Trend Report: How Germany eats out at Christmas
15 December 2025
- METRO's digital subsidiary DISH analyses over 146,000 reservations from 10,000 restaurant visitors
- Poultry remains the most popular choice, buffets are gaining in popularity
- Lunchtime is the strongest sales period; large groups dominate business
Once the last presents have been unwrapped, the real festivities begin for the hospitality industry. METRO's digital subsidiary DISH has taken a close look at the 2024 holidays based on 146,000 reservations and orders from over 10,000 restaurants in Germany. The result: Christmas follows its own rules.
For the hospitality industry, the Christmas holidays are the busiest time of the year. While Christmas Eve tends to be celebrated privately, guests flock to restaurants on the following days. Christmas Eve remains relatively quiet, with around 18.9% of enquiries. However, demand rises to 22.7% on Boxing Day, before peaking at 27.5% on 26 December and 30.9% on 27 December.
Lunchtime is peak time
The focus on sales is particularly evident at lunchtime: over half (51.70%) of all confirmed reservations are for lunchtime. On average, 12 people sit at a table at lunchtime, ten in the morning and nine in the evening.
In terms of cuisine, Germany remains traditional but open to new ideas. Goose is and remains the most popular main course. Meat dishes dominate with a share of around 78%, but plant-based cuisine is catching up: 22% of all orders are now vegetarian. Buffets are gaining in popularity because they offer variety for large groups and take the pressure off the kitchen. Starters are a real sales driver: 84.9% of all orders include at least one starter.
"Such evaluations are extremely important for the hospitality industry because they show where the greatest opportunities lie – and how businesses can prepare themselves optimally," explains Dr Volker Glaeser, CEO of DISH Digital Solutions. "What the data makes very clear is that the holidays are more than just peak season for restaurateurs – they are a time when all the preparation pays off. When large groups come together, buffets boom and demand explodes at lunchtime, restaurateurs need reliable digital partners. Our goal is to offer them exactly that: solutions that reduce stress, streamline processes and unlock real revenue potential."
