Food holidays have become a big deal for restaurants in the USA. These unofficial national days – from National Pizza Day to National Coffee Day – spark excitement on social media and drive crowds to eateries looking for themed treats and deals. Rather than just fun social media trends, food holidays are powerful marketing opportunities. With the right approach, fast casual and QSR restaurants can capitalize on these events to engage customers and boost sales.
Popular Food Holidays in the USA
There are hundreds of national food holidays throughout the year, but a few stand out as major opportunities for restaurant promotions. Here are some of the most popular food holidays U.S. restaurants love to celebrate:
National Pizza Day (Feb 9): A crowd-favorite occasion honoring one of America’s most beloved foods. Pizzerias big and small roll out discounts and creative pies, knowing pizza fans are primed to order a slice (or five).
National Burger Day (May 28): A day dedicated to the iconic burger. Many fast-food chains and burger joints offer special deals or even create limited-edition burgers, attracting droves of customers craving a juicy deal.
National Doughnut Day (1st Friday of June): A sweet day when bakeries and coffee shops delight fans with free doughnuts and specials. For example, Krispy Kreme has famously given out free doughnuts with no purchase necessary on this day, leading to lines out the door.
National Ice Cream Day (3rd Sunday of July): In the heat of summer, ice cream shops and restaurants celebrate with BOGO scoops and new flavors. This family-friendly food holiday draws in dessert lovers looking to cool off with a treat.
National Coffee Day (Sept 29): A day for caffeine lovers. Cafés and chains often offer a free cup or discounts on coffee drinks, bringing in regulars and new guests in need of a pick-me-up.
National Taco Day (Oct 4): Taco chains and Mexican eateries shine on this day with bargain tacos and combo deals. It’s a taco lover’s dream, and restaurants across the country see an influx of guests craving this handheld favorite.
These food holidays get massive traction on social media and in communities. People plan outings around them – whether it’s grabbing a discounted cheeseburger or trying a new pumpkin spice creation on National Coffee Day. For restaurants, that means built-in buzz and hungry crowds ready to celebrate. The key is to tap into that excitement with smart marketing. Below, we break down how restaurants can ride the wave of food holiday fervor to increase orders, both dine-in and online.
Why Food Holidays Matter for Restaurants
Food holidays aren’t just silly social media trends – they translate into real business benefits for savvy restaurants:
Increased Customer Engagement: These special days create buzz and give people an extra reason to choose your restaurant. A well-timed promo (like a free topping on National Taco Day or an exclusive flavor on Ice Cream Day) generates excitement and draws customers in. It turns a normal weekday into an event, boosting foot traffic and online orders.
Higher Sales with Themed Promotions: By aligning menu specials and discounts with a food holiday, restaurants can see a notable uptick in sales. Limited-time offers tied to the theme (e.g. buy-one-get-one deals or holiday-exclusive menu items) encourage larger orders and add-ons. Guests are more inclined to treat themselves when it feels festive, often increasing the average order value.
Social Media Buzz & Free Marketing: Food holidays trend on social media, with hashtags like #NationalBurgerDay or #NationalCoffeeDay gaining huge traction. When your restaurant participates – posting your special or running a contest – you ride that wave of free publicity. It’s a chance to get your brand in front of a wider audience that’s actively searching for where to celebrate that day. In short, you join a national conversation and attract new eyes (and mouths!) to your business.
Fun Way to Build Loyalty: Jumping on food holidays shows your brand’s playful side and creates positive associations. Customers who score a fun freebie or experience a unique event at your restaurant on a food holiday are more likely to remember you. Those good vibes can turn into repeat visits – even after the holiday – especially if you capture their info via loyalty programs or online ordering for future marketing.
With these benefits in mind, let’s dive into specific strategies for fast casual and QSR restaurants to capitalize on food holidays. From setting up direct online deals to crafting buzzworthy social posts, these tips will help ensure each food holiday becomes a profitable highlight on your calendar.
Promote Direct Online Ordering & First-Party Delivery
One of the smartest ways to maximize profit from food holiday promotions is to drive customers to order directly from your restaurant (rather than through third-party delivery apps). Why? Direct online ordering via your own website or app means you keep the full sale without paying hefty commission fees to middlemen. Third-party delivery platforms often charge fees up to 30% per order, slicing deep into your margins. On a day when you might be discounting items for a promotion, losing another chunk to commissions can turn a big sales day into a profit disappointment.
By contrast, using a first-party online ordering system lets you capture the holiday rush and keep 100% of the revenue. You can implement exclusive deals on your own site or app to entice customers: for example, a special “National Pizza Day Combo” available only through your website. Customers love a deal they can’t get elsewhere, and this not only boosts your online sales for the day but also trains guests to use your direct ordering in the future.
Just look at how major brands handle food holidays: they funnel fans to their own apps. On National Cheeseburger Day, McDonald’s sold 50-cent double cheeseburgers exclusively through its mobile app (one per customer) (National Cheeseburger Day 2024: Where to find the best deals | FOX 5 DC). That drove thousands of digital orders in a single day. You can do the same on a smaller scale – promote your food holiday specials through your website, app, and social media, and make it clear the best deals are available by ordering directly from you.
And of course, you need a reliable delivery solution to fulfill those online orders. This is where Sauce’s first-party delivery service comes in as a game-changer. Sauce enables commission-free delivery through your own branded channels, meaning you pay $0 to third parties and keep the profits in-house (Liberating Restaurants and Diners: Embracing Commission-Free Online Delivery with Sauce | MarketMan). It’s built to handle the volume spikes of big food holiday promotions. With direct integration to your online ordering pages (even via social media links), Sauce makes offering delivery for your National Burrito Day BOGO or your free doughnut deal on National Doughnut Day seamless. You can even set up promo codes easily – for instance, “FREEDELIVERY” on National Burrito Day – to encourage customers to choose delivery knowing it won’t cost extra (National Burrito Day 2024 Promotions: How Chipotle Drove Sales With Free Burritos). By owning the ordering and delivery experience end-to-end, you not only earn more per order, but also capture valuable customer data and build a relationship that lasts beyond a one-day promo.
Actionable Tip: Start advertising your direct ordering link or app well before a food holiday hits. Send an email blast or social post like, “Get ready for National Taco Day – download our app for an exclusive deal!” This builds your audience on your own platform. Then, when the day comes, you’ve got a ready base of customers to notify about that awesome special available only via your site or app. You’ll reap the rewards in higher-margin sales and repeat business.
Run Irresistible Limited-Time Offers & Special Menus
Food holidays practically beg for limited-time offers (LTOs) – after all, they’re one-day celebrations. Crafting a special deal or menu item available “today only” creates urgency and can massively boost orders. People don’t want to miss out on a fun food freebie or a unique dish that’s here for a limited time.
Consider ideas like:
Discounts or BOGO Deals: e.g. Buy one, get one free burritos on National Burrito Day, or 50% off a second entrée on National Sandwich Day. These deals spur larger orders as customers often bring friends or family to share the offer.
One-Day-Only Menu Items: Showcase your chef’s creativity by launching a themed item tied to the holiday. Maybe it’s a special edition burger loaded with crazy toppings only on National Burger Day, or a unique donut flavor created just for National Doughnut Day. The exclusivity can draw in curious foodies and give regulars something new to try.
Set Menus or Bundles: Create a combo that packs value and fun. For example, a “Pizza Day Party Pack” that includes a large pizza, wings, and drinks at a celebratory price, perfect for groups marking the occasion. Bundles encourage higher spending while giving customers a feeling of getting more for less.
Promote these LTOs heavily: put them on your homepage, tweet about them, hang posters in-store a few days prior, and remind your email subscribers. On the day of, make the offer unmissable on your online ordering page. The goal is to have every customer know “Hey, it’s National X Day and [Your Restaurant] has this great deal today!”
Limited-time deals not only drive a surge for the day but can convert first-time visitors into repeat customers. Someone who tries you out because of a one-day promo might fall in love with your food or appreciate that you made their day a bit more special – and come back again. Urgency + novelty = sales. Just be sure you have the staff and ingredients ready for potentially higher demand than a normal day (a well-planned promo can pleasantly overwhelm you!).
Also, consider extending the celebration slightly to maximize reach – perhaps start the deal the evening before or allow it to run into the next day for those who couldn’t participate on the exact date (especially if the holiday falls on a weekday and you want weekend traction). That way you capture as many interested customers as possible while still keeping the “limited time” hype.
Provide Enticing Delivery Promotions
On many food holidays, customers are eager to celebrate but may prefer the comfort of home (or office). A clever delivery promotion can win these customers over and boost your off-premise sales. One effective approach is offering free or reduced delivery fees during the food holiday event. For instance, Chipotle saw huge engagement by offering a $0 delivery fee for loyalty members on National Burrito Day. Waiving the delivery charge (or providing a promo code to remove it) lowers the barrier for customers who might otherwise think, “I’ll just skip it to avoid the extra fee.” If you use Sauce for first-party delivery, you have the flexibility to drop delivery fees for a day since you’re not already losing money to commissions.
Another tactic is creating delivery-only bundles or specials for the holiday. Maybe a “Game Day Wing Pack” on National Chicken Wing Day that’s only available for delivery orders, or a dessert add-on freebie for anyone who gets their National Ice Cream Day order delivered. This encourages people to try your delivery service. It’s also a great way to increase ticket sizes – for example, Buffalo Wild Wings on National Cheeseburger Day offered 10 free wings with any $15 order through their app (National Cheeseburger Day 2024: Where to find the best deals | FOX 5 DC). That kind of bonus pushes customers to add just a little more to their cart to hit the threshold, boosting your sales while delighting them with extra value.
Pro Tip: Promote your delivery deals through all channels. Post on social media early in the day: “Craving [food]? We’ve got you covered – free delivery today only for National __ Day!” Also, update your Google Business profile or website banner with a note about the one-day delivery special. Anyone searching for “[food] delivery near me” will be more inclined to choose you when they see the offer.
And don’t forget to coordinate with your delivery team (in-house drivers or third-party fleet via Sauce) to handle the potential spike. You might schedule extra drivers on National Pizza Day evening, for example, anticipating all those pie orders. The last thing you want is long waits that sour the celebratory mood. With a smooth operation and a tempting delivery promotion, you can capture a huge slice of food holiday demand from customers who want the party brought to their doorstep.
Create Social Media Buzz and Contests
Social media is your best friend when it comes to marketing food holidays. These events thrive on Instagram, Twitter (X), Facebook, and TikTok – basically anywhere people share what they’re eating. By crafting a savvy social media campaign, you can amplify your reach far beyond your usual followers and get new eyes on your restaurant.
Some social media strategies to consider:
Use Food Holiday Hashtags & Creative Posts: Simple but crucial. If it’s National Coffee Day, tag your posts with #NationalCoffeeDay and maybe a witty caption like “Free latte, all day. Because everyday should be coffee day, right? 😏”. Posting photos of the special menu item or the team celebrating in-store adds personality. These hashtags often trend, meaning your content can surface to users who don’t follow you.
Launch a Contest or Giveaway: Contests generate tons of engagement. For example, ask followers to post a photo enjoying your food (maybe that new donut or monster burger) and tag your account with a specific hashtag. Offer a prize like a $50 gift card or a free meal to a random winner or the best photo. This not only spreads the word to all of their friends, but also creates user-generated content you can share. Chipotle did something similar by giving away free burritos to fans who participated in a Twitter code contest on Burrito Day– it drove viral engagement and definitely got people talking about Chipotle all day.
Live Updates and Stories: On the day of, use Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, or Twitter updates to show the excitement. Go live in the kitchen briefly to show those pizzas flying out for National Pizza Day, or do a countdown – “2 hours left to get your free cone! 🍦 #NationalIceCreamDay”. The FOMO (fear of missing out) can nudge followers to stop scrolling and start ordering.
Partner with Influencers or Local Celebs: If budget allows, bring in a local food blogger or popular influencer to help promote. They might do a tasting of your special menu item on camera or simply post about the deal to their audience. An authentic endorsement (“Guys, [Your Restaurant] is doing free extra guac for National Taco Day and it’s legit the best thing ever”) can send a flood of their fans your way.
Remember to respond and engage back with comments during the holiday. If someone says “Can’t wait to try this!” reply with “We can’t wait to serve you! 🥳”. Social media is a two-way street – by conversing, you humanize your brand and build loyalty.
Finally, after the dust settles, analyze the buzz. Check how many people used your hashtag or participated. This can help you gauge what worked best for next time. Each food holiday is also a chance to grow your follower base; if 100 new people followed you because of your fun National Pie Day posts, you’ve expanded your future marketing reach for free.
Leverage Loyalty Programs for Exclusive Deal
Many top chains use their mobile apps and loyalty programs to offer exclusive deals on food holidays. For instance, on National Cheeseburger Day 2024, McDonald’s offered 50-cent double cheeseburgers only through its , while Burger King and Wendy’s gave practically free burgers to loyalty members. By rewarding your own loyalty subscribers with special one-day promotions or bonus points, you not only drive sales but also encourage more customers to join and engage with your program.
Make your loyal fans feel like VIPs on food holidays. Here are a few ways to do it:
Members-Only Coupons or Freebies: Send out a promo code to your loyalty email list or app users that grants something like a free item or an extra discount on the food holiday. For example, “Show this coupon for a free coffee on National Coffee Day – exclusive to our Loyalty Club members!” This exclusivity gives people a reason to sign up for your program if they haven’t, and it rewards those who already have with something special.
Double Rewards Points: If your loyalty program uses points, announce that points earned on the food holiday will be multiplied (e.g. 2x or 3x points on all National Sandwich Day orders). Customers who might not have bitten on a small discount could be swayed by the chance to rack up rewards for future freebies. It’s a subtle psychology: they’re earning toward a goal by indulging today.
Early Access or Extended Deals: Give your loyal customers a little extra love by letting them access the holiday deal early or extending it for them. Perhaps you email a secret link that lets loyalty members order the day-before at the special price, or you allow them to redeem the offer one day after the official holiday as a “grace period.” This kind of perk makes your loyalty community feel appreciated and continues to differentiate your own direct ordering channels (app/website) from third-party platforms.
Make sure to promote these loyalty exclusives ahead of time. A week out from the holiday, you might post “Pssst... Loyalty members get something extra on National Cookie Day. Sign up now, it’s free! 🍪”. This builds your base. Then, when the day comes, use push notifications in your app or an email/text blast early in the morning to remind members to swing by or order in.
Not only will you see a surge in participation on the holiday, but a well-executed loyalty promo can significantly boost your program enrollment. And once customers are in your loyalty ecosystem (especially if they’ve downloaded your app for it), you’ve gained a direct marketing line for future promotions. It’s a win-win: customers get freebies or deals, and you get long-term engagement.
Partner Up for Exclusive Events & Cross-Promotions
Food holidays offer a chance to think outside the box and collaborate with others for mutual benefit. Consider forming exclusive partnerships or special events that can make your celebration even more enticing:
Local Vendor Partnerships: Team up with local businesses to add a unique twist to your food holiday event. Is it National Ice Cream Day? Invite a local ice cream maker for a one-day pop-up ice cream bar at your restaurant. You’ll both promote the event to your audiences, doubling the reach, and customers get a two-for-one experience (your food + a scoop from a local creamery). Similarly, for National Coffee Day, you could partner with a local artisan coffee roaster to feature a special brew on your menu. Such collaborations not only draw in fans of both brands but also signal that you’re active in the community.
Cross-Promotions with Complementary Brands: Look for opportunities to cross-promote with brands that complement your food. For example, a brewery and your wing joint could do a combined deal on National Chicken Wing Day – customers who show a receipt from your restaurant at the brewery get a free pint, and vice versa. Or partner with a delivery service (if you weren’t using Sauce, which already has delivery built-in) to waive fees for orders from your restaurant on that day in exchange for mentioning the delivery partner in your promos. These partnerships can significantly amplify marketing reach and give customers a fuller experience.
Themed Events or Contests: Turn the day into an event. Maybe host an amateur food contest – a pie-eating contest on National Pie Day, a best home-baked cookie competition on National Cookie Day judged at your café, or a live trivia night themed around the food (e.g., pizza trivia on National Pizza Day). Promote it as a special one-night-only event. This creates buzz and media interest; local news love quirky food holiday stories, so you might even earn some press coverage for your restaurant.
Charity Tie-ins: Exclusive partnerships don’t always have to be for profit. Food holidays often have feel-good origins (National Doughnut Day, for instance, began as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army). You can partner with a local charity to donate a portion of the day’s proceeds, or food, to a cause. For example, “On National Burger Day, we’re donating $1 per burger to the local food bank.” This can draw in conscientious customers and gives you great content to share about giving back, all while selling more burgers. Everyone wins.
When doing partnerships or events, plan well in advance and coordinate marketing. Co-create flyers, share each other’s social posts, and maybe even pool budgets for a Facebook ad or local radio shoutout. The combined effort will bring in crowds larger than what you might manage solo. Plus, an event-like atmosphere (lines out the door for that ice cream pop-up, or a packed house for trivia night) feeds the FOMO for others and can lead to even more walk-ins.
The Secret Sauce: First-Party Delivery as a Profit Maximizer
All the above strategies work best when you have the right tools in place – and the most important tool for maximizing profits on these holidays is a first-party delivery and online ordering system. Sauce’s first-party delivery service is exactly that “secret sauce” many restaurants need. By handling delivery and pickup with Sauce’s support, you free yourself from the punishing fees of third-party apps. That means when you run a big promotion on a food holiday, the spike in orders actually benefits you, not a delivery app taking a cut.
With Sauce, restaurants can retain 100% of their profits. This is huge. It means if you sell 100 extra burger combos on National Burger Day via your website, you keep every dollar – instead of, say, giving 30% of each order to someone else. Keeping that margin allows you to offer aggressive deals (because you’re not worrying about margins being double-dinged by discounts and commissions). As the Fast Casual industry experts have noted, owning your delivery process is key to making it a net positive for your business. Sauce empowers you to do exactly that.
Beyond the commission savings, Sauce gives you control and flexibility. Your ordering page stays on-brand (unlike generic third-party listings), and you can set up those food holiday promo codes, flash sales, and loyalty integrations with ease. Need to throttle orders or update prep times if your National Taco Day promo blows up? You can do that. Want to blast out an email to customers who ordered directly from you last National Taco Day? You’ll have their data, because with first-party ordering you own the customer relationship. Sauce facilitates that direct connection, letting you gather valuable customer info and build loyalty – something third-party platforms would never share with you.
Sauce also ensures the delivery logistics are handled smoothly. Sauce's network of couriers and 24/7 support means even if you get slammed with orders, deliveries remain timely and customers stay happy. Reliability is crucial; a late delivery can ruin someone’s excitement on a food holiday. Sauce’s efficient system helps optimize routes and keep delivery times predictable, so your special promotions don’t backfire with complaints about cold or late food.
In short, leveraging Sauce’s first-party delivery is like turbo-charging your food holiday strategy with higher profits, better customer data, and dependable service. It’s the technology partner working behind the scenes to make your marketing genius shine financially. While your team crafts amazing limited-time menu items and catchy social media posts, Sauce handles getting the food to your customers quickly and cheaply (for you and for them).
Food holidays are an exciting opportunity to connect with customers over the foods they love most. With creative marketing and a well-planned approach, each of these national days can become a record sales day for your restaurant. The recipe for success is simple: a dash of engaging promotions (online and in-store), a scoop of social media buzz, a generous helping of loyalty rewards and partnerships, and a first-party delivery platform like Sauce to bind it all together. This way, you’re not just riding a trend – you’re cooking up a profitable event that leaves customers hungry for more (and coming back long after the “holiday” is over). So mark those food holidays on your calendar, get your game plan ready, and let Sauce help you serve up the deals that will make your sales (and profits). Here’s to turning every National __ Day into a national win for your business! 🎉
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