Lightspeed Commerce Inc. has released a report on the buying behavior of restaurant customers during New Year’s Eve, offering a window into the potential sales opportunities available to bars and restaurants.
The report’s data is based on a sample of thousands of restaurants and bars powered by Lightspeed across the U.S. The analysis compared various sales trends and menu items’ popularity between Saturday, December 31, 2022 and the average of three Saturdays in December 2022 (excluding December 24, 2022) as well as comparing January 2023 against December 2022. The report highlights the key menu items that perform well with New Year's Eve customers as well as the ones that underwhelm.
It comes as no surprise that restaurant goers are looking to indulge on New Year’s Eve, with premium dishes topping the list of demands. Caviar, lobster, and steak see their demand skyrocket, with requests increasing 66%, 31%, and 13%, respectively. Likewise, certain health-conscious options see a decline in demands, with salad sales falling by 23% overall.
Drinkers are also in a festive mood, looking to break out the bubbles to ring in the new year. Sales of sparkling wine—including champagne, prosecco, and cava—saw a 111% increase in sales. Liquor and cocktails also remain a popular choice, with vodka (+14%), tequila (+11%), and whiskey (+4%) seeing the most significant increases.
More habitual choices like beer and wine are passed over for their more premium counterparts. Wine sales decrease by 5% and beer sales drop by 23% compared to average Saturdays in December 2022.
All this celebration ultimately leads to patrons spending more on average. The median check size reached $53 on New Year's Eve in 2022, a 4% increase over the average median check size on Saturdays throughout December 2022 and a 10% increase over New Year's Eve in 2021.
New Year’s Eve doesn’t just mark the end of the year—it’s also the beginning of a slower period for restaurants and bars,” says Peter Dougherty, general manager of Hospitality at Lightspeed Commerce. “That’s why turning more tables and getting more customers through the door is so important."
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