Restaurant Holiday Ordering: Adjusting Orders, Pars, and Vendor Schedules for Holiday Weeks

Holiday ordering goes wrong for one reason: the normal week stops being true, and the order guide, the pars, and the cutoff times on the office wall all still describe the normal week. To get through it, get every vendor's holiday schedule in writing, redraw that week's order calendar with the moved cutoffs and missing trucks, work out how many days each order now has to cover, and set temporary pars for those orders only. Then decide, item by item, whether to stock up before a closed day or let it run down.

This guide walks through that process for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, with an illustrative Thanksgiving week order worked out in full. Holiday planning sits on top of your regular vendor schedule and par levels, which are covered in our complete guide to restaurant purchasing and inventory management. Think of this as the one week a year where every step in that loop needs a second look.

In this guide

• What actually changes on a holiday week
• The 2026 holiday dates to plan around
• Get every vendor's holiday schedule in writing
• Recalculate what each order has to cover
• Set temporary holiday pars, not new ones
• Worked example: Thanksgiving week chicken order
• Stocking up vs running down before a closed day
• Holiday prices, shorts, and specialty items
• Counts before and after the holiday
• What line cooks and chefs can do
• A holiday ordering timeline
• FAQ

What actually changes on a holiday week

Most kitchens think about the holiday as a sales problem: more covers, or none. The ordering problems usually come from everything around it:

• Trucks disappear. Many distributors don't deliver on the holiday itself, and some don't deliver the day after either.
• Cutoffs move earlier. If the vendor's office is closed on the day your order is normally due, the cutoff usually moves to the day before. Sometimes it moves two days.
• Delivery days shift. A Friday route can turn into a Saturday route, or a Wednesday one. Some routes move earlier and some move later, even with the same vendor.
• Your own days change. You close for the holiday, close early on Christmas Eve, or open on a day you're normally dark for a private event.
• Demand changes shape, not just size. The night before Thanksgiving might be one of your busiest of the year, or the dining room might be empty while catering orders pile up. The week between Christmas and New Year's can be slow at lunch and slammed at dinner.
• Some products get tight. Things home cooks and every other restaurant want at the same time are the most likely to be shorted, substituted, or priced higher.
• The usual person is off. Holidays are when the kitchen manager takes days, and when the backup ends up placing the hardest orders of the year.

None of this is unusual. It just all happens in the same week.

The 2026 holiday dates to plan around

Two things stand out this year. Thanksgiving is on a Thursday, as always, so any vendor with a Thursday cutoff or a Friday delivery is likely to change something. And both Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Friday. If you take a Friday delivery for the weekend, expect that truck to move or vanish two weeks in a row.

Your vendors decide their own closures. Don't assume they follow the federal holiday calendar, and don't assume two vendors will handle the same holiday the same way.

Get every vendor's holiday schedule in writing

Distributor holiday schedules vary a lot, by company, by region, and even by route. A few published examples show the range:

• One specialty meat and seafood supplier's delivery policy says it doesn't deliver on holidays or on the day after a holiday (Marx Foods shipping and delivery information).
• Iowa's state alcohol wholesale delivery schedule for the 2025 holidays had no deliveries on Christmas Day or New Year's Day. Some routes moved earlier in the week, with earlier order cutoffs, while others moved a day or two later (Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, 2025 holiday delivery schedules).

So the only schedule that counts is the one your rep gives you for your route. Ask early. The beginning of November isn't too soon for Thanksgiving, and it's a good time to ask about December at the same time.

Questions to ask each rep

• Which days this year will you not deliver to us?
• Which cutoffs move, to what day, and to what time? Does the time change too, or only the day?
• Does any delivery move to a different day instead of being cancelled?
• Is there a delivery the day after the holiday?
• Are there items you expect to be tight, or that need to be preordered by a certain date?
• Do minimums or delivery fees change on the moved days?
• Who do I call if something goes wrong while your office is closed?

Get the answers in an email or a printed notice, not just a conversation at the back door. Then put them where the person ordering will see them.

Draw a holiday version of the week

Take your weekly vendor ordering schedule and make a one week copy for each holiday week. Cross out the trucks that aren't coming, write in the moved cutoffs with their times, and mark the days you're closed. Then sort each day's cutoffs by time again, because a moved cutoff can land on a day that's already full.

Illustrative schedule for one vendor. Your vendor's changes will be different.

Post it next to the regular schedule, not over it. The regular one comes back the following week, and nobody should have to remember which version is current.

Recalculate what each order has to cover

Every order has to last from the moment you count until the delivery after the one you're ordering. On a normal week, those coverage windows are fixed and your pars are built around them. On a holiday week, any change to the schedule changes the windows:

• A cancelled truck makes the order before it cover more days. If Friday's truck is gone, Tuesday's order has to reach the next truck after that.
• An earlier cutoff makes you count earlier. That adds a day of lead time, so the order covers one more day from the count.
• A later delivery stretches the order before it and shortens the one after.
• Your closed days still count as days. They don't use product, but they do use shelf life. Chicken delivered on Tuesday is a day older on Friday whether you were open Thursday or not.

The math is the same as any other week. Only the dates change:

Holiday target = expected usage for each day in the new window + safety stock
Order          = holiday target − on hand − anything already on order

Use expected usage for each day, not an average day. A closed day is zero. A big night is big. If you need a refresher on building pars from daily usage, our guide to setting restaurant par levels covers the method, and the free par level calculator does the math for one item at a time. Just enter the holiday window's usage instead of the normal one.

Set temporary holiday pars, not new ones

Holiday pars are a one week override. Write them down separately and give them an end date. Don't edit the regular par on the count sheet, because the following week it'll be wrong in the other direction, and someone will order to it.

Where the holiday usage numbers come from

1. Last year's orders for the same week. If you keep a purchase order history, pull what you ordered from each vendor for the same week last year. It's the best starting point you have.
2. Last year's counts, if you kept them. Orders tell you what came in. Counts before and after tell you what actually got used.
3. This year's reservations, private events, and catering orders. These are known numbers. Add them on top of your walk in estimate rather than guessing them into a percentage.
4. What's different this year. A new menu, a different closing schedule, or a holiday that falls on a different day of the week than last year. Christmas on a Friday doesn't behave like Christmas on a Thursday.

Which items get a holiday par

Not all of them. Start with the 15 or 20 items that drive the week: proteins, dairy, produce that turns quickly, bread, and anything on a holiday special or prix fixe. Long life items mostly just need the coverage math, since an extra day of dry goods or paper rarely hurts.

Worked example: Thanksgiving week chicken order

This is an illustrative example. The restaurant, vendor schedule, usage, and quantities are made up to show the method. They aren't typical numbers for any vendor or concept.

The setup

• The restaurant is open seven days a week normally, and closed on Thanksgiving.
• Boneless chicken thighs are counted in pounds and ordered in 40 lb cases.
• Safety stock is 10 lb.
• The vendor normally delivers Tuesday and Friday mornings, before service. The cutoffs are Monday noon and Thursday noon, and the kitchen counts the morning of each cutoff.

Normal week usage:

That gives a normal Monday par of 105 lb (Monday through Thursday, 95 lb, plus 10) and a normal Thursday par of 185 lb (Thursday through Monday, 175 lb, plus 10).

The vendor's Thanksgiving notice: Tuesday's delivery runs as usual. No deliveries Thursday or Friday. The Friday route moves to Saturday, and orders for Saturday are due Wednesday at noon.

Expected usage for the week, from last year's orders and this year's reservations:

Monday's order: it now has to reach Saturday

On a normal week, the Monday order only has to last until Friday's truck. This week the next truck after Tuesday is Saturday, so Monday's order has to carry the kitchen through Friday, including the busy Wednesday.

Window:        Mon + Tue + Wed + Thu (closed) + Fri
Usage:         20 + 25 + 45 + 0 + 40 = 130 lb
Holiday par:   130 + 10 safety stock = 140 lb
Monday count:  45 lb
Order:         140 − 45 = 95 lb → 95 ÷ 40 = 2.375 cases → 3 cases (120 lb)

Here's what happens if the person ordering uses the regular Monday par instead:

Regular par:   105 lb
Order:         105 − 45 = 60 lb → 1.5 cases → rounded up to 2 cases (80 lb)

Monday end:      45 − 20            = 25
Tuesday:         25 + 80 (delivery) − 25 = 80
Wednesday end:   80 − 45            = 35
Thursday:        closed             = 35
Friday:          35 on hand, 40 needed → out partway through Friday dinner

Nothing went wrong with the count or the vendor. The par described a week that didn't exist.

Wednesday's order: the moved cutoff

With 3 cases on Tuesday, the kitchen has 120 lb on hand Wednesday morning (45 − 20 on Monday, + 120 delivered, − 25 on Tuesday). The count happens before Wednesday's prep, since the order is due at noon.

The Saturday truck has to carry the kitchen until the following Tuesday, and the count has to cover Wednesday through Friday before the truck arrives:

Window:        Wed + Thu (closed) + Fri + Sat + Sun + Mon
Usage:         45 + 0 + 40 + 55 + 30 + 20 = 190 lb
Holiday par:   190 + 10 = 200 lb
Wednesday count: 120 lb
Order:         200 − 120 = 80 lb → 2 cases exactly

Tracing the rest of the week:

Wednesday end:   120 − 45            = 75
Thursday:        closed              = 75
Friday end:      75 − 40             = 35
Saturday:        35 + 80 (delivery) − 55 = 60
Sunday end:      60 − 30             = 30
Monday end:      30 − 20             = 10 left when the Tuesday truck arrives

The 10 lb left Tuesday morning is the safety stock. The holiday pars cover the closed day, the busy Wednesday, and the missing Friday truck.

What happens if Wednesday's cutoff gets missed

Say the kitchen manager is off Wednesday and the backup orders Thursday at the usual time. The vendor's office is closed, nothing is coming Saturday, and the next truck is Tuesday:

Wednesday end:   120 − 45 = 75
Thursday:        closed   = 75
Friday end:      75 − 40  = 35
Saturday:        35 on hand, 55 needed → out during Saturday dinner

That's one missed holiday cutoff costing two and a half days of chicken. This is why the holiday schedule needs an owner and a backup by name, and why the backup needs a written ordering SOP and handoff sheet before the week starts.

Stocking up vs running down before a closed day

When you close for a day or more, every item falls into one of two piles: things you want plenty of when you reopen, and things you'd rather not have sitting in the walk in while nobody's there.

The key question is when the first delivery after you reopen will arrive, and when its cutoff is. If you reopen on a Sunday and your vendor's next truck is Tuesday, the last order before you close has to cover the days you're open before closing and the days after reopening.

Illustrative example: closed Christmas Eve through the 26th

Same made up restaurant and usage as above. The restaurant closes Thursday, December 24 through Saturday, December 26, and reopens Sunday, December 27. The vendor isn't delivering Friday the 25th. The next regular truck is Tuesday the 29th, with a Monday noon cutoff.

The Tuesday 12/22 delivery has to cover Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the closure, plus Sunday and Monday after it:

Usage on open days:  20 + 20 + 25 (Mon to Wed) + 30 + 20 (Sun, Mon) = 115 lb
Target:              115 + 10 safety stock = 125 lb

That's five days of usage, but the chicken delivered on Tuesday has to stay good until the following Monday. Check the use by dates on the case before you plan around it. If it won't make it, you have a few options:

• Ask whether the vendor has a delivery on Saturday the 26th or Monday the 28th, even if it isn't your usual day.
• Freeze part of the order on Wednesday, labeled and dated, if your menu and recipe can take frozen product.
• Open Sunday with a smaller menu until Tuesday's truck.

Whichever you choose, someone has to count and place the reopening order. If the cutoff for the first truck after you reopen falls on a day you're closed, decide now who places it and from what count. Usually that means counting on the last open day and placing the order before you leave, or coming in for a short count before the cutoff.

Minimums can bite here too. An order that only has to cover two open days can come in light, and an order right after a closure can be much bigger than usual. Our guide to vendor minimums and delivery fees covers how to decide what to do when it does.

Holiday prices, shorts, and specialty items

Ask what will be tight, and preorder it

Items everyone wants the same week are the most likely to come in short or substituted. Think whole turkeys, fresh cranberries, heavy cream, butter, rib roasts, oysters, and anything you're running as a holiday special. Ask your rep in early November which items they expect to be tight and whether any need a preorder date. If a holiday menu depends on an item, order it early and confirm it again a few days before delivery.

If something does come in short, catch it at the door, not during service. Our guide to handling shorts and substitutions covers what to do next.

Get quotes before the order, not on the invoice

Holiday specials often get ordered once a year, so nobody remembers what they cost last time. Ask for a price when you place the order and write it on the purchase order. When the invoice arrives, compare against that number while there's still time to call about it.

Frozen turkeys and other large items: thawing is part of the lead time

If you're cooking from frozen, the order has to arrive early enough to thaw safely before you cook. USDA consumer guidance, as summarized by University of Georgia Extension, allows about 24 hours of refrigerator thawing for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey (UGA Extension Circular 1226).

20 lb turkey:  20 ÷ 5 = 4 days   to   20 ÷ 4 = 5 days of refrigerator thawing

So for a Thursday Thanksgiving, a 20 lb bird should be in the walk in by Saturday or Sunday before, which means it has to be delivered that week or earlier. That guidance is written for home refrigerators. A walk in packed with birds and opened all day may thaw slower or faster, so check the birds rather than trusting the calendar, and plan an extra day if you can.

In a restaurant, the FDA Food Code (section 3-501.13) allows thawing under refrigeration at 41°F (5°C) or below, completely submerged under running water at 70°F (21°C) or below, as part of cooking, or in a microwave when the food is cooked right after. Your state or local health code may differ, so check what your inspector expects. The ordering lesson is simple: thaw time belongs in the lead time, the same way a two day vendor lead time does.

Counts before and after the holiday

Holidays break the usual count routine, so plan the counts with the orders.

• Count before the moved cutoff, not the old one. If the cutoff moved to Wednesday noon, the count is Wednesday morning.
• Count before you close. A count on the last open day tells you what's sitting in the walk in while you're gone, and it's the count the reopening order will usually be built from.
• Check before you count on reopening day. Look at walk in and freezer temperatures and use by dates first. Pull anything that didn't make it, and log it as waste, before you count. Otherwise the order is built on product you're about to throw out.
• Mind the year end. If your books close on December 31, your accountant may want a full count as close to that date as possible. Decide in advance whether it happens on the 31st, before a New Year's Eve service, or first thing on your next open day, and note which.

A full count before a closure is also a good moment to clean, consolidate, and rotate. Our guide to restaurant FIFO and storage organization covers how to set that up so the oldest product gets used first when you reopen.

What line cooks and chefs can do

• Flag low items early in holiday week. With fewer trucks, a "we're getting low" on Monday is worth a lot more than it is on a normal week.
• Label and date everything before a closure. Whoever opens after the holiday needs to know what's still good without guessing.
• Don't overprep the last day before closing. Prep to the last service, and say so if the prep list asks for more than that.
• Pull frozen items to thaw on the right day. If the thaw schedule is written on the prep list, follow it, and tell the chef if something isn't thawing on time.
• Know the holiday cutoffs. If you're the one closing on the day of a moved cutoff, you might be the one placing or confirming the order.

A holiday ordering timeline

That last row matters most. A short note like "Ran out of chicken Friday, cream left over Sunday, Wednesday was bigger than expected" turns next year's holiday from a guess into an adjustment.

FAQ

Do restaurant suppliers deliver on Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Many don't, and some also skip the day after. Others move the delivery to another day instead. It varies by vendor, region, and route, so ask your rep for this year's schedule in writing rather than assuming last year's still applies.

How far ahead should I place my Thanksgiving restaurant order?

Ask your reps for the holiday schedule by early November and place any preorders for specials, frozen turkeys, or tight items about two weeks out. Regular perishables still get ordered on the holiday schedule's cutoffs during the week, sized to the new coverage windows.

Should I raise my par levels for the holidays?

Use temporary holiday pars for the orders that cover the holiday, built from expected usage on each day, and go back to your regular pars the week after. Don't change the regular par itself, or you'll overorder the following week.

What should I do with perishables before closing for a holiday?

Run down delicate produce, herbs, fish, bread, and prepped items so little is left when you close. For proteins and dairy, order to cover the days you're open before and after the closure, but check the use by dates first. Freeze, change the reopening menu, or ask for an extra delivery if the product won't last.

When should I do inventory around New Year's?

If your accounting period ends December 31, a full count as close to that date as possible makes the year's food cost more accurate. Pick a time in advance, either before service on the 31st or first thing on your next open day, and write down which so the numbers are comparable next year.

Planning holiday weeks in Proteus Kitchen

Everything here works on paper: a one week copy of the vendor schedule, a short list of holiday pars, and a note for next year. If you'd rather keep it with the rest of your purchasing, Proteus Kitchen stores each vendor's ordering method, delivery days, order deadlines (each a day and a time), contact information, and notes, and the purchasing dashboard lists which vendors have orders due today. Proteus doesn't have a separate holiday calendar. For a holiday week you can edit a vendor's deadlines and delivery days, then change them back, and keep the holiday notice in the vendor's notes.

When you build a purchase order, Proteus shows each item's current amount, its target, and a suggested quantity. Purchasing history can be filtered by vendor, status, and date range, so last year's holiday orders are easy to find, and you can duplicate a past order as the starting point for this year's. Proteus doesn't place orders with vendors for you and doesn't need a POS integration. You still send each order through the vendor's portal, a text, or an email, and mark it submitted.

To size holiday orders for a single item, start with the free par level calculator. If your vendor list, order guide, or inventory is already in a spreadsheet, Free Restaurant Setup covers bringing it in, and there's a 30 day free trial below.

Sources

• Marx Foods, Shipping and delivery information (holiday delivery policy)
• Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, 2025 holiday delivery schedules
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Food Safety Tips for Preparing a Holiday Turkey (Circular 1226)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Code 2022 (section 3-501.13, thawing)

Next step: call your reps this week

1. List every vendor you'll order from between now and January 2.
2. Ask each rep the questions above and get the holiday schedule in writing.
3. Draw the holiday version of your order calendar for Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, and New Year's week.
4. Pull last year's orders for those weeks and set holiday pars for the items that drive them.
5. Put a name and a backup next to every moved cutoff.