By Laura Woods, Contributor
Christmas Day is a federal holiday, so most people get the day off work to spend time with their loved ones. However, the protocol is a bit different for those working in the service industry, as restaurant and retailer hours are typically determined on an individual basis by each company.
We will continue to update this list live on GOBankingRates as more organizations release their Christmas hours.
Whether you're preparing a meal at home or planning to eat out, it's always helpful to know which stores and restaurants will be open on Christmas Day 2015. GOBankingRates made this easy by creating a holiday guide noting popular retailers, grocery stores and restaurants open on Christmas, so you won't be stuck ordering Chinese food on the biggest holiday of the year.
Denny's and IHOP Among Restaurants Open on Christmas Day
If you wanted to eat out on Christmas in the past, you wouldn't find much more than a Chinese restaurant open. But, that is no longer the case; many restaurants open their doors on Christmas Day. In fact, in 2013 Denny's served more than 1.3 million guests on Christmas Day, making it the restaurant's busiest day for the fourth straight year. This year, the diner has a special "Tastes of the Holidays Menu."
"Restaurants are tending to be open on holidays more and more," said Paul Moyer, founder of SavingFreak.com. "With Christmas, expect restaurants with slightly higher quality of food to do very well over the holiday. People frequently use these restaurants to do takeout and serve meals at home, instead of having to spend hours making food from scratch."
Below is a list of chain restaurants with some or all locations expected to be open on Christmas. Operating hours, however, are often determined on an individual basis, so call your local eatery first:
Most Taco Bell and Burger King locations are expected to be closed on Christmas Day 2015, but call your local restaurant to be sure.
Grocery Stores Open on Christmas Day 2015
When you're preparing Christmas dinner for family and friends at home, you always make a list and check it twice. But, it's often inevitable that you'll forget to buy at least one key ingredient. Fortunately, some major supermarkets and drugstores are open for at least part of Christmas Day, so you have time to make a quick trip before your guests arrive.
These major grocery chains and drugstores are expected to be open on Christmas, but you'll want to confirm specific hours with your local store before the holiday, as hours of operation might vary:
Publix, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Ralph's and Giant Eagle are expected to be closed on Christmas Day. However, always call your local store to see if they plan to open their doors this holiday season.
Retail Stores Closed on Christmas Day 2015
Hopefully, you've done all of your Christmas shopping before Christmas Day. But if not -- or if you need to run to the store to pick up a last-minute outfit for a holiday party or something -- you might have a tough time finding a store that's open. Most of the retailers that GOBankingRates looked at will be closed on Christmas Day 2015.
These retailers are expected to be closed on Christmas Day:
7-Eleven and Family Dollar are the only two stores surveyed that are expected to be open on Christmas Day. So, save your shopping until Dec. 26, and enjoy a relaxing day with your nearest and dearest this Christmas.
Keep Reading: Avoid These 10 Retail Scams That Target Holiday Shoppers
This list will be updated as new information about stores' and restaurants' hours becomes available.
Holiday hours for 2015 were based on holiday hours in previous years, or they were confirmed with Southern California representatives and locations, companies' websites, companies' Twitter accounts, storebusinesshours.com, foodmenuprices.net, holidayshoppinghours.com and/or operating-hours.com.
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