Halloween menu templates for restaurants, bars and bakeries
Updated October 20, 2026
Halloween is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, and Sunday, October 31, 2027. Copy a template below, add your prices and take treat-box and party-tray pre-orders so you know how much to bake. Halloween is mostly a party night, not a sit-down holiday. The National Retail Federation's 2026 survey found 74% of Americans plan to celebrate, and 96% of those shopping plan to buy candy. Candy comes from the store. What a restaurant or bakery can sell is everything around it: decorated treats, party trays, a quick family dinner before trick-or-treating, and a themed night at the bar.
Pick your Halloween template
| Template | Best for | What it sells |
|---|---|---|
| Halloween specials menu | Restaurants and bars | 4–6 themed dishes and drinks with plain descriptions |
| Treat-box pre-order list | Bakeries, cafes, dessert shops | Boxes of 6 or 12 decorated cookies or cupcakes |
| Party tray menu | Delis, caterers, restaurants that do to-go | Trays for 10 or 20 people |
| Trick-or-treat family meal | Pizzerias and family restaurants | One dinner bundle, picked up early in the evening |
How to use them: paste the dishes into the printable menu maker (one per line, price at the end) for a US Letter PDF, or copy the wording into Word or Google Docs. For a window or social post, pick Halloween in the festival poster maker.
1. Halloween specials menu
Fun names sell, but say what the dish is underneath. A guest with an allergy can't order "Witch's Brew" safely without knowing what's in it.
Halloween at [Your restaurant name] · Saturday, October 31
Graveyard Nachos — tortilla chips, black beans, queso, pico, sour cream "ghosts" · $____ (milk) Mummy Dogs — all-beef hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry, mustard dip · $____ (wheat, milk, egg) Pumpkin Patch Soup — roasted pumpkin and sage, toasted pepitas · $____ (milk) Monster Burger — beef patty, green chili aioli, cheddar, brioche bun · $____ (wheat, egg, milk) Dirt Cup — chocolate pudding, cookie crumbs, gummy worm · $____ (milk, wheat, soy) Drinks: ____ $____ · non-alcoholic ____ $____
Allergens shown in parentheses. Ask your server about anything else.
2. Treat-box pre-order list
Halloween Treat Boxes · [Your bakery name] Order by Wednesday, October 28. Pickup Friday, October 30, or Saturday, October 31.
Box of 6 decorated sugar cookies (pumpkins, ghosts, bats) · $____ Box of 12 decorated sugar cookies · $____ 6 Halloween cupcakes (chocolate or vanilla, orange buttercream) · $____ Add a personalized cookie (name in icing) · $____
Contains wheat, milk, eggs, soy. Made in a kitchen that also uses tree nuts and peanuts.
For custom cake orders, use the free cake order form.
3. Party tray menu
Halloween Party Trays · [Your restaurant name] Order 2 days ahead. Serves 10 / serves 20.
Slider tray: ____ sliders · $____ / $____ Wings or tenders tray with two sauces · $____ / $____ Veggie "skeleton" platter with ranch · $____ / $____ Mini dessert tray · $____ / $____
Packed hot or cold. Eat within 2 hours or refrigerate.
4. Trick-or-treat family meal
Trick-or-Treat Dinner for 4 · Pickup 4–6 pm 2 large ____ pizzas (or ____), a side of ____ and 4 cookies · $____ Eat before you head out. Order ahead and skip the wait.
Promo copy you can paste
Email to your own list (send from your email tool):
Subject: Halloween treat boxes: order by Wednesday Our decorated Halloween cookie boxes are back: 6 or 12 cookies, ready for pickup Friday or Saturday. Order here: [your Menuthere link]. Ordering closes Wednesday, October 28.
Pop-up banner on your menu: "Halloween treat boxes and party trays: pre-order now, pickup Oct 30–31." Announcement bar (under 100 characters): "Halloween treat boxes: order by Wed 10/28 for Fri or Sat pickup" Social caption: "Pumpkins, ghosts and bats, hand-iced and boxed. Pre-order your Halloween treats at the link. Limited boxes."
Under CAN-SPAM, a promo email needs an honest subject line, your valid postal address and a clear way to opt out, and you must honor opt-outs within 10 business days (FTC). If your customers order on WhatsApp, keep it for order updates: Meta does not deliver marketing template messages to US (+1) phone numbers, so in the US WhatsApp sends order updates (utility messages, about US$0.0034 each), not promotions. Use email for offers. More in WhatsApp ordering for US restaurants.
Worked example: 120 cookie boxes
These are example figures only. Use your own costs and decorating speed.
| Cost of one box of 6 decorated cookies | Example cost |
|---|---|
| 6 sugar cookies (dough and bake) at $0.55 | $3.30 |
| Royal icing and sprinkles | $0.90 |
| Window box, liner and sticker | $1.40 |
| Total cost | $5.60 |
At a 30% target cost, $5.60 ÷ 0.30 = $18.67, so a price of $18 puts cost at 31.1% and $19 at 29.5%. A hundred and twenty boxes at $18 bring in $2,160 against $672 of ingredients and packaging. Test other prices in the menu price calculator.
The real limit is decorating time. 120 boxes are 720 cookies. If one decorator ices 40 cookies an hour, that's 18 hours of work, so spread it over three days instead of one late night. In Menuthere, set the boxes to be Only made on Friday and Saturday and close orders on Wednesday, so you know the final count before you bake.
When to get your Halloween menu out
If you're reading this in late October 2026, there's still time for treat boxes and trays:
| When (2026) | Job |
|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 22 | Treat boxes and party trays online; pre-orders open |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Email to your list; poster in the window |
| Mon, Oct 26 | Order boxes, icing colors and extra flour |
| Wed, Oct 28 | Pre-order cut-off; print the bake list |
| Fri, Oct 30 – Sat, Oct 31 | Pickups; specials menu on Saturday night |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Clocks go back an hour at 2 a.m.; Halloween menu off |
Full plan for 2027 (Halloween is a Sunday):
| When (2027) | Job |
|---|---|
| Mon, Sep 20 | Cost the boxes and trays; test-bake and time the decorating |
| Mon, Oct 4 | Menu online; pre-orders open for Oct 29–31 |
| Fri, Oct 15 | First email and social posts |
| Mon, Oct 25 | Last-call email |
| Wed, Oct 27 | Pre-order cut-off |
| Fri, Oct 29 – Sun, Oct 31 | Pickups. Oct 29 is also Diwali: see the Diwali menu templates |
| Sun, Nov 7 | Clocks go back an hour at 2 a.m. |
More dates are in October food holidays, November food holidays and the full restaurant marketing calendar.
US rules to check before Halloween
- Label the nine major allergens. The nine leading causes of food allergies in the US are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame (USDA FSIS). Themed names hide ingredients, so print allergens next to each dish. The free allergen chart maker has the US list.
- Teal pumpkins. FARE's Teal Pumpkin Project uses a teal pumpkin to show that non-food treats are on offer for children with food allergies. If you hand out treats at the counter, a bowl of non-food trinkets is an easy, inclusive extra.
- Party food safety. USDA says hot take-out food should be kept at 140°F or above, and perishable food left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F) should be thrown away. Put that line on tray labels.
- The clocks change the next morning. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November (NIST): November 1, 2026, right after Halloween night, and November 7, 2027. Check late-shift rotas and any timed online orders.
- Alcohol. Themed cocktails and drink specials follow your state's alcohol rules. Check with your state alcohol beverage control agency before you advertise them.
How to do it in Menuthere
- Put the Halloween menu online (Free). Add the dishes with sizes (box of 6 / box of 12; tray for 10 / 20) and tag allergens on each dish (every plan), or upload a photo or PDF of your printed menu; AI reads the dishes and prices for you to check. 0% commission on every plan.
- Take treat-box pre-orders (Lite, US$17 a month). Turn on Prebooking, choose Specific items and tick the boxes and trays, set the Earliest booking time to 2 days and Only made on to Friday and Saturday. See dishes that need notice.
- Stop at the number you can bake. There's no cap per pickup slot, so watch the Prebookings tab and mark the box out of stock when you reach your limit (every plan).
- Take payment up front (Lite). Customers pay the full amount online by card through Stripe, into your own account. Sales tax shows as "Sales tax" at checkout.
- Announce it (Lite). Schedule a pop-up banner until your cut-off and add an announcement bar line.
- Deliver party trays with your own drivers (Pro, US$39 a month). The rider app runs on iOS and Android, and customers get a live tracking link. You assign each order with one tap. See the rider app.
"Show dishes at set times" works by weekday and time, not by date, so switch the Halloween dishes on when you open orders and off on November 1. With a Branded App you can send app users a push notification when treat boxes go on sale. See pricing, pre-orders and table booking and our online ordering system for US restaurants.
Pre-orders and table booking start on Lite, with a 7-day free trial (a card is needed to start; nothing is charged until the trial ends).
FAQs
When is Halloween in 2026 and 2027?
Halloween is always October 31. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday and in 2027 on a Sunday. Daylight saving time ends the next Sunday morning in 2026 (November 1) and a week later in 2027 (November 7).
What should a restaurant sell for Halloween?
What people take to parties and eat before trick-or-treating: decorated treat boxes, party trays and a quick family dinner picked up early. Bars and restaurants can add a short themed specials menu for the night.
How far ahead should I take Halloween pre-orders?
Open them two to four weeks before and close them two or three days before, so you know the final count before you bake. In 2027, opening on October 4 and closing on Wednesday, October 27, works well.
How do I show allergens on a Halloween menu?
Put the allergens next to every dish, because themed names hide what's inside. In the US, the nine major allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
How many people celebrate Halloween in the US?
The National Retail Federation's 2026 survey found 74% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, with total spending expected to reach $13.5 billion.
Can I send a Halloween offer on WhatsApp to US customers?
No. Meta does not deliver WhatsApp marketing template messages to US (+1) phone numbers. WhatsApp can still send order updates, so use email to your own list for the offer.
Sources (9)
- National Retail Federation, NRF Halloween survey shows consumer spending expected to reach $13.5 billion (September 22, 2026; 74% plan to celebrate; 96% planning to buy sweets; 7,889 consumers surveyed Sept. 1–9, ±1.1 points). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-halloween-survey-shows-consumer-spending-expected-to-reach-13-5-billion
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Daylight Saving Time (DST) (ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November; November 1, 2026). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Food Allergies: The "Big 9". Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-allergies-big-9
- Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), Teal Pumpkin Project. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.foodallergy.org/our-initiatives/awareness-campaigns/living-teal/teal-pumpkin-project
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Handling of Take-Out Foods. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-handling-take-out-foods
- National Day Calendar, National Days for October (Halloween Sun Oct 31, 2027). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/october/days
- Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
- Meta for Developers, Marketing template per-user limits (marketing templates not delivered to US phone numbers). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates/per-user-limits
- Meta for Developers, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (North America utility rate). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing