People love any excuse to celebrate, especially when it involves food.
Perhaps that's why there are hundreds of holidays every year that are dedicated to celebrating our favorite foods and drinks.
What is your restaurant's signature dish?
From National Chicken Wing Day to Chinese Take-Out Day, there's a space saved on the calendar for almost every culinary occasion.
Restaurants that join in on the celebrations can tap into a new customer pool and entice their regular patrons to dine in or order online!
Fill your restaurant's promotion calendar with food holidays that grab the attention of hungry diners. Here's a list of food holidays to plan for in the coming months:
National Food & Culinary Holidays
June
June 7: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 13: Cupcake Lover’s Day
June 15: Lobster Day
Krab Kingz Seafood - Kansas City, MO
June 20: National Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 25: National Catfish Day
July
Month-long celebrations: National Ice Cream Month
July 4: National Barbecue Day
July 6: National Fried Chicken Day
Royal Fried Chicken - Duncanville, TX
July 10: National Piña Colada Day
July 13: National French Fry Day
July 17: National Ice Cream Day
Food Fact: In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and dubbed the third Sunday of the month National Ice Cream Day.
Bliss Small Batch Creamery - Tacoma, WA
July 20: National Hot Dog Day
Food Fact: National Hot Dog Day is observed every year on a Wednesday in July. It was established in 1991 by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to coincide with a hot dog lunch on Capitol Hill.
July 29: National Chicken Wing Day
August
August 3: National Watermelon Day
August 4: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
Nox Cookie Bar - San Jose, CA
August 10: National S’mores Day
The Food Fact: The first printed recipe for the “Graham Cracker Sandwich” appeared in a recipe book in the early 1920s by the Campfire Marshmallows company. A similar recipe for “Some More” chocolate bar sandwiches was published in 1927 in the Girl Scouts handbook “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts."
August 13: National Filet Mignon Day
August 21: National Sweet Tea Day
August 25: National Whiskey Sour Day
September
September 1: National Gyro Day
September 5: National Cheese Pizza Day
Food Fact: Mozzarella accounts for 80% of Italian cheese production in the US because of our love of cheesy pizza.
Pizza Jawn - Philadelphia, PA
September 12: National Chocolate Milkshake Day
September 16: National Guacamole Day
September 25: National Food Service Workers Day
October
Month-long celebrations: National Apple Month, National Caramel Month, National Cookie Month, National Pizza Month
October 1: National Pumpkin Spice Day
Food Fact: Most pumpkin spice doesn't contain any actual pumpkin. Instead, it's a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, which are typically used when making pumpkin pie.
October 4: National Taco Day
Drama Taco - Dallas, TX
October 6: National Noodle Day
October 12: Pumpkin Pie Day
October 15: National Mushroom Day
October 21: National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
October 30: National Candy Corn Day
November
November 3: National Sandwich Day
November 5: National Chinese Take-Out Day
Hiccups Teahouse - Houston, TX
November 8: National Cappuccino Day
November 21: National Gingerbread Cookie Day
Food Fact: Originally, gingerbread batter was used by bakers to gauge whether the oven was up to temperature.
November 28: National French Toast Day
December
December 5: Repeal of Prohibition Day
Food Fact: On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing the 14-year-long nationwide prohibition of alcohol.
Il Lazzarone - Kansas City, MO
December 8: National Brownie Day
December 14: National Biscuits and Gravy Day
December 17: National Maple Syrup Day
December 24: National Eggnog Day
Advertise Your Celebration
Food and culinary holidays are an easy way to highlight what your restaurant is best at. Once you have decided which holidays to celebrate, the next and most important step is to advertise those events to your customers.
Direct Customers to Your Online Ordering Site
People like clear instructions and definitely don't want to have to work hard to take advantage of a promotion. Running a successful food holiday promotion starts with removing the obstacles that would prevent customers from clicking your online ordering link.
National food holiday promotional posts and emails should include clickable links to your online ordering website. 63% of diners prefer to order directly from a restaurant, versus 18% who prefer third parties. If customers are given the ability to order directly from your restaurant, it will encourage more sales and prevent third parties from raking in your profits.
Include a Discount or Freebie
A great way to encourage customers to participate in your food holiday celebration is by adding an incentive. Menufy digital marketing specialists notice that customers are willing to spend a little more if it means earning a free item or receiving a discount. Through the Manager portal, Menufy restaurant partners have access to a variety of ways to build custom coupons and deals, such as Quick Deals.
Social Media
Boost the success of your celebratory calendar events by reaching out to your customers on one of their favorite sources for information—social media.
Social networks such as Facebook and Instagram remain a powerful promotion tool for restaurant owners because they offer an immediate, direct, and free way to communicate with patrons.
Invite your customers to celebrate National Hot Dog Day or Lobster Day by ordering online with a coupon code!
Email Marketing
Email marketing is another great way to advertise food holiday specials and provide patrons with a direct online ordering link. And for Menufy restaurant partners, email marketing capabilities are FREE.
Restaurateurs can create two custom email campaigns a month within the Manager portal at no additional cost. By utilizing this free feature, restaurant operators can make the most of promotional events!
Last Bite
The origin stories of most food holidays are vague, but restaurant customers love them anyway because they provide an excuse to indulge.
Restaurant management should consider celebrating a few strategic food holidays every year. Offering well-priced specials or discounts can attract customers on an otherwise slow day, especially if the event is advertised on social media and via email.
Whichever holidays your restaurant decides to observe, be sure to make the most of them by providing clear instructions for customers along with links to your online ordering website.
What food or drink holidays will your restaurant celebrate this year?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator
Melissa is the Marketing Communications Coordinator for Menufy by HungerRush. She began working with restaurant managers and executive chefs over a decade ago, coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.