Holidays

The Top-Selling Restaurant Merch During the 2022 Holiday Season

December 20, 2022

Top-selling holiday merchandise to inspire your restaurant's commerce strategy.

Ah, the holidays. What a beautiful time of year to work in a restaurant. Dining rooms are full, gift cards are flying off the shelves and two simultaneous parties of eight need a table that can fit Grandma’s wheelchair.

With gift-giving season in full swing, we are also in prime time for restaurant merchandise. The holidays are big business: For restaurants who have items for sale during November and December, these two months alone account for 19% of their yearly merchandise revenue. There’s also a natural brand-amplification effect to holiday merch, since every gift has a giver and every party-pack has multiple people around the table asking, “Mmm! Where’d you get that?

This year, BentoBox chose the top restaurant holiday merch items based on sales from Black Friday through December 15. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and throw on your ugliest sweater for the best restaurant merch of winter 2022.

Pancake Mix — Bubby’s

New York, NY | bubbys.com

The most popular physical restaurant merch item of December 2022 (not a gift card) is this take-home pancake mix from Bubby’s, a beloved neighborhood restaurant and pie shop in the heart of Manhattan’s Tribeca. (Honorable mention goes to Bubby’s fast-moving Doodle Mug, which is a coffee mug featuring artwork by founder and owner Ron Silver.)

Holiday Cookie Box — Little Tart Bakeshop

Atlanta, GA | littletartatl.com

Much like a family gathering brings together people of different shapes, sizes and levels of sweetness, so does a great box of assorted cookies — like this 24-count box of holiday cookies from Atlanta’s Little Tart, which sold out within a few days of its launch.

#FMBStrong T-shirt — Nervous Nellie’s

Fort Meyers Beach, FL | nervousnellies.net

Fundraiser t-shirts and hats are a big theme in holiday restaurant merch, and in 2022, Nervous Nellie’s moved more than any other restaurant. Proceeds from the shirt go to the restaurant’s staff — an excellent idea we discussed in our article 11 Restaurant Employee Appreciation Ideas.

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Bourbonator — B52 Brewing

Conroe, TX | b52brewing.com

B52 Brewing’s seventh annual “Bourbonator” is a “masterpiece” combination of lager and bourbon’s brewing process, with a result that is “rich, boozy and full of oak, vanilla, and dark fruit notes.” This run of products also sold out within days.

Negroni Candle — Dante

New York, NY | dante-nyc.com

From “one of Greenwich Village's most beloved stomping grounds” comes this match made in heaven: a candle developed by an independent artisan that evokes the fruity, delicate scent of a delicious Negroni.

Mini Gooey Pack — Rosie’s Place

Near Indianapolis, IN | rosiesplace.net

At Rosie’s, a bakery with three locations north of Indianapolis, the word “gooey” means something special: a state of cookie, perhaps, but also a state of mind. “Get your ooey gooey fix!” is their homepage’s welcoming line, and with this adorable sampler pack, now anyone anywhere can.

Cake Club Membership — Sugared & Spiced

Edmonton, Canada | sugaredandspiced.ca

Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. This popular offering from Sugared & Spiced is a “cake subscription” that entitles the holder to 3 cakes per year: for the frequent and organized party planner in your life.

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Grinch Christmas Dinner — Lincoln Tavern

Boston, MA | lincolnsouthboston.com

Probably the most creative Christmas dinner package of the year, Boston’s Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant serves up a hearty meal for either 4 or 8 people in homage to this holiday anti-hero. The main course is, you guessed it, roast beast. You’re a mean one, Lincoln Tavern!

Alba Crew Sweatshirt — Cucina Alba

New York, NY | cucinaalba.com

Restaurant-branded merchandise is a great way to let your best customers get your brand out into the world. This stylish top from Manhattan’s Alba leverages a bold, fun wordmark that could just as easily belong to an Italian fashion house as an Italian restaurant.

Rich Table Cookbook — Rich Table

San Francisco, CA | richtablesf.com

Louisiana meets New Jersey at this Michelin-starred restaurant in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, and now they can meet your home, too. For established brands, a cookbook can give your cuisine and concept a new degree of elegance and put your philosophy and tastes out into the world.

Monthly Butcher Box — Schuby’s

La Crosse, WI | schubys.com

Whenever you get done salivating over the contents of this box, take note of Schuby’s intelligent strategy: the best gift to promote during the holidays is simply the next installment of an every-month good. The holiday giving season will get new fans on board, and make it more likely they’ll stay on board for February and March, too.

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