Thanksgiving Eve Insights: How Do Restaurants and Bars Prepare?

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays in the United States. But for restaurants and bars, the night before is even bigger. 

Thanksgiving Eve has evolved into one of the busiest shifts of the year, as Americans trade cooking for a night out with old friends and bumping into exes (or perhaps a strategic escape from early-arriving in-laws).

At Toast, we love a good tradition, and we love data even more. We analyzed restaurant activity on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, and compared it to the average Wednesday in 2024. The results? Let’s just say there’s plenty to be thankful for.

Ready to see just how this pre-turkey celebration impacts your bottom line?

Thanksgiving Eve 2024 industry insights

Restaurants and bars across the country saw a clear boost in business the night before Thanksgiving, regardless of how guests were ordering. Dine-in transactions were up by 18%, take-out was up 14%, and delivery even saw a lift of 9%. 

Average transaction counts rose by 17% compared to a typical Wednesday in 2024. Average GMV was also up 29%, signaling that guests were ordering rounds and making a night of it. The average check size even increased by 10%. The night before Thanksgiving might be chaotic, but it’s the kind of chaos restaurant operators don’t mind — the lucrative kind.

Food trends: What guests craved before the turkey

When no one wants to cook, your restaurant becomes the hero. Pizza sales were up 48%, proving that guests are more than happy to let your ovens do the work ahead of the big day. Breakfast platters climbed 38%, possibly because people had the day off and wanted one last relaxing meal before diving into holiday prep.

Vegetarian and vegan options rose 24%, a lighter choice before turkey day. Salads, though, didn’t get the same love, dropping -7%.

If you’re planning ahead for this year, consider a set holiday menu to streamline prep and service. A smaller, curated selection of dishes keeps the kitchen focused and ensures guests get their meals quickly. Add a few seasonal cocktails, and you’ve got a festive, profitable lineup.

Don’t forget about holiday catering. Many guests would rather enjoy your food at home than spend the day cooking. In 2024, catering sales jumped 33% the night before Thanksgiving, a clear sign that demand is there. Start promoting your catering menu early on social media and encourage pre-orders to help you plan inventory and staffing with ease. 

A toast to Thanksgiving: Sales up 79%

The internet has coined the term “drinksgiving” for a reason. For many bars, this is the busiest night of the year, and the data agrees. Overall, alcohol sales were up 79% compared to the average Wednesday in 2024. 

Beer was the top-selling beverage and was up 77% compared to the average Wednesday. Vodka was the second most popular, up 144%. And hard seltzers saw the biggest increase with 256% more than the average Wednesday in 2024. 

Pro tip: Reach out to your liquor reps early to make sure you’re stocked and ready for the rush. There’s nothing worse than running out of your top-selling drinks halfway through the night.

As always, it’s important to serve responsibly. Brush up your team’s knowledge with our guide on How to Do Alcohol Training for Servers, so everyone can enjoy the evening safely.

Late-night sales soar in Delaware and Kentucky

With safety top of mind, let’s take a look at where guests really turned out, the states with the highest transactions per location on Thanksgiving Eve.

The states featured above are ranked highest in transactions per location on Thanksgiving Eve, showing where restaurants were the busiest on average. Delaware, Kentucky, and Connecticut led the way, with each location serving significantly more guests than the national average. Following close behind were Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, where steady late-night business drove exceptional transaction volume per site.

Staff accordingly in 2025 

Creating a restaurant staff schedule during the holidays can be difficult. Beyond your standard front-of-house staff, some extra delivery drivers or security bouncers can really make a difference on Thanksgiving Eve.

Your team probably wants to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones, too, so staffing for any holiday should be done well in advance. Some restaurants give employees the option to choose between working Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, requiring them to work at least two holidays. Others reward employees with double-time, as well as an end-of-shift gift for working a holiday. 

Whatever the case is, make sure your staff knows how thankful you are that they’re willing to come in on the biggest days of the year, and be empathetic towards the fact that they might be giving up family time to be there. 

Use tech to help you every step of the way

Wednesday, November 26, 2025, will likely be a busy night for local bars and restaurants. Using historical data from your POS can help you with inventory, staffing, and deciding whether or not to stay open during the holidays. These data-driven business decisions will guide you in the right direction.

Some POS systems will even allow you to determine which menu items are likely to be the most popular during the holidays. If more people are ordering appetizers than entrees, it might be useful to double down on those nachos and cheese when ordering inventory. Want to make sure those dishes are pulling their weight? Try our Menu Engineering Worksheet, built to help you design your most profitable menu yet.

If the profits you made on a slow Thanksgiving Day didn’t match your overhead costs last year, consider closing up shop. If anything, your staff will be grateful for the day off. Happy Thanksgiving!

Methodology

Toast analyzed transactions at restaurants on the Toast platform on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, and compared them to the average Wednesday in 2024.