Friday, December 25, 2026
Restaurants open on Christmas 2026
On Christmas, Friday, December 25, 2026, 3 of the 32 restaurant chains we checked are open: Denny's, Waffle House and Red Lobster. 14 are open at some locations, including IHOP, Applebee's, Golden Corral, The Cheesecake Factory and McDonald's. 15 are closed, including Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse and Buffalo Wild Wings.
No chain here has announced its 2026 Christmas hours yet, so these follow what each did in past years. We update the page as they announce.
Open (3)
Denny's
Denny's says its restaurants are open 365 days a year, and they were open on Christmas Day in 2024 and 2025;…OpenWaffle House
Waffle House restaurants were open on Christmas Day in 2022 and 2025, though holiday hours can vary by locati…OpenRed Lobster
Red Lobster restaurants were open on Christmas Day in 2023 and 2025; check your restaurant's holiday hours on…Open
Denny's says its restaurants are open 365 days a year, and they were open on Christmas Day in 2024 and 2025;…OpenWaffle House
Waffle House restaurants were open on Christmas Day in 2022 and 2025, though holiday hours can vary by locati…OpenRed Lobster
Red Lobster restaurants were open on Christmas Day in 2023 and 2025; check your restaurant's holiday hours on…Open
Depends on the location (14)
IHOP
IHOP told FOX Television Stations its restaurants open on Christmas Day with hours that vary by location, and…VariesApplebee's
Only select Applebee's restaurants open on Christmas Day, often with reduced hours, the company told FOX Tele…VariesGolden Corral
Golden Corral says Christmas Day hours vary by location; check GoldenCorral.com or call your restaurant.VariesThe Cheesecake Factory
Most Cheesecake Factory restaurants close on Christmas Day so staff can spend the holiday with their families…VariesMcDonald's
Many McDonald's restaurants were open on Christmas Day 2025, CBS News reported, but hours vary by location, s…VariesBurger King
Burger King says holiday hours vary by franchised restaurant, and each one decides whether to open on Christm…VariesWendy's
FOX Television Stations reported that Wendy's would be open throughout the 2025 Christmas holidays with hours…VariesPanera Bread
Most Panera bakery-cafes are typically closed on Christmas Day, and Panera says holiday hours vary by locatio…VariesDomino's
Domino's doesn't require its stores to open on Christmas Day, a spokesperson told CBS News in 2025, so check…VariesSonic
Sonic was among the chains listed as open on Christmas 2024, with hours varying by location, so check your dr…VariesCulver's
Culver's restaurants are generally closed on Christmas Day, FOX6 Milwaukee reported in 2025 from the chain's…VariesStarbucks
Starbucks says some coffeehouses open on Christmas Day while others close, and open stores usually keep short…VariesDunkin'
Many Dunkin' locations were open on Christmas Day 2025, but hours vary, so check the Dunkin' app before you g…VariesKrispy Kreme
Reports conflict: FOX Television Stations listed Krispy Kreme shops as closed on Christmas Day in 2023 and 20…Varies
IHOP told FOX Television Stations its restaurants open on Christmas Day with hours that vary by location, and…VariesApplebee's
Only select Applebee's restaurants open on Christmas Day, often with reduced hours, the company told FOX Tele…VariesGolden Corral
Golden Corral says Christmas Day hours vary by location; check GoldenCorral.com or call your restaurant.VariesThe Cheesecake Factory
Most Cheesecake Factory restaurants close on Christmas Day so staff can spend the holiday with their families…VariesMcDonald's
Many McDonald's restaurants were open on Christmas Day 2025, CBS News reported, but hours vary by location, s…VariesBurger King
Burger King says holiday hours vary by franchised restaurant, and each one decides whether to open on Christm…VariesWendy's
FOX Television Stations reported that Wendy's would be open throughout the 2025 Christmas holidays with hours…VariesPanera Bread
Most Panera bakery-cafes are typically closed on Christmas Day, and Panera says holiday hours vary by locatio…VariesDomino's
Domino's doesn't require its stores to open on Christmas Day, a spokesperson told CBS News in 2025, so check…VariesSonic
Sonic was among the chains listed as open on Christmas 2024, with hours varying by location, so check your dr…VariesCulver's
Culver's restaurants are generally closed on Christmas Day, FOX6 Milwaukee reported in 2025 from the chain's…VariesStarbucks
Starbucks says some coffeehouses open on Christmas Day while others close, and open stores usually keep short…VariesDunkin'
Many Dunkin' locations were open on Christmas Day 2025, but hours vary, so check the Dunkin' app before you g…VariesKrispy Kreme
Reports conflict: FOX Television Stations listed Krispy Kreme shops as closed on Christmas Day in 2023 and 20…Varies
Closed (15)
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel stores close on Christmas Day; they were closed in 2023 and 2025.ClosedOlive Garden
Olive Garden restaurants close on Christmas Day, according to Olive Garden's FAQ.ClosedTexas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse closes its restaurants on Christmas Day, as it did in 2023 and 2025.ClosedOutback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2025.ClosedBuffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2025, according to FOX Television Stations' check…ClosedChili's
Chili's restaurants close on Christmas Day; they were closed in 2023, 2024 and 2025.ClosedLongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants close on Christmas Day, according to LongHorn's FAQ; they were closed on Chri…ClosedBob Evans
Bob Evans restaurants close on Christmas Day: the company said all locations would be closed in 2021, and the…ClosedChick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A's website says all its restaurants close on Christmas Day, as they do on Thanksgiving, and they w…ClosedTaco Bell
Taco Bell restaurants close on Christmas Day, one of only two holidays they close along with Thanksgiving; th…ClosedChipotle
Chipotle closes its restaurants on Christmas Day; a company representative confirmed the closure to CBS News…ClosedWhataburger
Whataburger restaurants close on Christmas Day: its holiday-hours page, published in 2022, says they close at…ClosedIn-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2024, according to KTVU, which checked restaurants'…ClosedRaising Cane's
Raising Cane's closes its restaurants on Christmas Day, which a crew job posting from September 2026 lists am…ClosedJersey Mike's
Jersey Mike's says its stores are closed on Christmas Day.Closed
Cracker Barrel stores close on Christmas Day; they were closed in 2023 and 2025.ClosedOlive Garden
Olive Garden restaurants close on Christmas Day, according to Olive Garden's FAQ.ClosedTexas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse closes its restaurants on Christmas Day, as it did in 2023 and 2025.ClosedOutback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2025.ClosedBuffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2025, according to FOX Television Stations' check…ClosedChili's
Chili's restaurants close on Christmas Day; they were closed in 2023, 2024 and 2025.ClosedLongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants close on Christmas Day, according to LongHorn's FAQ; they were closed on Chri…ClosedBob Evans
Bob Evans restaurants close on Christmas Day: the company said all locations would be closed in 2021, and the…ClosedChick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A's website says all its restaurants close on Christmas Day, as they do on Thanksgiving, and they w…ClosedTaco Bell
Taco Bell restaurants close on Christmas Day, one of only two holidays they close along with Thanksgiving; th…ClosedChipotle
Chipotle closes its restaurants on Christmas Day; a company representative confirmed the closure to CBS News…ClosedWhataburger
Whataburger restaurants close on Christmas Day: its holiday-hours page, published in 2022, says they close at…ClosedIn-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger restaurants were closed on Christmas Day 2024, according to KTVU, which checked restaurants'…ClosedRaising Cane's
Raising Cane's closes its restaurants on Christmas Day, which a crew job posting from September 2026 lists am…ClosedJersey Mike's
Jersey Mike's says its stores are closed on Christmas Day.Closed
Not announced yet (12)
Also on Christmas
Restaurants on other holidays
From each chain's announcements and store pages, and news reports of its hours; each chain's page gives the source. Hours at your local restaurant can differ. What's open on Christmas · All holiday hours