The holidays are the most profitable time of the year for many restaurants. At the same time, the demands increase: special menus, high demand, stricter no-show rules, and often additional events such as New Year’s Eve parties or Christmas brunches.
With aleno, you can plan this time in a relaxed and professional way – and ensure that your guests enjoy a great experience from start to finish.
Table of Contents
- Promoting Special Menus & Events
- Enter & Communicate Holidays
- Cross-Selling in E-Mails
- Use Widget Links Strategically
- Reconfirmation & Reminder Emails
- Adjust No-Show Conditions
- Use alenoPay Sell Items
- Work with a Double Seating
- Adjust Table Plans Flexibly
1. Promoting Special Menus & Events
Create your Christmas or New Year’s Eve menus as Events in aleno. This way you can:
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Promote special menus or packages (e.g. “Christmas Dinner 5-course menu”) directly in the widget
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Point out special conditions (e.g. fixed menu prices, set times, minimum number of guests)
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Control demand in advance
Example: Guests book your “Christmas Dinner Menu” directly with a fixed price and time.
2. Enter & Communicate Holidays
👉 Enter Holidays & Special Opening Hours or Enter and Communicate Closing Times
Enter your Christmas holidays or special opening hours directly in aleno. Guests will immediately see when you are open or closed.
Advantage: Guests don’t have to call or ask – fewer phone calls, clearer planning.
Example: Mark December 24th as closed, but at the same time communicate the opening on December 25th from noon for the Christmas brunch.
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3. Cross-Selling in E-Mails
Use confirmation emails to draw your guests’ attention to further highlights already at the time of reservation.
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Place banners for your Christmas menu or your New Year’s Eve party
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Link directly to the event booking page or a special widget link
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Generate additional bookings without additional advertising costs
Example: A guest reserves for a regular dinner in December → they see your New Year’s Eve menu in the confirmation email and immediately book that as well.
4. Use Widget Links Strategically
With targeted URLs, you can direct your guests straight to a specific menu or date.
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Distribute links on your website, social media, or flyers
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Add relevant notes to reservation confirmations
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Track which channels generate the most bookings
Example: A Facebook post with the text “Secure your spot for the Christmas Dinner now” → the click leads directly to booking the Christmas menu on December 25th.
5. Reconfirmation & Reminder Emails
Especially on holidays, No-shows are particularly costly. Make sure your guests confirm their reservations bindingly.
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Activate reconfirmation (e.g. 72 hours before the event)
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Add automatic reminder emails shortly before the event
Advantage: More commitment, fewer empty tables, and stress-free planning.
6. Adjust No-Show Conditions
The holidays are valuable – and no-shows especially frustrating. Adjust your conditions now:
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Increase the no-show fee specifically for the holidays
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Set stricter cancellation deadlines
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Communicate the rules clearly in the booking process
Advantage: Greater planning reliability and less risk of leaving valuable seats empty.
7. Use alenoPay Sell Items
Use the pre-Christmas period for additional revenue:
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Sell menus in advance (e.g. “Christmas Special”)
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Offer tickets for your New Year’s Eve party
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Secure revenue even before the actual event
Example: Guests buy tickets for New Year’s Eve already in November – your event is sold out before December even begins.
8. Work with a Double Seating
👉 Set capacities & duration of stay
New Year’s Eve or Christmas evenings can often be utilized better with two seatings.
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In the advanced capacity settings, define different start times and block the times in between for online reservations.
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Define the duration of stay per table in the shift settings (e.g. 90 minutes)
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This way, you can offer an early dinner slot and a late dinner slot
Example: On December 31st, an Early Dinner from 18:00–20:00 and a Late Dinner from 20:30. This way you double your occupancy and give guests flexibility.
9. Adjust Table Plans Flexibly
Holidays often require special seating arrangements. With aleno, you can adjust your plans in no time:
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Gala Dinner with long tables
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Christmas brunch with Buffet-Setup
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Double Seatings for New Year’s Eve
Advantage: You use your capacities optimally, map your actual seating directly in aleno, and avoid chaos during service.
Conclusion
With just a few clicks, you ensure full occupancy, clear communication, and predictable revenue in the most important time of the year. Prepare now – and enjoy a smooth year-end operation with aleno.