Most restaurants fully booked on New Year’s Eve

Nearly three-quarters of the restaurants in Flanders that are open on December 31 are already fully booked, reports De Morgen. On Christmas Eve, more than half of the restaurants are fully booked, according to a survey of 412 restaurants carried out by the industry organisation Horeca Vlaanderen.

A large majority of the restaurants (78%) reported taking more table reservations than in the same period last year. A study by the consultancy Foodservice Alliance confirms that slightly more people in 2014 plan to go out to eat over the holidays compared with the previous year. Many restaurants close, however, due to difficulty finding staff.

"Those who still want to book a table have to hurry; most places are already fully booked, and others have just a few tables left", says Horeca Vlaanderen director Danny Van Assche. The success can be partially attributed to the relatively low number of restaurants that stay open: 30% on Christmas Eve, 52% on Christmas day, 46% on New Year's Eve and 40% on New Year ’s Day.

According to another survey by Foodservice Alliance, the majority of people opt for special holiday menus when they eat out this time of year, showing a particular fondness for menus that serve venison, pheasant, lobster, scallops and beef.