Last Year's Survey: Half of Employees Say Food and Drinks Shape Holiday Party RSVPs

Holiday party season is quoting season. Caterers and venues are pricing December right now, and here's a number worth keeping in front of you while you do.

In last year's ezCater survey on workplace holiday parties, 50% of employees said food and drinks directly influence their decision to attend.

That's half of the employees surveyed saying the menu has a say in whether they come at all.

What last year's survey found

A little context first. ezCater is a company that sells workplace catering, and this was its 2025 report, based on a June 2025 survey of 1,002 full-time employees and 603 decision-makers who help plan the party. It's about workplace parties, not every kind of holiday event, and a 2026 edition may come out in November. Here's what it found last year:

• 82% of employees planned to attend their company's holiday celebration.

• 51% of businesses were increasing their party budgets.

• 93% of planners agreed that food is the top driver of social interaction at holiday events.

• Nine out of 10 planners said holiday party planning is stressful.

Those numbers sketch last year's party season. More people planned to show up. Food and drink sat at the center of the night. And the person doing the planning felt the pressure to get it right.

Add a drink that tells the company's story

Every brand has a story. A company's holiday party is often one of the few nights a year when much of the team is in one room to hear it.

A custom signature cocktail puts that story on the bar. It can pick up the company's colors, nod to its hometown, or wink at the year the team just had: a big launch, a new office, a milestone. The name gives people something to talk about at the bar. The drink's name and story can go on your menu or a small sign at the bar.

On your proposal, it's a line that stands out: a drink designed around your client, made by your team.

Your team makes it

You're already running the kitchen, the staff and the timeline. I'm not adding anyone to your crew. I'm handing your crew what they need.

Every cocktail comes with the full kit: a consultation, recipe card templates (digital and print-ready), a shopping list, an instructional video, staff guidance, alternative ingredient options, and scaling instructions for any headcount.

Those last two items do a lot of work in December. If a supplier runs short on something, the alternative ingredient options give your team a plan B. If the RSVP count climbs the week before the party, the scaling instructions cover it.

Nine in 10 planners in last year's survey called holiday party planning stressful. The drink shouldn't add to that, which is why it arrives as a kit your staff can follow.

Offer a zero-proof twin

Some guests won't be drinking alcohol that night. For clients who want the whole room toasting with the company's drink, I can design a zero-proof twin: a separate cocktail on the same story, with its own full kit, made with the same care.

It's an option, not a requirement. List it next to the signature and let your client decide.

Timing: why now

Projects take at least a month from kickoff to delivery. Your team will want a little time after that to practice before the party.

If your client's party is in December, that math adds up quickly. The design needs to start while your calendar still has room, and the earlier the better. For a December event, let's start this week.

The work on your side is small. You bring me the client, and I hold the consultation with them. I bring back a drink and the full kit. Your team makes it on the night.

What to put on your holiday proposals

Here's a simple way to present it:

The signature cocktail

A custom drink designed around your client's company and its year, delivered with the full kit for your team.

The zero-proof twin (optional)

A second cocktail built on the same story, with its own full kit, for guests who aren't drinking.

The story on the menu

The drink's name and story, on your menu or a small sign at the bar, so every guest knows what they're drinking and why it's theirs. The recipe card stays with your team, so they know how to make it.

Give them a reason to show up

Last year's survey says half of employees weigh the food and drinks when they decide whether to come. Give your clients a menu with a story in it.

Quoting December parties now? Book a design call so a signature cocktail can go on this season's proposals.