3-minute read ---

Football season brings a unique opportunity for restaurants to attract crowds of enthusiastic fans looking for great food, drinks, and a place to watch the game. Whether it’s college football on Saturday or NFL Sunday games, these events draw loyal customers who love the excitement of game day. To make the most of this high-traffic time, restaurants can implement several strategies to engage their customer base, increase foot traffic, and boost sales during the football season.

1. Game Day Specials
There’s no better way to draw in football fans than with enticing Game Day specials. Whether your restaurant offers dine-in, curbside pickup, takeout, or delivery, football-themed promotions on fan-favorite menu items like wings, burgers, and beers are sure to attract a crowd.

• Wings: Buffalo wings and football are a match made in heaven. Offering deals like “Buy-1-Get-1 Free” on wings or a set price for 20 wings can appeal to large groups of fans.
• Burgers: Create a signature "Game Day Burger" with a special combination of toppings. Alternatively, offer a "Build-Your-Own Burger" deal, where customers can customize their burgers with a variety of toppings.
• Beer Specials: Offering discounted pitchers of beer or a special price for local craft brews can increase beverage sales while keeping customers satisfied through all four quarters.

You can even bundle these items into a "Game Day Feast" that combines food and drinks at a discount, making it easy for groups to enjoy without breaking the bank. Promoting these specials through social media, email newsletters, and Aldelo Express’ Masa+ Online Storefront and Promo Cards (smart digital offers) will ensure your regular customers know they can count on you for a great game day experience.

​2. Watch Parties
Watch parties are a fantastic way to turn your restaurant into the ultimate football fan destination. Hosting a viewing party for popular games can create a lively and energetic atmosphere, encouraging customers to stay for the entire game and spend more on food and drinks.

• Themed Menus: Create a football-themed menu that reflects the team’s colors or regions. For example, offer a Texas-inspired menu during a Cowboys game with items like BBQ sliders or a New Orleans-themed menu with Cajun dishes for Saints games.
• Drink Deals: Offer game-specific drink specials, such as $5 beers or discounted cocktails during halftime. You could even create signature cocktails inspired by popular teams or players – but be mindful of copyrights and trademarks when naming these items!
• Loyalty Program Tie-Ins: Encourage repeat visits by offering loyalty points for customers who attend multiple watch parties, purchase specific items, or purchase Game Day specials. Distributing Promo Cards is also a great way to incentivize and introduce your loyalty rewards program!

Promoting your watch parties on social media, posters in your restaurant, through local advertising, or distributing Promo Cards (smart digital offers) at local community or athletic events will help draw in new patrons and keep your regulars excited about returning for the next big game.

​3. Game Day Gear Rewards
For restaurants that may not have the space or setup to host an all-out watch party, there are still creative ways to engage customers during football season. One effective approach is to reward customers who show up in their favorite team's gear. This can foster a sense of camaraderie among fans and create a fun, spirited environment that encourages more guests to dine in.

Consider offering the following rewards for guests who wear football jerseys, hats, or other game-day attire and turn an ordinary visit into a more engaging experience:

• Discounts: Provide a percentage off their bill or a specific menu item, like half-price appetizers or discounted drinks, for customers wearing football gear. This small incentive can encourage more patrons to visit on or before game days.
• Rewards: Help customers earn appetizers, desserts, mains, or soft drinks by rewarding fans who dine in their team's colors or jerseys. It’s a simple gesture that builds goodwill and keeps customers coming back.
• Take-Home Meal Kits: For an added layer of excitement, offer take-home meal kits to simplify and elevate customers’ at-home gatherings with family and friends. Be sure to promote these services in advance of the big game, so your business will be top-of-mind!

These not only make game days more interactive, but encourage fans to visit regularly throughout the remaining football season to enjoy the game-day atmosphere, benefits, and convenient food services. Even without hosting a watch party, you can still capture the excitement of football season by celebrating with fans who order from your restaurant.

​KEY STRATEGY: QR Code Digital Services
As fans pack your restaurant for football games, speed and convenience become crucial. One way to enhance your game day service is by incorporating QR code technology into your operations. QR codes allow customers to quickly access digital services from their smartphones, making the experience more seamless for everyone.

• Digital Menus: Rather than handing out physical menus, offer customers access to a digital menu via a QR code at each table, or printing them on business cards, mailers, dining room stickers, and even takeout order packaging. This reduces wait times and allows fans to stay focused on the game while deciding what to order.
• Loyalty Rewards Program: Use QR codes to let customers easily enroll in your loyalty rewards program. This can boost customer retention and encourage them to come back during the football season, encourage regular purchases, and incentivize guests to return long after the season is over.
• Gift Card Purchases: Promote your restaurant's digital gift cards by placing QR codes on menus, table tents, and receipts. Football fans might want to purchase gift cards for friends or family to join them next time.

By embracing QR codes and digital services, you create a fast and efficient system that enhances the game day experience for customers, helping you stand out from the competition.

Make this Football Season a Win with Masa+
Football season presents a valuable opportunity to engage your customer base and increase sales. With enticing Game Day specials, exciting watch parties, and convenient QR code digital services, your restaurant can become the go-to spot for football fans in your area. Tailor these strategies to your restaurant’s strengths, and you’ll keep customers coming back every weekend for food, drinks, and football fun.

Masa+ supports multiple QR code services to support restaurants using Aldelo Express Cloud POS:

• QR code Online Storefront
• QR code Digital Menus
• QR code Loyalty Rewards
• QR code eGift Cards
• QR code Promo Cards (smart digital offers)
• And more!

​Learn more by contacting an Aldelo representative today at [email protected] or 925-621-2410

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​Restaurants that use ultra-competitive
Aldelo Pay or Aldelo Partner Merchant Services
obtain access to
a Centralized Multi-Store Restaurant Technology Platform
that includes Masa+ Online Ordering,
Unlimited Software Releases,
​Unlimited Software Upgrades, and 24/7 Technical Support!


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Please contact an Aldelo representative today for more details, 
including a free Aldelo Express POS demo trial

[email protected] | 877-639-8767 | [email protected]

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