As the colder winds start to blow in, restaurant sales can struggle. If the season is slower for your local restaurant, one of the winter business ideas worth exploring is switching up your menu. 59% of consumers say that seasonal menu items compel them to purchase the item and 49% of customers find seasonal menus more appealing than traditional menus. Consider bringing fresh vegetables, seasonal spices, and festive flavors that can elevate your restaurant’s menu and usher in new patrons who are hungry for wintertime cuisine.
If you’re looking for ideas for your bountiful winter harvest, we have 11 winter menu ideas for restaurants to help you achieve just that.
#1 Weave in soul-warming soups
During the winter holidays, many customers begin to crave comfort food. Few things help mitigate winter’s chill like a bowl of steaming-hot soup. Clam chowder, baked potato, and French onion soup are perennially popular, but soups that capitalize on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients stand out from the crowd.
Seasonal soups are, hands-down, one of the most foolproof winter menu ideas for restaurants. Here are a few to consider:
- Creamy carrot and parsnip soup
- Pub-style split pea soup with ham
- Curried cauliflower soup
- Braised beef stew with carrots, parsnips, and cannellini beans
- Spicy butternut squash soup
- Winter Leek and potato soup
- French onion soup
#2 Offer fired-up appetizers
Help your patrons beat the winter blues with hot-off-the-stove starters. These could run the gamut from crowd-pleasers like baked shrimp and spinach and artichoke dip to spicy spins on traditional hors d’oeuvres, such as:
- Baked jalapeno-bacon poppers with ground chile pepper and cheese
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Crab cakes with spicy aioli
The point? To amp up the heat and warm your patrons’ souls from the outside in.
#3 Highlight comfort food with a modern twist
For many, the holidays naturally evoke thoughts of childhood and the traditional comfort foods we were served by our parents and grandparents.
Since the start of the pandemic, the interest in reviving comfort foods has only escalated. A survey conducted by One Poll found that 69% of respondents would rather ditch alcohol than give up their favorite, go-to, ultra-indulgent comfort dishes.
Satisfy this collective craving by offering warm, hearty dishes with a spin. See the dishes below for inspiration.
- Truffle macaroni and cheese – Give macaroni and cheese an elegant flair by infusing it with white truffle oil and winter mushrooms such as portabellas, oyster mushrooms, and morels.
- Winterized grilled cheese – Adult-ify a grilled cheese by using unique cheeses—smoked gouda, Havarti, raclette, or gruyere—and adding winter vegetables, such as kale and spinach.
- Merlot steak – Serve steak with a merlot reduction alongside roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
From pizza and pasta to baked potatoes and pot pies, your choices for wintry comfort foods are nearly boundless. Beyond apps and entrees, you can capitalize on the comfort food trend by plating childhood favorites with a sophisticated edge, such as bread pudding with hot buttered rum, ice cream sandwiches with gelato and crushed nuts, apple tatin, and amaretto fudge brownies.
#4 Switch up your salads
Watermelon and feta salads are a hit during the summer months, but winter calls for produce that thrives in colder temperatures. Pears pair beautifully with radishes, while arugula tastes delicious when it’s topped with warm goat cheese, candied pecans, and dried cranberries. Or, opt for a shaved brussels sprouts salad.
If you have established relationships with local farmers, get their take on the finest and freshest vegetables and fruits available—and let this harvest dictate the winter salads you invent and feature on your menu.
#5 Offer pre-packaged options
The holidays are often considered the busiest season of the year for many, especially for parents who have their children at home for Winter Break and for those who welcome a flood of out-of-towners for winter festivities.
Offering pre-packaged options diners can run in and grab can increase customer satisfaction, improve sales, and introduce your cuisine to a new wave of patrons looking for a cozy at-home meal.
#6 Incorporate winter herbs and spices into your menu
Winter is often synonymous with the comforting, even intoxicating, scents of herbs and spices. Apple-cinnamon strudel, braised pot roast with roasted garlic, pumpkin pie—each flavor can trigger our appetite, as seasonal spices dance in our heads.
Science backs this, too. Spices such as nutmeg can enhance our desire to eat. As such, baking a sweet potato and nutmeg pie in the BOH may lure patrons to your door and into a seat.
There are dozens of ways to infuse your dishes with winter herbs and spices. Consider including the following “pie spices” in your winter season menu:
- Vanilla
- Coriander
- Cardamon
- Anise
- All-spice
- Cloves
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
Additionally, you can craft recipes that call for herbs and spices that create a warming effect, such as thyme, turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon.
While we tend to associate some of these spices, such as cinnamon and vanilla, with baked goods and desserts, they can also add warmth, bite, and complexity to marinades, rubs, and savory dishes in general.
#7 Present seasonal libations
Pumpkin spice lattes—or PSLs, as they’re fondly called—have become one of the most nationally anticipated beverages in America. According to research conducted by Nielsen, foot traffic to Starbucks skyrocketed 25.7% with 2021’s launch of the wildly popular beverage and helped the famed coffee chain shatter sales records.
(Here’s an astonishing fact: Consumers spend $500 million on pumpkin spice products annually.)
Why do we mention this here? To underscore the allure of seasonal beverages and what they may do for you in terms of visitors and sales.
People are incredibly attracted to novel items they can score only once a year, especially if they’re marketed effectively throughout your neighborhood and through online channels like Nextdoor.
From hot toddies to spiked hot chocolate, warm libations are particularly suited for the colder weather. Consider curating your winter menu with the following cozy creations:
- Pumpkin spice martini
- Pomegranate margarita
- Cranberry prosecco
- Eggnog Brandy Alexander
- Spiked peppermint hot chocolate
- Hot buttered rum
- Salted caramel White Russian
Or, encourage your bartenders to come up with a one-of-a-kind, winter-inspired craft cocktail. (Just don’t forget to add mocktails to your menu, particularly during Dry January.)
Similarly, add seasonal wines and beers to your menu. Local distilleries and wineries often house seasonal options, like Oktoberfest, IPAs, and hearty Belgian ales.
#8 Build special menus around each major winter holiday or event
You may shutter your restaurant on Thanksgiving and Christmas but that doesn’t mean you can’t design a specialty menu to honor the holidays.
Provisional Kitchen, Cafe & Mercantile in San Diego, California crafts menus for every season. Last year, the kitchen featured winter dishes like butternut squash agnolotti with pistachio butter and seared duck breast with black-eyed peas, pancetta, asparagus, and mascarpone.
This year, they’re celebrating the Fall Equinox with a five-course dinner made from seasonal produce, artisan wine, and favorite fall flavors like maple squash, sweet pumpkin ravioli, and caramelized apple.
Seasonal menus certainly drive traffic to your restaurant. Limiting their availability to a few select days or weeks can prove to be even more effective by creating a sense of exclusivity and fear of missing out (FOMO). When crafting your menu, consider the following occasions:
- Thanksgiving – Turkey is ideal, if not expected, on Thanksgiving and can be the main component of numerous seasonal menu items. And don’t forget to elevate a few favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and baked carrots.
- Hanukkah – Hanukkah gives you the chance to serve kugel and latkes crafted in a variety of seasonal herbs and spices.
- New Year’s Eve – Usher in the New Year and new patrons with a celebratory menu that features crab legs, lobster, and filet mignon (all served with champagne, of course).
- President's Day - Feature former presidents’ favorite foods, like Clinton’s jalapeno cheeseburger, JFK’s New England clam chowder, Roosevelt’s pulled-pork grilled cheese, and Obama’s salted caramel banana pudding.
- Super Bowl Sunday – Game day is ripe for elevated pub fares like spicy chicken wings, potato wedges, and artichoke dip.
The more you can work your restaurant’s signature taste into these traditions, the better: It will help you stand out and leave an impression while also emphasizing your brand and distinctive flavor.
#9 Favor exotic cuts
Steak, chicken, and pork are all standard in restaurants. But alternative proteins, such as elk, lamb, pheasant, and venison can uplevel your winter season menu, particularly if they are served alongside seasonal vegetables, like:
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Beets
- Cauliflower
#10 Celebrate winter fruit
Fruit-filled pies are a winter favorite, but those that utilize winter fruits will amplify your restaurant’s appeal and give regulars something new to look forward to. Create desserts around seasonal offerings, such as:
- Caramelized winter fruit custard with pears, cranberries, and Granny Smith apples
- Blood orange cake
- Grapefruit brulee
- Pomegranate cheesecake
- Persimmon pie with pecan streusel
There are several other winter fruits you may want to keep in mind, including:
- Mandarin oranges
- Lemons
- Kiwi
- Kumquat
- Apricots
- Cherries
- Date plums
Get creative, and offer diners suggestions on the best desserts—and libations—to pair with their meals.
#11 Go against the grain
Christmas in July events have become increasingly popular in recent years. Flip the script and present a summer event in the dead of winter—preferably after the holidays when people are hit with the cold weather blues.
Offer barbeque fare and other summery eats. If you happen to have outdoor dining, create a post encouraging your patrons to dress in layers and dine al fresco, where you can thrill them with s’mores and hot beverages. It’ll break up the monotony of winter and may lead to a spike in sales.
Spread the cheer on Nextdoor
Crafting a seasonal menu can elevate your cuisine and welcome a host of patrons looking to indulge in wintertime treats.
Fortunately, getting the word out about updates to your winter menu is easy on Nextdoor. Claim your Business Page and engage with foodies in your neighborhood to promote seasonal specials and cozy creations throughout your culinary community.
There’s no better way to develop a menu that will delight your guests’ tastes and bring in new patrons than inquiring directly. Simply create a post on Nextdoor asking your neighbors to weigh in on their favorite winter eats—and take it a step further by awarding the most exquisite suggestion with a gift card for a complimentary dessert, or perhaps even a specially made treat.
