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 20: National Vanilla Milkshake Day

June 25: National Catfish Day

July 

Month-long celebrations: National Ice Cream Month

July 4: National Barbecue Day

July 10: National Piña Colada Day

July 13: National French Fry Day

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 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 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 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 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 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.