Own December: The Holiday Revenue Kit for Restaurants, Bars & Cafés (2026)

Sell more gift cards. Book more holiday parties. Fill January.

Nearly half of a restaurant's yearly gift card sales happen in November and December, and most independent operators are too slammed to catch it. Own December is a done-for-you holiday campaign. It does the planning, the writing and the math, so all you do is run the calendar.

Three plays, one calendar

• The Gift Card Push. A bonus card ("buy $50, get $10") that only works in January and February, so your busiest weeks stay full price. Plus a ready-made pitch for selling cards by the dozen to the businesses on your block.
• The Party Book. Three party packages, booked in November, with weeknight minimums that fill your dead nights instead of your Fridays.
• The January Bridge. A "See you in January" card with every December check, and the reminders that bring those guests back in your slowest weeks.

What you get

• Start Here Guide (PDF, 18 pages). The plan, the three plays, the math and the mistakes to avoid. About 15 minutes to read.
• The Workbook (Excel or Google Sheets). Put in your check average and goals and it shows what each play brings in and what the offers cost you. Plus a dated calendar from Oct 26 to Feb 28, a Monday scorecard, and trackers for outreach and party bookings.
• The Copy Bank (Word or Google Docs). 12 emails, 7 texts, 12 social posts, 4 Google Business Profile posts, staff scripts, and the outreach for parties and corporate gift cards. Fill in one offer sheet and Find and Replace does most of the rest.
• The Sign & Card Pack (PowerPoint; opens in Canva or Google Slides). Counter signs, a door sign, a table tent, bonus and January cards, check and bag inserts, party and corporate flyers, and a staff leaderboard. Add your logo and print.
• An AI co-pilot prompt for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini that plans with your numbers and rewrites any piece in your voice.

What it can add up to

The workbook ships with an example: a neighborhood spot with a $45 check. Its goals add up to $19,000 in gift card and party sales in November and December and 132 tables brought back in January and February, and the bonus offers cost $456 in product. Your numbers will be different. The workbook shows you yours before you print anything.

Built for independents

Restaurants, bars, cafés, breweries and food trucks, with one location or a few. It's not for franchises, and it's not theory: it's the dates, the words and the spreadsheet.

Start by November 1

Setup takes one afternoon. Groups book holiday parties in November, so the sooner you start, the more of the calendar you get to use.

Made by operators

Built by the team behind Large Backyard (2 bars, 4 food concessions and 2 golf properties in New York City) and Industry Day, the weekly teardown newsletter for independent F&B operators.

Instant download. 14-day refund if it isn't worth it to you.