Skift Take
The labor-intensive, costly meal doesn't necessarily drive huge profits on the day, but, for restaurants that stay open on Thanksgiving, it's a big marketing opportunity to position the brand alongside the most hospitable holiday of the year.
Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill has got Thanksgiving covered. The three-month-old restaurant, located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C., is gearing up for dinner service on the holiday from 1pm to 8pm, after a morning spent packaging and sending off pre-ordered Thanksgiving to-go meals.
Owner Donald Carlin wanted to cover Thanksgiving from multiple angles because it was important to position the new, upscale neighborhood restaurant as a welcoming place on the holiday. "When it comes to Thanksgiving, it's a very neighborhood-esque, family gathering type of holiday," Carlin said. "And, because our menu leans very American, we thought it was important for people to think of us that way."
Plenty of restaurants stay open on Thanksgiving, from national chains like Applebee's and Denny's to independent neighborhood restaurants like Dyllan's Raw Bar Grill. (Plenty close, too: fast casual chains like Shake Shack, Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and Cava are all shutting down for the day.) The decision to stay open largely boils down to the marketing benefits. While it's not always a hugely profitable day — higher operational costs can outstrip the higher revenue from the special menu — restaurants ranging from the neighborhood bistro down the street to nationwide dining chains are benefitting from th
