The Kitchen Doesn’t Close for Christmas

The Kitchen Doesn’t Close for Christmas

The dining room is packed at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. Families dressed up. Kids fidgeting in chairs. A couple at table #9 is celebrating an engagement. The kitchen is slammed. Every ticket matters. Every plate leaving the pass is someone’s holiday memory.

You’re here. You’re not at home. You’re not opening presents with your kids. You’re not drinking eggnog with your parents. You’re firing steaks and plating desserts while the rest of the world winds down. Tomorrow, Christmas Day, you do it again.

This is the work. This is what we signed up for. We should be honest about what it costs.

The Numbers

Restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day see guest checks 30% to 50% higher than on a typical weekend night. The tips are good. The tables turn. The money is real. For owners, staying open makes financial sense.

For the crew, the math is different. You miss your family. You miss the rituals. You miss the moments that don’t come back. Your kids remember the years you weren’t there. Your partner eats dinner alone. Your friends stop asking if you’re coming because they know the answer.

Some operators recognize this. A handful pay holiday rates. Not many rotate schedules, so nobody works both days every year. A few close early to give the crew a few hours at home. Others treat Christmas like any other shift and expect you to show up with a smile.

The industry takes more than it gives during the holidays. We show up anyway.

What We Gain

There is something sacred about working these shifts. The crew that comes in on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day chose this life. They understand that service doesn’t stop because the calendar says so.

The bond is real. You work faster. You communicate better. You trust each other more. When the printer starts smoking tickets at 8 pm, and there is an impossible wait for the dining room, you don’t panic. You work. The rhythm takes over. The noise fades. You and your team move through the chaos together.

Guests notice. They thank you. They tell you they’re grateful you’re open. They say, “I know you’d rather be home.” They mean it. For a few seconds, you feel seen.

Some of the best meals I’ve eaten were family meals on Christmas Eve. The chef makes something special. The whole crew sits down together. Nobody checks their phone. Nobody rushes. You eat, talk, laugh, and for fifteen minutes, the restaurant becomes your home.

The Ones Who Don’t Get It

Not every guest understands what you’re giving up. Some treat you like a servant. Some snap their fingers. Some complain about wait times on the busiest night of the year. Some leave bad tips.

You serve them anyway. You smile. You bring their food. You refill their water. You do your job because that’s the deal. It stings to sacrifice your holiday for someone who doesn’t respect the loss.

Management matters here. If your chef or GM lets guests talk down to the crew on Christmas, they’ve failed. If they don’t enforce boundaries and protect their team, they don’t deserve the team. The best operators shut that down. They step in. They remind the guest that the people serving them chose to be here and deserve respect.

If your operator doesn’t do that, find a new one.

The Hidden Cost

Working holidays compounds. One Christmas missed doesn’t break you. Five in a row starts to wear. More than ten and you question why you’re still doing this. The industry burns people out on moments that matter.

Restaurant workers cite work-life balance as the primary reason for leaving. The holidays are part of that equation. Operators who ignore this lose their best people.

Smart operators build cultures that acknowledge the cost. Some rotate holiday schedules. Fewer are closed on one of the two days. Rarer, they throw a crew party in January when everyone can attend. A pitiful amount pays time-and-a-half or double time without being asked. The smart ones all say thank you and mean it.

If you’re an owner or chef and you’re open on Christmas, do something for your crew. Don’t just expect them to show up. Show them their sacrifice matters.

To Everyone Working Tonight and Tomorrow

You’re not alone. Thousands of us are doing this right now. We’re firing apps and breaking down stations and running food and washing dishes while the world celebrates. We’re the reason that makes other people’s holidays possible.

The family at table #9 will remember this meal. The couple celebrating their anniversary will talk about this night for years. The solo diner who didn’t want to be alone on Christmas will leave feeling less lonely because you were kind.

Your work creates joy. Your work creates memory. Your work creates a connection. It doesn’t erase what you’re missing, but it counts.

Merry Christmas to every line cook sweating over a range. Merry Christmas to the prep cooks who worked today and for the last three days making everything just so. Merry Christmas to every server juggling six tables and a broken POS system. Merry Christmas to every dishwasher keeping the operation moving. Merry Christmas to every bartender slinging drinks. Merry Christmas to the hosts, who will explain to every walk-in that they will have to wait because they didn’t make a reservation. Merry Christmas to the food runners and bussers, who bring the joy and clean it up. Merry Christmas to every manager stuck between a demanding owner and an exhausted crew.

You deserve better than you’re getting. You deserve holidays with your family. You deserve operators who value you. You deserve a life outside the four walls. Tonight, you’re here. You’re doing the work. That’s worth something.

Take care of each other. Look out for the new kid working their first holiday shift. Cover for the single parent who needs to leave early. Buy the crew a round after service. Celebrate with your team. Say thank you. Mean it.

This job takes everything. Make sure it gives something back.

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