By Megan Prevost
It’s time again to prepare for another month of food holidays! Celebrating these types of holidays consistently can bring a fun air to your restaurant. Customers may begin to look forward to the occasion you choose to celebrate each month or every few months. These holidays are a great way to incentivize new customers to stop by while also enticing returning guests with new specials and discounts.
Make sure you choose the right holiday for your restaurant. If your restaurant doesn’t sell fried chicken regularly, celebrating national fried chicken day probably isn’t going to do you much good. However, if you run a barbecue joint, national macaroni day is likely a great option.
Use social media campaigns and signage to advertise your upcoming events and discounts. People won’t know about the celebration unless you tell them, and there are many methods you can employ! Table tents, flyers, and sandwich boards are all good for advertising in person, while social media posts and QR codes are a great way to advertise to the masses online.
If a daily holiday isn’t your thing, you can also choose to celebrate all month long, because July is:
- National Baked Bean Month
- National Culinary Arts Month
- National Hot Dog Month
- National Ice Cream Month
- National Pickle Month
When it comes to single-day food holidays to celebrate, July has plenty to offer. Here are five of the best:
July 6: National Fried Chicken Day
Who doesn’t love fried chicken? Capitalize on your customer’s cravings by celebrating this finger-lickin’ holiday on July 6. The best thing about fried chicken is its versatility, making this holiday applicable for all types of restaurants from fast-casual to fine dining. For example, a fast-casual restaurant could offer a free fried chicken sandwich with a purchase, while a fine dining restaurant may simply choose to showcase a fried chicken option on this day.
July 7: National Macaroni Day
Barbecue restaurants, rejoice, because July 7 is national macaroni day! Serve up your favourite macaroni salads, macaroni and cheese, and other fun mac-inspired inventions on this holiday. You may choose to showcase a fan favourite dish or create some new recipes for your customers to try.
July 13: National French Fry Day
The ubiquitous french fry is the perfect side dish, but on July 13, it should be the star of the show. Offer free fries with a purchase or create delectable new options like loaded fries with specialty toppings like bacon, peppers, and more. Fries can truly become a base for whatever your heart desires, so have fun with it!
July 20: National Ice Cream Sundae Day
We’re starting to think that July might be the most exciting month for food holidays. Deals on ice cream sundaes will certainly draw in a crowd. Sell premade sundaes or throw a party with a make-your-own sundae bar! The options are endless.
July 24: National Tequila Day
We’ve already got entrees, appetizers, sides, and desserts covered, but how about a drink to go with that? Rounding out the month, we’ve got national tequila day on July 24, perfect for bars and restaurants looking to showcase some new drink specials or offer a fun, tequila-themed happy hour. This is a great excuse to add some new drinks to your menu. You could even feature a tequila flight with different tequila-infused drinks like margaritas, palomas, and more.
Have fun with food holidays in July
These food holidays are just an excuse to celebrate, draw in customers, and have fun with your menu options. They can lead to inspiration, the creation of new menu staples, and new customers. There’s no reason not to celebrate!
Megan Prevost is a contributing writer for RestoBiz and a Content Manager for MustHaveMenus. Her work has also appeared in App Institute, Bar Business, Modern Restaurant Management, Small Business Currents, PMQ, FSR, The Daily Fandom, and FanSided.
