Ramadan 2027 Playbook for Restaurants in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Ramadan changes almost everything about a restaurant's month: opening hours, the shape of the menu, when the rush arrives and who is at the table. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March, both subject to the moon sighting. That means the planning should start in December. This playbook works backwards from the first iftar.
Eight weeks out: the menu (mid-December)
Build iftar set menus. Families and groups often want the whole meal decided in one step. Curated set menus let a table add a full multi-course meal in one tap, with quantities they can adjust before adding.
Add a suhoor menu with its own hours. Category availability hours switch a menu on and off on their own, so a late-night suhoor category can appear only when you serve it.
Check the Arabic menu. Every dish should read well in Arabic, laid out right to left. Use Auto-translate to fill any missing Arabic names and descriptions, then review them. The staff-language coverage check shows any dish still missing an Arabic name. More on the Arabic menu.
Pick your pairings. Decide what goes with what: dates and a drink with soup, a dessert with tea after the main. These become the add-ons guests see as they order. How upselling works in the UAE.
Six weeks out: reservations and pre-orders (late December)
The iftar rush is the most predictable peak of the year. Plan for it:
- Set pacing rules so the kitchen is not flooded at the moment of iftar, with a cap on covers per slot.
- Ask for deposits on large parties to protect your busiest seatings.
- Use the waitlist for walk-ins, with quoted waits.
- Encourage pre-orders. A pre-order attached to the booking sits in the kitchen's scheduled panel with a suggested release time, worked out from the booking time and how long each dish takes. How pre-orders work.
Four weeks out: campaigns (early January)
Schedule the templates. WowMenu includes a Ramadan Iftar Combo template and an Eid Celebration 20% Off template. Set the dates, the offer and the cap.
Track every channel. Create coupon batches for each place you promote: a flyer, an Instagram post, an influencer, an SMS. Each batch is tracked from sent to redeemed, so you know which channel brought guests in.
Message guests who opted in. SMS, email or WhatsApp, only to guests who agreed to hear from you, with spending capped. Guest marketing for UAE restaurants.
Prepare audience files. If you run paid social, generate hashed customer-list files for Meta, TikTok, Snapchat or Google and upload them yourself.
Two weeks out: rehearse (late January)
- Run a mock iftar with your team on the kitchen board, including pre-order releases.
- Check that the suhoor category switches on at the right time.
- Brief servers on split bills, which family tables use often.
- Confirm prices in the guest's currency for visiting families.
During Ramadan
Watch the kitchen board in the half hour before iftar: delay flags show tickets running over their target. Keep an eye on the waitlist and quoted times. Use one-tap guest requests so nobody waits for water or dates at the moment of iftar.
Eid: the second peak
Eid brings celebration meals and gifting. Switch to the Eid template, refresh the set menus, and consider an Eid version of your loyalty perks, such as bonus points on family bookings.
Measuring Ramadan properly
Ramadan weeks are not comparable to ordinary weeks, so do not judge them against February's averages. Compare like with like: Ramadan against last Ramadan where your baseline allows, iftar against iftar. Revenue Impact labels every figure by its evidence, so you know what each number can tell you.
Your Ramadan checklist
- Iftar set menus built and priced
- Suhoor category with its own hours
- Arabic menu reviewed, staff language set
- Pacing rules, deposits and waitlist ready
- Pre-orders switched on
- Ramadan and Eid campaigns scheduled with caps
- Coupon batches per channel
- Opted-in guest lists and audience files prepared
- A rehearsal service done
For restaurants in Saudi Arabia, see WowMenu in Saudi Arabia. For the UAE, start with WowMenu in the UAE.
