Once February rolls around, it’s time to begin thinking about St. Patrick’s Day food ideas. As one of the most food and drink-centric holidays, it’s vital that your restaurant business has an enticing, limited edition St. Patrick’s Day menu. It’s an opportunity to draw massive crowds, ultimately increasing the restaurant profit margin.

In this blog, we’re going to outline a guide to creating a menu for St. Patrick’s Day. From St. Patrick’s Day food specials on the entree list to sweet treats for desserts, you’ll have a hard time narrowing down your options! Then, we’ll discuss which factors you should be mindful of and various questions you should ask yourself during the brainstorming process. Now, let’s begin!

‍

St. Patrick’s Day Food: The Ultimate Menu Guide

Ready to begin planning your selection of St. Patrick’s Day food and drinks? We’ve got traditional and trendy ideas to inspire each section of your menu. Now, without further ado, read on for all the culinary inspiration you’ll need this coming March!

St. Patrick’s Day Appetizers

The appetizer list should be full of St. Patrick’s Day snacks. From finger foods to shareable dishes, there are numerous options to add to the menu. In fact, there are even a handful of healthy St. Patrick’s Day snacks!

Some appetizers that you can serve this St. Patrick’s Day include:

• Veggie platters that look like the Irish flag
• Cups of traditional Irish stew
• Irish potato pancakes, or “boxty”
• A simple salad full of fresh greens

Key Takeaway: Create starters that will get customers in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with items that are just light enough not to spoil their appetite.

St. Patrick’s Day Entree Food

After you finish snacking on St. Patrick’s Day party food, it’ll be time for the main course. Many culinary experts consider the entrees to be the stars of the show, so it’s important to perfect them. Plus, it might be the only dish some customers choose to order.

The best entrees your restaurant can serve on St. Patrick’s Day include:

• Corned beef and cabbage
• Individual shepherd’s pies
• Beef Wellington
• Beer-battered seafood
• Leg of lamb with rosemary

Key Takeaway: To complete the meal, ensure that you offer customers Irish side dishes, like mashed potatoes or creamed cabbage.

St. Patrick’s Day Dessert Menu

Any pastry chef will probably tell you that creative designs and ingredient combinations are at the center of their job. Sweets are some of the most colorful and decadent dishes on any menu. So, you can already imagine how much you can intertwine such recipes and thematic concepts. Chances are that holiday seasons are probably some of the most enjoyable time periods for bakers.

Let customers satisfy their sweet tooth on St. Patrick’s Day with some of these treats:

• Green velvet cake
• Shamrock-shaped cookies
• Leprechaun hat s’mores
• Rainbow fruit skewers
• Pot of gold cupcakes

Key Takeaway: Desserts are typically where recipes lean more trendy than traditional, so have fun with creating a thematic aesthetic.

St. Patrick’s Day Drink List

You can’t have a menu full of food items without drinks to wash them down! In this section of the menu, it’s going to appear pretty standard–until you get to the thematic items. That will be where a restaurant’s bar staff or mixology experts can really express their skills and creativity.

The following list should spark some inspiration for your St. Patrick’s Day drink menu:

• Irish whiskey brands by the shot
• Irish beer brands, such as Guinness
• Cocktails consisting of Irish whiskey
• Green versions of popular cocktails
• Leprechaun-themed mixed drink recipes
• Green and thematic mocktails
• Soft drinks, like soda, tea, and juice

Key Takeaway: If you want to operate one of the best bars for St. Patrick's Day, be sure to have a wide selection of drinks.

Sell St. Patty’s Day Food Via Online Ordering Apps

You may be envisioning the success of a limited edition menu taking place within the walls of your brick and mortar restaurant. But here’s the thing–the restaurant success you achieve from off-premise transactions can easily surpass in-house orders.

As soon as you finalize your restaurant’s St. Patrick’s Day menu ideas, upload them to your digital apps. By making these dishes available on delivery apps, you’ll be able to maximize revenue by a long shot. Many consumers opt for food delivery apps when they’re hosting parties or something more low-key, anyway.

Meanwhile, this feature will make processes significantly easier when customers are searching for catering services. With this in mind, make sure that the St. Patrick’s Day food ideas are also part of your catering menu. Large orders for special events are a sure way to capture larger order volumes from single transactions.

Ready to learn more about online ordering integrations? Schedule a demo with us today to learn everything you need to know before the next holiday rolls around!

Questions to Ask When Brainstorming St. Patrick’s Day Menu Ideas

The food and drinks that you serve on St. Patrick’s Day will depend on the theme and vision you’re striving to achieve. While brainstorming St. Patrick’s Day food and beverage ideas, there are several concepts to bear in mind. So, be sure to ask yourself and your team the following questions:

• Is the restaurant focusing on traditional St. Patrick’s Day food?
• Will the restaurant be implementing any popular food trends?
• Will green food for St. Patrick’s Day be a main focus this year?
• Will there be stereotypical themes, like leprechauns and pots of gold?
• Will there be a menu that features courses that complement each other?
• Will you offer Irish whiskey and beer pairings for each course?

10 Qualities of the Best St. Patrick’s Day Restaurants

If you’re striving to operate one of the best restaurants for St. Patrick’s Day, there are some tips you must follow. Remember that there is vast competition within the restaurant industry. Therefore, any eatery can be at risk of failing to compete with other local establishments. Luckily, there are rules that F&B leaders can follow to avoid these pitfalls.

By following the steps below, you can easily operate one of the best St. Patrick’s Day restaurants:

1. Offer customers multiple restaurant seating options.
2. Ensure that your staff delivers excellent customer service.
3. Always serve dishes that are made with fresh ingredients.
4. Establish a positive and engaging brand image.
5. Offer an enticing customer rewards program.
6. Promote outlets for people to leave customer reviews.
7. Allow customers to book restaurant reservations online.
8. Create a fun atmosphere with live musical performances.
9. Create an extensive and inclusive menu for food and drinks.
10. Maintain a safe and clean restaurant environment.

Frequently Asked Questions About St. Patrick’s Day Food

When preparing restaurant operations for a holiday, there is so much information to know about. From creative food and drink ideas to the timeline in which you should begin preparing for the holiday, there is a lot to organize. Begin the process by checking out the following FAQ section below! Then, after reading both the questions, answers, and menu guide above, you should feel comfortable getting your restaurant ready for St. Patrick’s Day!

What Are Some Creative St. Patrick’s Day Food Ideas?

Some of the most creative St. Patrick’s Day food ideas include the following:

• Shamrock-shaped cookies
• Pots of Irish stew (instead of gold)
• Rainbow fruit skewers
• Stacks of Irish potato pancakes
• Veggie platters that resemble the Irish flag

Which St. Patrick’s Day Food Ideas Are Popular In Ireland?

In Ireland, you’ll most likely find people consuming the following dishes on St. Patrick’s Day:

• Beef Wellington
• Leg of lamb with rosemary
• Beer-battered seafood, like cod
• Fish or shepherd's pie
• Mashed potatoes or colcannon
• Traditional Irish stew
• Creamed cabbage

When Should You Begin Planning St. Patrick’s Day Food Ideas?

It’s ideal to begin planning St. Patrick’s Day food ideas about a month in advance–so mid February. This timeline will give you enough leeway to get creative and thoroughly curate an entire menu. But if you operate a bar or restaurant, you should schedule inventory orders so that you receive everything the week of St. Patrick’s Day. If they arrive too close to the holiday, you may not have ample time to prepare various parts of the recipes. But if they arrive too early, you risk encountering food spoilage.

What Are Some Festive and Green St. Patrick’s Day Food Ideas?

A handful of green and festive culinary ideas for St. Patrick’s Day include:

• Green beer
• Green fruits
• Most veggies
• Dyed deviled eggs
• Mint ice cream
• Dyed baked goods

When Should You Start Promoting a Restaurant’s St. Patrick’s Day Menu On Social Media?

Once March 1st rolls around, it's safe to begin promoting St. Patty’s Day menus and festivities. Most consumers associate each holiday with its respective month. Therefore, you can center the first two and a half weeks of March around St. Patrick’s Day. Then, as it gets closer to when the menu will be accessible, you can prepare sample dishes of each recipe, take professional photos, and use them as social media marketing collateral.

The Ultimate Taste of Ireland

By using this post as a guide for your St. Patrick’s Day food and drink menus, you’ll be able to establish a festive and memorable holiday. After all, you can’t host a party without ample food and drinks. Once you have a balance of traditional and trendy menu items, you’ll be able to cater to your entire customer base. Now, it’s time to take your newfound culinary inspiration and begin planning your next holiday menu!