Skip to content
Email Marketing for Restaurants

Restaurant Holiday Hours Email template

A holiday hours email saves guests a wasted trip and saves your staff a lot of phone calls. This template keeps the message short, puts your schedule front and center and points to one next step.

Goal
Prevent wasted trips by making holiday hours easy to find, and keep reservations coming.
When
Send it one to two weeks before the first changed day, with a short reminder in the final days. Post the same hours on your website and Google profile.
Tones
Warm, playful, polished
Includes
HTML, plain text, SMS
J

Juniper & Salt · Inbox

Our holiday hours at Juniper & Salt · A quick note on when we're open, when we're closed and how to reach us.

Customize with your details

Preview uses a fictional restaurant, Juniper & Salt. Every detail is yours to change.

Restaurant Holiday Hours Email subject lines

Warm

  • Our holiday hours at [Restaurant name]
  • When we're open and closed this holiday
  • Here are our holiday hours

Preheader: A quick note on when we're open, when we're closed and how to reach us.

Playful

  • Holiday hours: check before you drive over
  • Open or closed? Our holiday hours
  • Quick: our holiday schedule

Preheader: Short and sweet: the days we're open and the days we're not.

Polished

  • Holiday service hours at [Restaurant name]
  • Our schedule for the holidays
  • A note on holiday service at [Restaurant name]

Preheader: Our holiday schedule, so you can plan your visit with confidence.

The holiday hours email copy

Words in braces are placeholders. The generator fills them in, and drops any line whose detail you leave blank. “Copy text” gives you [bracketed] placeholders to replace by hand.

Warm version

Our holiday hours

Hi {first_name}, the holidays are close, and our schedule is changing a little at {restaurant}. Here's what to know before you plan your visit.

{hours}

For any day not listed, check our website or call us at {phone}. We'd love to see you.

Thank you for being part of our year. We hope your holidays are warm, full and unhurried.

Playful version

Holiday hours, quick version

Hey {first_name}! The holidays mess with everyone's calendar, ours included. Here's when {restaurant} is open, so you don't show up to a dark dining room.

{hours}

Not sure about a day we didn't list? Check our website or call {phone}.

Thanks for another year of eating with us. Enjoy the break.

Polished version

Holiday service hours

Dear {first_name}, as the holiday season approaches, {restaurant} will observe a modified schedule. We share it here so that you may plan your visit with ease.

{hours}

For days not listed, please consult our website or contact us at {phone}.

With gratitude for your company this year, we wish you a peaceful holiday.

Details you can add: Hours.

Tips for your holiday hours email

  • Write out every changed day with its date and the open and close times, or 'closed'. 'Reduced hours' on its own does not help anyone.
  • Include the days before and after a holiday if your hours change then too, and list the days in calendar order.
  • Update your Google Business Profile, website and reservation page to match the email. Guests check those first, and conflicting hours cause wasted trips.
  • Mention early closings and last seating times for nights like Christmas Eve.
  • Add your phone number and a booking link. People reading holiday hours are often about to plan a meal.
  • Keep it short. This is an informational email, not the place for a long promotion.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Sending it the day before. Give guests a week or two to plan around it.
  • Writing 'holiday hours' with no dates or times.
  • Updating the email but forgetting Google and your website, so guests see different hours in different places.

Matching SMS

{restaurant}: Our holiday hours are posted. See when we're open: {cta_url} Reply STOP to opt out.

Text messages need their own, explicit opt-in. An email subscription does not cover SMS.

FAQ

Restaurant Holiday Hours Email questions

When should I send a holiday hours email?

One to two weeks before the first changed day, with a short reminder in the last few days. Sending it earlier risks being forgotten, and sending it later leaves guests little time to plan.

What should a holiday hours email include?

Every changed day with its date, open and close times or 'closed', plus any early last seating. Add a phone number, a booking link, and your postal address and unsubscribe link in the footer.

Do I still need an email if I posted my hours on Google?

It still helps. An email reaches your regulars directly, and not everyone checks Google before heading out. Keep the hours identical everywhere.

Does a holiday hours email need an unsubscribe link?

If you send it to your marketing list, include your postal address and an unsubscribe link like any other email. That is the simplest way to stay compliant with US rules.

More guest care templates

Review request email

Ask guests for an honest Google review a day or two after their visit, with a one-tap link.

Reservation reminder email

Remind guests of their booking and make it easy to change or cancel, so fewer tables go empty.

Part of our free kit for email marketing for restaurants.