What I Learned Running the 12 Days of Christmas in My Café
What I Learnt Running the 12 Days of Christmas in My Café
Every year when December rolled around, I used to run a 12 Days of Christmas promotion at my café. It became one of my favourite traditions, part marketing plan, part community celebration, and part chaos (in the best possible way).
The goal was simple: bring some joy back into those last few quiet weeks before Christmas, fill the room with laughter, and give people a reason to stop in one more time before the holidays.
And it worked. Every single year 🎄
The Reality of Trading in a Small Town
If you’ve ever run a café in a regional area, you’ll know what I mean when I say the last two weeks before Christmas can go dead quiet.
Something happens in smaller towns, especially on those weekends before Christmas, when everyone heads “out of town” to do their shopping. They stock up at the big centres, catch up with family, and our local cafés and stores are left quieter than usual, apart from the rush of Christmas Eve.
The 12 Days of Christmas was my way of changing that pattern. Instead of waiting for people to come back, we gave them a reason to stay local, something fun, social, and worth showing up for.
Our 12 Days of Fun
The first year, I had no plan, just a scribbled list on the back of a docket book.
We ran things like:
• Bring your dog dressed up for Christmas to win a prize
• Kids’ colouring competitions
• Hamper Train
• 10% off gift vouchers (great for quick cash flow)
• Fruit mince tart gift boxes
Some ideas were hits, others were chaotic, but they all created energy and connection. The café felt alive again at a time that was usually slow.
And word spread. Each year, more people asked, “What’s happening this Christmas?”, "What's your Christmas theme this year?".
The Community It Created
By the third year, our 12 Days had become a local tradition.
The Town VIP Day was one of the biggest successes, we teamed up with other small businesses to create a VIP night across the town, we ran a “hamper train,” where customers could build their own gift hampers filled with local produce and sweets that our chefs had made.
It brought everyone together, cafés, makers, shops, and customers.
And then there was Dog Day, the kind of event people still talk about 10 years later.
It wasn’t about sales targets or fancy marketing. It was about belonging.
What I Learned
It doesn’t need to be big or polished to work.
You don’t need a huge budget or a marketing department. You just need a few good ideas and the confidence to make them happen.
A simple cookie-decorating day can fill your tables.
A festive drink special can become your best-seller.
A few shared photos can build loyalty that lasts well past Christmas.
People remember how your café made them feel. That’s the magic of hospitality.
Why I Created the Planner
When I started The COO Hub, I wanted to share these real, practical ideas, the kind that keep local venues thriving through the ups and downs of seasonal trade.
That’s how the 12 Days of Christmas Promotion Planner came about.
It’s built from years of experience running my own café and restaurant, testing, tweaking, and finding what worked when things got quiet.
Inside, you’ll find 12 easy-to-run promotions, and simple ways to make your festive season more fun (and more profitable).
Your Turn
If you’re running a café or restaurant, this is your reminder - the weeks before Christmas don’t have to be quiet.
Create something worth staying in town for. Bring people together. Make it memorable.
And when you do, tag @The COO Hub so I can share your ideas through my network and the Women in Hospitality group because the more we celebrate each other, the stronger our industry becomes.
🎄 Download your free 12 Days of Christmas Promotion Planner here:
