Whether well-known and conventional or manufactured and obscure, there are over 1500 food-centric holidays, each representing an opportunity to promote your restaurant. Though some of these red-letter days have been created by businesses vested in promoting their own offerings, food holidays offer restaurants an opportunity to create content that attracts new customers and keeps regulars engaged.
By centering social media posts, promotions, and menu specials around these unsung holiday themes, there’s no need to wait for nationally recognized festivities to promote your restaurant’s offerings.
Get creative and inspired with this month-by-month calendar, filled with both common and quirky food festivities.
JANUARY
The early winter holidays are a great time to boost delivery orders and gear up for a profitable year ahead. As temperatures decline and resolution season begins, January is a month for new beginnings, healthy living, and hunkering down. Take advantage of the cold weather and January food holidays to attract customers to your delivery menu.
January 1 - New Year’s Day
January 4 - National Spaghetti Day
January 7 - National Tempura Day
January 13 - National Gluten-Free Day
January 15 - National Bagel Day
January 20- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 23 - National Pie Day
January 29 - Lunar New Year
January 30 - National Croissant Day
January 31 - National Hot Chocolate Day
FEBRUARY
February is jam-packed with both federal and food-related holidays, from celebrating the nation’s favorite delivery food on National Pizza Day to enjoying America’s favorite pastime on Super Bowl Sunday, both coincidentally falling on February 9th.
February is also a sweet month for restaurants as customers who’d rather not brave the cold and the crowds search for a cozy meal at home. From Baked Alaska Day to National Chili Day, February is a great time to heal the winter downers and get back at the top of customers' minds.
February 1 - National Baked Alaska Day
February 2 - National Tater Tot Day
February 3 - National Carrot Cake Day
February 9 - National Pizza Day
February 9 - Super Bowl
February 14 - Valentine’s Day
February 17 - Presidents’ Day (Federal Holiday)
February 18 - National Drink Wine Day
February 20 - National Muffin Day
February 22 - National Margarita Day
February 28 - National Chili Day
MARCH
March is a great time for the restaurant business, with green beer, shamrock shakes, and a touch of clover everywhere. A big day for food and drink, everyone's Irish on March 17th, so why not curate a special menu featuring some favorites? Go the traditional route with Corned Beef and Cabbage or get inspired creating shamrock-shaped pizzas, green bagels, or sparkly desserts.
But there's more green to be made in March with quirky and fun holidays like National Pound Cake Day, Chicken Soup Day, and Fat Tuesday on the calendar.
March 4 - Fat Tuesday
March 4 - National Pound Cake Day
March 8 - International Women’s Day
March 9 - National Meatball Day
March 13 - National Chicken Soup Day
March 16 - National Artichoke Day
March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day
March 25 - International Waffle Day
March 27 - World Whiskey Day
APRIL
As the weather begins to cooperate, allowing restaurants to re-open patios, rooftop bars, and sidewalk seating, April is filled with food holidays to help put the spring back in your customers' steps. Passover and Easter are two major holidays centered around food, but there are a few more obscure food holidays around which fun promotions and social media posts can be geared.
A month focusing on planet earth, April is a great month for promoting sustainable practices and locally-sourced ingredients.
April 1 - April Fools’ Day
April 6 - Carbonara Day
April 8 - National Empanada Day
April 13 - Passover (First Day)
April 17 - Malbec Wine Day
April 20 - Easter Sunday
April 22 - Earth Day
April 27 - Prime Rib Day
MAY
From Cinco de Mayo to Mothers' Day, May is filled with some of the biggest restaurant holidays of the year. Make the most of the welcomed warm weather and celebrate the many celebrations May has to offer by sprucing up your dining room, preparing your patio, and planning seasonal promotions.
May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
May 9 - Shrimp Day
May 11 - Mothers' Day
May 13 - National Hummus Day
May 14 - National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
May 25 - National Wine Day
May 26 - Memorial Day
May 28 - Brisket Day
May 30 - Mint Julep Day
JUNE
As spring makes room for summer, June is jam-packed with promotional opportunities, from honoring freedom on Juneteenth and celebrating dads on June 15th to featuring summer favorites like lobster, fudge, and ice cream.
June 2 - Shavuot (Jewish Holiday)
June 2 - Rotisserie Chicken Day
June 4 - National Cheese Day
June 7 - National Ice Cream Day
June 12 - International Falafel Day
June 15 - Lobster Day
June 16 - Fudge Day
June 15 - Father’s Day
June 19- Juneteenth
June 22 - Onion Ring Day
JULY
Each year, Americans celebrate independence on the 4th of July, a national day when families everywhere get together for parades, backyard barbeques, and fireworks displays.
But at the center of every July Fourth celebration is the mouthwatering food.
For restaurants, Independence Day offers the freedom to introduce new menu items, get creative
colorful desserts and drinks, back-to-basics comfort foods that define what it
means to be an American. It also presents an opportunity to capture delivery revenue and
promote catering packages.
July 4 - Independence Day
July 6 - National Fried Chicken Day
July 13 - French Fry Day
July 24 - National Tequila Day
July 29 - National Chicken Wing Day
July 31 - National Avocado Day
AUGUST
As the year hits halftime and the mercury soars, August is a great time to offer relief from the heat with refreshing beverages, treats from the sea, and sweet, juicy fruit bowls (served in mini watermelons, of course!).
While National Burger Day might not be officially in the books, it is a day that presents quick service joints an opportunity to promote their tasty offerings .
Aug 3 - National Watermelon Day
Aug 5 - National Oyster Day
August 8 - Frozen Custard Day
Aug 16 - National Rum Day
Aug 19 - National Potato Day
Aug 27 - National Burger Day
Aug 31 - National Eat Out Day
SEPTEMBER
No longer summer, but not quite fall, September is a month of transitions, coming in with a sizzle and out with the falling leaves. It's also a month of the annual back-to-school bustle, so why not make your customers’ lives easier by offering relief from the hot kitchen with some convenient delivery dining?
And even though the holidays are still months away, September is the month we give ourselves permission to start getting into the spirit of the season. For restaurants, that means creating Monday Night Football delivery specials, creating make-life-easy back-to-school meal kits, and getting your name out to the hungry college crowds looking for local take-out and delivery.
September 1 - Labor Day
September 2 - National Bacon Day
September 3 - National Baby Back Ribs Day
September 10 - National Hot Dog Day
September 13- National Peanut Day
September 15 - First Day of National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 16 - National Guacamole Day
September 23 - Rosh Hashanah
September 25 - National Quesadilla Day
September 26 - National Pancake Day
September 29 - National Coffee Day
September 30 - Mulled Cider Day
OCTOBER
More than just an autumn breeze and colorful foliage, October offers an array of food-focused holidays to kick off the most wonderful time of the year. With pumpkin spice everything marking the unofficial start of the holiday season, early October is the perfect time to get excited about the many promotional opportunities ahead.
October 1 - World Vegetarian Day
October 4 - National Taco Day
October 1 - Yom Kippur (Sundown)
October 6 - National Noddle Day
October 16 - World Bread Day
October 21 - National Apple Day
October 22 - National Nut Day
October 27 - American Beer Day
October 28 - National Chocolate Day
October 31 - Halloween
NOVEMBER
As the holiday season goes into overdrive and customers begin to gear up for holiday planning, November is all about preparing for the biggest meal of the year. Utilize these lesser-known food holidays to boost social engagement.
November 1 - World Vegan Day
November 3 - National Sandwich Day
November 11 - Veterans Day
November 14 - National Pickle Day
November 26 - National Cake Day
November 27 - Thanksgiving
DECEMBER
December is a golden month for restaurants to take advantage of quirky food holidays and embrace tradition. While the holiday season naturally draws attention to big events like Christmas and New Year’s Eve, lesser-known dates provide fun opportunities to introduce limited-time menu items, host themed events, and run creative social media campaigns.
December 4 - National Cookie Day
December 5 - Comfort Food Day
December 8 - National Brownie Day
December 13 - National Cocoa Day
December 14 - National Bouillabaisse Day
December 15 - First Night of Hanukkah
December 17 - National Maple Syrup Day
December 21 - National Hamburger Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 31 - New Year’s Eve
Five Ways to Promote Food Holidays
Get Staff Involved
Getting employees involved in obscure food holiday promotions can energize your team and enhance the overall customer experience.
Encourage employees to create and name a dish or drink for the holiday, with the winning item featured on the menu.
Host a contest for the best-decorated workstation or costume aligned with the theme, such as “Best Dressed Pickle" National Pickle Day.
Offer incentives like free meals, gift cards, or extra tips for those who actively promote the holiday to customers.
Organize interactive activities, such as servers leading a pizza trivia game for National Pizza Day.
Themed Specials and Limited-Time Menus
Design unique dishes or drinks that tie into the holiday, such as a “Triple Chocolate Cake” for National Chocolate Day.
Offer limited-time pricing or bundles to create urgency and excitement.
3. Social Media Campaigns
Post engaging content with holiday-specific hashtags to increase visibility, e.g., #NationalBurgerDay.
Host contests or polls, like “Vote for your favorite taco” on National Taco Day, with a chance to win a free meal.
4. Interactive Events and Experiences
Organize themed events, such as a pizza-making class on National Pizza Day.
Collaborate with local influencers or chefs to host pop-ups or tasting nights tied to the holiday.
5. Incentivized Promotions
Offer discounts or giveaways for participation, like “Buy one ice cream cone, get one free” on National Ice Cream Day.
Reward loyalty program members with exclusive perks tied to food holidays.
Take Away
Incorporating a food holiday calendar into your restaurant’s marketing scheme is a simple yet effective way to drive engagement, attract new customers, and celebrate your restaurant's culinary joys. By capitalizing on the charm of quirky, obscure food holidays along with the year's grand festivities, you can keep your promotions fresh, create buzz around your menu, and encourage repeat visits.
Whether it’s an unconventional twist on a tried-and-true holiday tradition or a day that celebrates an unsung menu favorite, these celebrations offer endless opportunities to showcase your creativity and connect with your audience.
By Eileen Strauss
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