Why sell food over the holidays
The holidays are a lot. Between family, travel, and your own to-do list, a holiday drop can feel like just one more thing to juggle.
But if you've ever wondered whether selling your food over the holidays is worth it, here's the short answer: for most Hotplate chefs, November and December are the biggest months of the year, by far. Thanksgiving week is the single busiest week of the year on Hotplate, with more than twice the orders and three times the sales of a typical week.
Here's why, and how to make it work without spending the whole season in your kitchen.
1. Customers spend more
Holiday orders are bigger. People are buying for a table, not just themselves, and they're happy to pay for something homemade that saves them a day in the kitchen.
On Hotplate, the average order in November-December is 20% higher than the rest of the year.
2. There's a reason to order almost every week
From late October to New Year's Eve, there's barely a week without an occasion:
Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Oct 31 – Nov 2)
Diwali (Nov 8)
Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving (Nov 26, and the weekends around it)
Small Business Saturday (Nov 28)
Hanukkah (starts Dec 4)
Christmas (Dec 25)
New Year's Eve (Dec 31)
Each one is a potential reason for you to open orders.
3. Gifting brings you new customers
Think of your cookie box gifted to a teacher, neighbor, or client like a free sample with a bow on it. Every gift you sell puts your food in front of someone new, often someone who lives nearby and maybe hasn’t heard of you.
4. Holiday customers become year-round regulars
When someone orders a pie from you for Thanksgiving, they can subscribe to your drops and get a text the next time your orders open. That means the customers you meet in December are still there in February, when things are quieter.
Selling at a holiday market? With Pop-up Mode, walk-up customers can subscribe right after they tap to pay. Coming soon: Tap to Pay at holiday markets
"But I don't have time for a big holiday menu"
You don't need one. Many Hotplate chefs excel over the holidays precisely because they keep it simple:
One or two drops, not ten. One Thanksgiving drop and one Christmas, holiday, or winter drop is a great season.
Stick to your hits. You don’t need a dozen items. Select 1-4 of your tried-and-true products and let them sing.
A holiday version of what you already make. Add cranberry to your sourdough, put your best cookies in a box with a ribbon, glaze your cinnamon rolls with eggnog. And if you’re someone who sells meal prep kits or hot food, this is a great time to offer larger quantities that your customer can buy for their holiday tables.
Set your limits. Choose how many of each item you'll sell and/or how many orders per pickup window. When you hit your number, orders close. No surprises.
"But I don't have a big audience"
You don't need one. Plenty of Hotplate chefs started with a group text to friends, neighbors, and coworkers. The holidays are the easiest time to grow, because people are already looking for homemade food to buy, gift and share.
Holiday selling FAQ
Is it worth selling baked goods at Christmas? For most home bakers, absolutely! Customers are buying for gatherings and gifts, orders tend to be bigger, and holiday customers often keep ordering after the season ends.
What sells best over the holidays? The classics always crush it, like pies and rolls for Thanksgiving, and cookie boxes, cinnamon rolls and breads for Christmas.
That said, don’t forget about whatever it is YOU do best, even if it’s not a traditional holiday staple.
How do I avoid getting overwhelmed? Limit your inventory and close orders with plenty of time to shop and prep. Hotplate automatically ends ordering when you sell out, so you never take on more than you planned. Customers who missed out can add themselves to a waitlist, and you’ll see how many people are waitlisted for each item. If you decide to add more inventory, Hotplate alerts those customers via text.
When should I start? Now’s the time. Thanksgiving preorders usually open in early November, and Christmas preorders open right after Thanksgiving. But don’t panic if you’re feeling behind. When you sell on Hotplate, you’re always 100% in control of when orders open, when pickups happen, and what’s for sale
Make this your best season yet
Start with one holiday, one menu and one pickup day. Let Hotplate handle the orders, payments, and pickups so you can focus on the food.
