Spring brings warmer weather, sunnier days, and some fun food holidays can help fill your tables, attract a new crowd, and broaden your menu. Create a celebratory and unique atmosphere in your restaurant with themed décor, menus, and entertainment that will get your guests coming back for more this month!
Along with the traditional holidays for Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day, here are some of the food holidays you might choose to celebrate in May:
May 1: School Lunch Hero Day
This holiday may seem niche, but working in foodservice isn’t an easy feat, so make this one about your community! Celebrate “lunch heroes” with some of their favourite menu items, profile them on your social media platforms, and get guests excited to celebrate their hard work. You may also choose to add a community component by offering a discount to “back of house heroes,” donating or volunteering for a local school lunch program, or hosting an event to help appreciate these unsung heroes.
May 9: National Foodies Day
With all the attention food gets on social media, it should be a breeze to celebrate this one. Get online to research top trends, use hashtags to reach foodie accounts, and create a buzz-worth menu that will get the foodies excited to visit. Think social media-worthy flavour combinations, colours, and aesthetic appeal to get attention and drive traffic. Ube, pistachio, rose, and matcha are all popular for their colour and vibrancy, so those a few are simple go-tos. If you really want to attract attention, create something that’s an original and try and start a foodie trend at your restaurant.
May 16: International Pickle Day
Pickles really spent time in the spotlight in recent years, but there’s still a lot to be celebrated. If you’ve already done deep fried pickles or pickle dip, consider getting even more creative with pickle pizza, pickle pogos, or pickle-inspired margaritas or martinis. Want to go all in? Create an all-pickle inspired menu for the day to really make a big dill of this menu staple!
May 24: National Asparagus Day
When produce is in season, that’s a reason to celebrate. You might want to introduce an appetizer like prosciutto wrapped asparagus, use it as a side option, offer asparagus soup, or create a delicious asparagus risotto. If this ingredient doesn’t seem versatile enough for you, you could include it as part of a local produce celebration, offing it alongside other in-season produce like rhubarb, radishes, and strawberries for a seasonal celebration.
May 27: National Grape Popsicle Day
This one lets restaurants get creative while also celebrating a nostalgic flavour and experience for many of us. Of course, you could offer actual grape popsicles for kids, or a grown-up alcoholic version for adults, but you could also create new desserts that are inspired by this classic, like grape floats, or your own original creation.
Today’s diners are looking for fun, memorable restaurant experiences and celebrating May’s food holidays can help you offer something new, drive traffic, and attract attention for your restaurant.
