New Year's Eve Marketing Strategies for Restaurants and Bars in Canada

Restaurant operators across Canada are navigating inflation and price-sensitive guests, but there's reason for optimism. New Year's Eve represents your last big revenue spike before the winter slowdown, so making the most of it is essential for starting 2025 strong. Discover practical New Year's Eve marketing ideas to help you sell out your NYE event.

Go-To-Market Plan (8 to 10 Weeks Out)

Channels and Timing

Start your marketing push 8 to 10 weeks before New Year's Eve. Send your first email and SMS announcement with an early-bird discount, perhaps 10% off for bookings made by a specific date. 

Follow up with reminders at the two-week mark and a last-chance message in the final days. Run paid social media campaigns targeting audiences within 5 to 10 kilometres of your location, using creative assets like last year's party visuals, close-ups of your menu items, and countdown timers to build urgency. 

Make sure your website features a prominent hero banner with a "Book NYE" call-to-action, a comparison of your tiered packages, and clear deposit terms.

Partner with nearby hotels, theatres, and rideshare services to create bundled experiences that make it easier for guests to choose you as their New Year's Eve destination. 

Need help coordinating all these campaigns? Toast Marketing can streamline your email, social, and loyalty programs in one place.

Local Proof and UGC Hooks

Stage your "midnight moment" content with tabletop sparklers, confetti drops, and a branded photo backdrop. Create a house hashtag and place QR codes at tables so guests can easily share their experience on social media. 

Canadians notice and value design cues. According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey on Canadian diners in 2025, price is the primary influence on restaurant choice for 20% of respondents.

When it comes to promotional styles for set menus, Canadians lean toward promotion-heavy approaches (42%) and prix fixe formats (34%) for seasonal occasions, so combining both strategies makes sense. 

Guests notice price changes, with almost 90% saying they notice often or sometimes, which means you should be transparent about the value you're delivering.

Short videos are one of the top ways Canadians consume planning content, so use Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts for your NYE teasers.

For small and independent restaurants, adding a "Made in Canada" angle resonates strongly. Support for local businesses and unique menus score highly as motivators for diners choosing where to eat.

Your NYE Offer: Packages That Sell Out

Build Easy, Tiered Experiences

Give guests simple choices that feel tailored to how they want to celebrate. A three-tier setup works well:

• Early: 5:30–7:30 p.m.

• Prime: 8–10 p.m.

• Late: 10:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

Each tier gets its own package and price point (for example, $95, $145, and $195), with deposits taken upfront. Add touches that feel special—a welcome cocktail, a small amuse-bouche, a midnight toast, maybe live music. Clear options like these make booking easy, help you fill every seating, and let guests choose the vibe (and budget) that suits them.

Craft a Menu That Delivers Margin and Magic

A three- to five-course prix fixe keeps things smooth for the kitchen and predictable for your food costs. Limit choices within each course so your team can stay focused and consistent. Offer two pairing options—think $45 and $75—to give guests flexibility while increasing average spend.

And anchor the menu with dishes that feel celebratory without blowing your budget: duck breast, lamb rack, lobster tail. They look premium on the plate and stay manageable behind the scenes.

Layer in Smart, High-Margin Upsells

NYE is the perfect night to offer upgrades guests are excited to say yes to. Champagne flights, bottle service, and a fun “Resolution” zero-proof list all work well. Consider late-night bar snacks to keep the energy (and revenue) going.

Photo packages can add a memorable touch, and January bounce-back gift cards (“Buy $100, get $25”) help turn one big night into repeat business. If you host corporate or large-group celebrations, create private dining or buyout packages with per-person pricing and dedicated staff—these can be some of your most profitable bookings of the year.

Legal and Compliance

Your email and SMS marketing must comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), which requires valid consent, clear identification of your business, and an unsubscribe mechanism in every message. For quick primers and practical examples, see the CASL overview and texting guidance from the CRTC.

Alcohol advertising rules are different in every province, so make sure you’re checking the right guidance for your location.

In Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) requires that promotions are not misleading, that anything called “free” is genuinely free, and that you avoid any inducements that encourage excessive drinking. Recent AGCO compliance reminders highlight how closely these rules are monitored.

In British Columbia, operators should follow the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) standards outlined in the Liquor Policy Manual and review the province’s social media guidelines for licensees.

In Québec, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) sets strict rules around alcohol promotion, including bans on drinking games and on serving minors or visibly intoxicated guests.

And in Alberta, the AGLC Licensee Handbook lays out the advertising and promotion standards for Class A, B, and C licensees.

The bottom line: price your packages transparently, avoid language that implies excessive consumption, and keep any "free" claims clean and provable.

Make This Your Best New Year's Eve Yet

New Year’s Eve could be your moment to show people why they love your place. 

Give guests a night they’ll talk about in January, and you’ll kick off the new year with momentum. With simple tiered packages, clear pricing, eye-catching marketing, and smooth service, you can sell out every seating and bring people back long after the confetti’s swept up. Start now, use the tools that work for Canadian operators, and set yourself up for your strongest year yet.