Christmas Eve 2024: Which Restaurants Are Open & Which Are Closed?

Christmas Eve is a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. For those who don’t feel like stuffing their faces with Aunt Millie’s mystery meat pie or those who don’t celebrate the holiday, though, going to a restaurant to eat may be a viable option for dinner. But which restaurants are open, and which are closed?

Christmas Eve 2024: Many Chain Restaurants Will Be Open

According to Patch, many chain restaurants will be open on Christmas Eve, but the hours will vary by location.

Applebee’s will be open on Dec. 24 but will close earlier than usual. Check with your local eatery for details. The Bonefish Grill, meanwhile, will be open for normal hours. Buffalo Wild Wings will also be open, but close one hour earlier than usual. Carrabba’s, on the other hand, will have regular hours on the night before Christmas, though it may vary by location.

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Chili’s, Chipotle, and the Hard Rock Cafe will all be open, and most Domino’s locations will deliver pizzas on Christmas Eve. IHOP, Red Lobster, KFC, McDonald’s, Olive Garden, and Outback Steakhouse will have regular hours on Dec. 24.

Bob Evans restaurants will be closed at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24, while Perkins restaurants will have varying daily hours. In both cases, call your local eatery for more details. Burger King’s hours should be normal on Christmas Eve, but it’s still best to check with your local BK location to ensure they’re open. TGI Fridays and Wendy’s will also have regular hours.

Stores Will Have Varying Hours on Dec. 24

Regardless of their holiday celebrations, Americans nationwide will need to know about shopping options for various last-minute needs — from emergency milk to a last-minute gift purchase. So, what’s the situation?

The majority of shops will operate on Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, the hours will be adjusted to allow employees to go home and spend time with their families.

On Dec. 24, various ALDI and Stop & Shop locations will close early at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, while Lidl locations will shut down at 7 p.m. Trader Joe’s will close between 5 and 6 p.m. depending on the specific location, while Target will be open until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Walmart and Wegmans will close their locations at 6 p.m., but Whole Foods will stay open until 7 p.m. However, all ShopRite stores are independently owned and run, so their hours may differ. To find out the specific holiday hours for your local ShopRite, it’s best to check with them directly.

On the other hand, the Cheapism blog notes that certain Albertsons stores will operate until 4 p.m., while Vons hours differ (consult your nearby store for specifics). Walgreens and several other convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, Wawa, Speedway, and Circle K, will operate during regular hours on Dec. 24.

On Christmas Eve, Publix stores will shut down at 7 p.m., while Costco and Home Depot will do so at 5 p.m. Meanwhile, HD competitor Lowe’s will shut its doors at 6 p.m.

And stores are not the only ones facing deadlines for Christmas Eve. As the holidays draw near, it’s hard not to notice the large number of FedEx, UPS, and USPS vehicles on busy residential streets.

FedEx recommended that your packages be delivered by Dec. 13 if you select FedEx Ground Economy to ensure your loved one receives gifts before Christmas Eve. While you can always opt for FedEx SameDay, this privilege could cost several hundred dollars.

UPS suggested a general cutoff date of Dec. 16 for its economy service, UPS Ground. For UPS 3 Day Select, the last day this year was Dec. 19.

Finally, the USPS announced its shipping deadline dates for Christmas Eve. Priority Mail needed to be with the carrier by Dec. 19, USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Dec. 18, and Priority Mail Express by Dec. 21. The data above includes delivery to the lower 48 states. Alaska and Hawaii each have their deadlines.