Keeping Spirits Bright: Motivating Your Team Through Holiday Madness

Holiday madness hits restaurants differently—hours stretch longer, delivery orders stack higher, and patience gets thinner with every day on the Advent calendar. In a month that’s meant to sparkle, your team’s fire can fizzle fast if you’re not proactive.

December isn’t just “busy”—it’s delivery chaos on overdrive.  Tickets spit out faster than the line can grab them. Bags pile up on every surface. Drivers crowd the pickup counter. And just when you catch your breath, a 20-person catering order drops out of the sky.

As online orders skyrocket, tempers shorten, and catering requests roll in at a pace that would even make Santa sweat, your staff’s ability to stay motivated and present can be the difference between ending the year strong or sliding straight into burnout.

But here’s the upside: when your team feels supported, appreciated, and genuinely seen, they can power through even the wildest holiday rush. Keeping spirits bright doesn’t require costly perks or elaborate parties—it comes from clear communication, shared wins, flexible scheduling, and small, intentional moments that fuel focus, morale, and momentum. With the right game plan, you can keep your team energized, supported, and ready to crush the busiest season of the year.

Motivating Your Team Through Holiday Madness

1. Set Expectations Before the Craziness Hits

The holiday madness should never sneak up on your team. Pre- and mid-shift huddles help everyone stay aligned and mentally prepared. Use these quick meetings to share surge times, delivery cutoff windows, catering deadlines, station responsibilities, and backup plans for when things inevitably get wild.

Always explain the “why” behind each workflow adjustment. If the delivery expediter needs tighter packaging, or line cooks need to stagger batches, the reasoning matters. When staff understand the logic behind the plan, they stay calm, focused, and far more willing to adapt.

2. Schedule Smartly to Protect Stamina

Build your holiday schedule around actual demand patterns. Look at last year’s performance and review weekly trends—delivery surges tell the real story, not foot traffic. Double up staff where bottlenecks happen. If bagging or expo consistently slows things down, put your strongest multitasker there and add support during peak hours.

Don’t overlook tiny breathers; a surprise five- or ten-minute “reset break” can help staff regroup, hydrate, and stay grounded. These micro-pauses prevent meltdowns. Reward your most reliable staff with scheduling perks like preferred stations, first pick of shifts, lighter closes, or avoiding back-to-back doubles. Small scheduling wins build major loyalty.

3. Keep Communication Crystal Clear

Centralize communication so your team gets updates from one source. Use Slack, WhatsApp, or a group text to share 86’d items, late deliveries, station backups, or catering drop-off changes.

Information chaos creates emotional chaos, especially during holiday rushes. Keep your tone calm even when the tablets are exploding—say things like, “Team, here’s the priority list. Let’s move together.” Encourage staff to flag issues early. A fryer acting up at 4 p.m. is annoying; a fryer acting up at 7 p.m. is a disaster. Early warnings save shifts.

4. Micro-Morale Boosters

Small touches go a long way in December. Let staff choose songs or curate a holiday playlist for their shift. Keep a candy or snack bowl on the line for quick energy and quick morale boosts.

Create mini competitions—best wrap, fastest packer, cleanest station—where winners earn small perks like choosing their next shift or getting a free meal. And don’t underestimate the power of warm drinks on cold days. Hot chocolate packets, tea, or cider take seconds to set out but make everyone feel appreciated.

5. Feed Them

Food is emotional currency in December. Offer breakfast for openers—bagels, burritos, fruit, anything warm that starts the day right. For closers, have late-night pizza or something hearty ready so they end the shift on a full stomach rather than an empty tank.

Let staff take first dibs on catering leftovers, and create staff-only “secret menu” snacks like grilled cheese or mini bowls of soup. These small comforts tell your team you see them working hard.

6. Celebrate Wins

Create a “Wall of Wins” to highlight customer compliments, record-breaking days, zero-mistake shifts, and team MVPs. Announce daily MVPs—recognition hits hardest when it’s public.

Share performance metrics to show staff the direct impact of their work, like “We beat last year’s Week 2 by 14%” or “You crushed 120 catering meals in two hours.” Your team wants to know they matter—and they do.

Showing Appreciation Doesn’t Have to Cost a Lot 

Here are 10 meaningful, affordable ways to show staff gratitude:

1. Handwritten thank-you notes from managers.

2. Preferred stations for top performers.

3. Choice of music for a shift.

4. Instant-spot bonuses ($10 coffee cards, $20 gift cards).

5. Staff meal upgrades (add dessert, extra sides—small luxuries).

6. Holiday raffle for tiny prizes (gift card, merch, a paid day off entry).

7. Public shoutouts on social media or in-store.

8. A warm “thank you” meal at the end of a crazy shift.

9. Shift-swapping flexibility as a reward, not a favor.

10. A simple question at the right time: “What can I do to help?” 

Takeaway 

Delivery rushes, late-night surges, buzzing tablets, nonstop catering requests—December is no joke. But your staff is the engine that carries you through it.

Motivating your team through holiday madness is as simple as keeping your staff feeling valued, supported, and appreciated. If you succeed, they won’t just survive the chaos; they'll rise to it. When you take care of the people who take care of your guests, you’ll finish the year sparkling.

By Eileen Strauss