menu:
- Fritatta
- Egg scramble
- French toast
- Pancakes
- Belgian waffles
- Pastries
- Paninis
- Salads
Brunch drinks are also a main focus on such a menu. Many mixology experts and types of chefs will tell you that it’s a whole lot easier to get creative with drinks as opposed to food. So, consider adding some of these alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to your Christmas brunch menu:
- Peppermint mocha coffee drinks
- Seasonal mimosas
- Eggnog with or without rum
- Specialty winter cocktails
- Hot chocolate
- Cranberry juice
- Holiday mocktails
Christmas Lunch Menu Ideas
There are several Christmas lunch menu ideas that can attract a large crowd. But since this menu might only be for a couple of days or so, it’s important that it doesn't require excessive spending on inventory to bring to fruition. So, some safe Christmas lunch menu ideas that might already reflect something on your normal restaurant menu include the following:
- Roast turkey
- Glazed ham
- Beef Wellington
- Roast chicken
- Roast duck
- Roasted vegetables
- Yorkshire pudding
- Sandwiches
- Bread stuffing
- Mashed potatoes
Many people who are out and about for lunch on Christmas Day might have already had a heavy breakfast before or after opening gifts. It’s also a holiday when many families end the night with an elaborate dinner. So, it’s important to ensure that a handful of your lunch options are light.
Buffet Menu Ideas for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Okay, so we might be veering off a bit from Christmas brunch menu ideas. And Christmas lunch menu ideas too for that matter. But here’s the thing–both breakfast and lunch tend to be significantly less casual than dinner. So, it makes perfect sense for restaurants to offer buffet-style dining on holidays like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But how can restaurant owners make it more festive for their customers? After all, they are serving themselves.
For starters, buffet restaurants must ensure that several of the dishes at various stations adhere to classic Christmas traditions. These should include food items featuring ingredients like cranberries, peppermint, chestnuts, and so on. It will also help if you can put festive and holiday-centric twists on standard recipes. For example, you might opt for a dessert menu item like an eggnog-flavored cheesecake instead of the plain variation you normally serve.
Another creative route that restaurants can take is setting up each buffet to reflect different types of traditional meals. For instance, you can have one station consisting of all the American Christmas classics, like turkey, glazed ham, dinner rolls, and roasted vegetables. Meanwhile, you can have another station that abides by Italian traditions, where customers can fix their plate of seven fishes alongside pasta.
You’ll find that the more time you spend brainstorming buffet menu ideas for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the more recipe solutions you’ll come up with. Culinary inspiration coincides with endless possibilities, so be sure to think outside the (gift) box this holiday season.
‘Tis the Season to Save Money On Inventory
When crafting a Christmas brunch menu, or any kind of limited-edition holiday menu for that matter, there's a strong likelihood that you’ll have to place a one-time-only order for various necessities. So, how can you keep a non-recurring order at the lowest price possible? Sure, wholesale products are at a lower price than what you find in-store, but when you buy anything in bulk, it can cost a pretty penny.
WIth an app like BlueCart, restaurants can save big this holiday season. Thanks to our Endless Aisle, the ultimate digital marketplace, shoppers will be able to see whether each product is a great, good, or fair value. This way, you can make the most of your restaurant budget with every single purchase, and with each and every vendor on the platform. Want to join for free? Fill out this form to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Christmas Brunch Menu
There are so many decisions to make when preparing a Christmas brunch menu. The same rules also apply for lunch and casual buffet-style meals. That’s because when it comes to Christmas food and beverage festivities, there are countless versatile options. If you’d like additional information to help get your holiday in order, take a look at the following selection of frequently asked questions and answers.
What Are Popular Items On a Christmas Brunch Menu?
Some of the most popular items for a Christmas brunch menu include:
- Pastries
- French toast
- Frittata
- Pancakes
- Biscuits
- Glazed ham
- Sandwiches
- Breakfast sliders
It’s important to keep in mind that a Christmas brunch menu isn’t too different from regular ones that you can find any day of the year. Instead, it’s the restaurant’s decor, music, plating designs, and dish names that truly set the atmosphere.
What Is an Easy Christmas Meal for a Large Group?
An easy Christmas meal for a large group could be a honey-glazed ham with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables for side dishes. The great thing about Christmas lunch ideas is that there aren’t strict traditions or a particular structure, as opposed to something like Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, individuals and restaurants have more room for creativity for each meal of the day on Christmas.
What Do Most People Eat for Christmas Lunch?
There are many types of dishes that people all around the world consume for lunch on Christmas Day, such as:
- Omelettes
- Roast turkey
- Glazed ham
- Pasta dishes
- Mushroom Wellington
- Stuffed butternut squash
The kinds of dishes that you'll serve for lunch will depend on your restaurant’s style and cuisine more than anything else. However, the ones mentioned above are certainly safe options to start out with.
How Can a Restaurant Organize a Christmas Brunch Menu?
Restaurants can organize a Christmas brunch menu by following these steps:
- Find the balance between breakfast and lunch dishes.
- Determine which items you will serve in each category.
- Find an editable Christmas brunch menu template.
- Finalize an official copy of the Christmas brunch menu.
- Market the menu to the public via digital channels.
Do People Go Out for Brunch On Christmas Day?
Yes, many families go out for brunch on Christmas Day. Whether people choose to go out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on Christmas Day is dependent on each individual family. But since most families who celebrate Christmas get up early to open gifts, most of them go out around noon. So, brunch is a great option for those who are indecisive about breakfast or lunch.
Christmas Brunch Menu Ideas and Beyond
Food and beverage operations are some of the most vital elements of holiday festivities. When crafting a Christmas brunch menu, there’s a great deal of room for creativity, dietary preferences, and thematic references. And of course, the same ideas apply to holiday menus for lunch, all-day-long buffets, dinner, and beyond.