Perhaps most importantly, they are an example of a brand that leveraged a strong local fan base into becoming a national chain. This is how you make a secret menu feel special.

You can also make this part of a loyalty program, where secret menu items are announced to and even decided by VIP members only. One of the best ways to turn a local fan base into brand ambassadors is to create branded merchandise that they then wear wherever they go. Well, Chick-fil-A grew to be one of the largest privately held companies in the world by offering a full year of free food to the first visitors to each new location.

Every time a new location opened, people would camp out in the nights leading up to the opening, hoping to be one of the winners. This phenomenon was frequently covered by local press and resulted in millions of dollars in free advertising over the years.

You can do just one winner instead. Nearly half of all workers are employed by small businesses. This includes thousands of potential customers in your local area. A great way to get in front of these customers and generate some viral buzz is to simply show up and provide food for free.

You could provide lunch for the entire staff of most small businesses at a very low cost. Try just showing up with enough food for 20 people, or if that results in some problems, try calling ahead and arranging things with the owner or office manager.

Start with small businesses, but you can also aim to give back to the community while gaining more attention when you provide food for teachers, nurses, and other employee groups that are highly regarded in the community.

On the topic of giving back, one of the best ways to gain attention in your community is to give something to that community. Regularly and visibly giving to the community and well-regarded groups in the community is a great way to make people feel like you are on their team rather than simply attempting to profit from their patronage.

The key here is being genuine and offering something that feels meaningful. Just like marketers, journalists are always looking for a good story. Give your local newspaper or TV station a call and see what sort of stories they might be looking for. Sometimes the simplest things work the best.

These promotion strategies are simple, proven, and can be used over and over again. This is as simple as it gets, but percentage discount promotions are consistently the most profitable campaigns for our restaurant partners here at Owner.

You also want to create some urgency by saying the quantity of offers is limited and on a first come, first serve basis, AND the promotion will only run for a limited time. com platform. For our restaurant partners on the Owner. Our platform then automatically sends out periodic offers to each customer based on their order history.

At this restaurant, people who order Chicken Parmigiana often order the Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta as well. Our software will take note of that and then automatically send the customer a discount offer for the Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta about two weeks after their Chicken Parmigiana order.

com was built specifically to address these frustrations and help grow your restaurant business. Promotions are all about getting customers to take action, and few things motivate action quite like a deadline. Regularly offering limited run items also opens the doors for additional promotions down the road.

You can run polls allowing customers to vote on which items to bring back and possibly make voting a perk of your loyalty program , or you can simply take popular items and give them an encore.

Happy hour specials are a niche staple that should be a near-universal practice for restaurants open during the afternoon. They provide an affordable first-contact point for new customers, and they provide an easy focal point for ongoing promotion on social media.

When done correctly, Happy Hour ticket prices often average out higher than lunch tickets. The key is being strategic about the food you offer in addition to the drinks. If you run a more upscale restaurant, try offering scaled-down versions of your dinner menu at an enticing price point while keeping drink prices close to retail.

While BOGO buy one, get one free offers tend to be associated more with fast and casual restaurants, they can be used effectively by virtually any restaurant.

The restaurant now has 2, people to reach out to with additional offers, AND a large chunk of those customers are very likely to return. The reach you get from offering a compelling promotion goes far beyond the actual people who walk in and redeem the deal.

These menus and any little freebies or specials you attach with them make for an evergreen source of promotion as well. Check out this great example from Shake Shack:.

Free appetizer campaigns are another type of promotion that work really well for our Owner. com partners but require a bit more effort and intentionality. The key is finding a menu item that has a low cost and brings in a high margin — think chips and queso, fried pickles, fried onions, mozzarella sticks, salads, desserts, breadsticks, egg rolls, etc.

If you can find something that can be given away sustainably, that allows you to consider the campaign for an ongoing promotion. You can also limit the quantity of the free items given out, creating urgency to take advantage of the offer before it runs out.

Business card giveaways are an old strategy, but just like many of the strategies in this category, they remain effective today. The process is simple: offer customers a chance to win a free meal in exchange for dropping their business card in a bowl. Make the prize a free meal for TWO and then advertise that you select a new card from the bowl every single week.

We want as many cards as possible because our modern twist takes advantage of every card we get. Family-sized meals have been a staple tool in the fast and fast-casual eatery toolbox for decades, but this concept remains underutilized elsewhere on the restaurant spectrum. As we talked about earlier, people care a lot about the experience of eating out, and that experience is often deeply connected to the people they are eating out with.

When a person sees a meal-for-two-offer, they think about sharing that meal with someone they know. Offering shareable meals and preset, multi-course menus for specific group sizes is a great way to get people thinking about the experience they want to create and envisioning themselves having a great time with people they love at your restaurant.

Offering samples is a great way to drive sales. According to The Atlantic, free samples at stores like Costco can help boost sales considerably. If you have one or two dishes that always score big with customers, have a staff member outside the restaurant offering bite-sized samples to passersby.

If someone is in the mood for Indian food, they are usually going to choose their favorite Indian place. Your real competitors have the same or similar cuisine, the same or similar mood appeal, and the same or similar location.

Local ingredients, foods, and craft drinks tend to be more expensive, but they also tend to be very well received by local customers. Choosing local suppliers, loudly advertising that fact, and collaborating with them provides a great focal point for ongoing promotion.

If you are already sourcing local ingredients, foods, or drinks, reach out to the supplier and invite them to collaborate. Pro tip: it will be a lot easier to set something up if you have a clear game plan to propose from the beginning.

In addition to non-competing restaurants, there are tons of non-competing local businesses in your area that would love to cross-promote with you in order to mutually grow both businesses.

One creative idea is to partner with businesses and organizations that need meeting space during your non-service or even low-service hours. This gets people in the door who will likely be interested in coming back later to try your food.

You could also arrange to serve food to the group as part of the agreement, either as a promotion or a paid service. The point here is to be conscious of your assets and how you can use those assets to grab attention to your core business. Despite all that focus on non-competing businesses, sometimes it even makes sense to partner with your direct competitors.

Restaurant Week and similar local events are a great time to put competition aside and celebrate all the restaurants in your local area. Restaurant Weeks are very popular and tend to get coverage from both social media and local media.

Hand out flyers, offer discounts, and encourage people to come in and try a dish made by the people in their own community. If your restaurant is a great place to work, the entire service staff network in your city, plus all their friends and family, is going to know about it.

Get your staff involved in providing ideas for improving the restaurant, and then use those ideas. Offer individual and team bonuses when possible. Be conscientious with scheduling and allow added flexibility for longtime performers.

If you want to really go above and beyond, find out what would be personally meaningful to your top staff and try to give them that as best you can. Holidays can be a massive source of new business, but they also bring their fair share of competition.

Every restaurant in your area is going to be running promotions and specials to compete for that holiday dining dash.

This is a day to pull out all the stops and celebrate someone incredibly important and special. You want to offer a great experience and charge a price that makes this an incredibly successful day for your restaurant. This phrase is intentionally vague but entails a limitless supply of alcohol. Mimosas or wine are great options here, where you can supply a large amount of drinks at a relatively low budget.

Instead of ignoring this or trying to fight it, why not profit from it? Create a ready-to-grill, take-home package that people can order to make their cookout easier AND higher quality at the same time. You can even offer to grill it yourself for people who want the cookout experience without needing to do any work.

The demographic for this celebration tends to skew a bit younger, however, and while diners are willing to spend money, cost is still a consideration. A prix fixe menu is the perfect fit for this holiday. It lets your customers receive an upscale experience while also providing a fixed price they can commit to before arriving at your restaurant.

Offer upsells like wine pairing, main course upgrades, or special desserts to increase your average ticket size and make more money from the big spenders who visit your restaurant.

Reach out to as many as you can and find one that is interested in collaborating with you. Look for a mutually beneficial collaboration that is going to help both businesses grow together, and make sure both companies are contributing to the promotion and being featured in any advertising you both run for the event.

Customers love the convenience of simply showing up and experiencing the menu without needing to make wine decisions at each course. Start by choosing two or three signature dishes and then choose either one glass of wine or one bottle that best compliments the food.

For example, your menu might offer three glasses of champagne, as well as a description of what dish they go with and why they pair well together. Those who celebrate it tend to do so with the entire family, and you can encourage families with children to choose your restaurant on Easter by providing them with a special, kid-friendly menu that is intentional rather than an afterthought.

The key here is to go a step beyond the normal kids fair of chicken fingers, fries, burgers, and pizza. Offer something exceptional but still accessible to young kids and then advertise it heavily leading up to the event.

This is an especially great promotion option for restaurants looking to attract families year-round. Halloween is all about fun. Halloween events are more about decoration than anything else.

You can do the same types of events you would do other times of the year, like trivia, karaoke, contests, and more — as long as you really put some effort into the décor. You can also do stuff like menu item puns, random candies, fall-themed desserts, and so much more.

If there is ever a holiday to just go nuts and have some fun, this is the one. So, instead, let's see where a Lincoln can take you. We rolled around to ubiquitous chains like McDonald's, Subway, and Chipotle to find the best meal that can be cobbled together for about five bucks.

To eat on a budget, you need a system. Here are the three principles driving the food selection for this list:. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get. It's about the best meal you can construct.

It's a little bit about the most food you can get. It's a meal, right? Also, we're not paying attention to limited-time offers that won't be around in a few weeks.

Sorry, Nacho Fries and unicorn thingamajigs. Build your own combo. What to order: It's a little tricky to get the price down while filling up at your favorite mall-based restaurant. Nonetheless, you can get pretty close, especially if you opt to skip a soda and get some water.

You probably need to hydrate anyhow, right? It's pretty damn solid all things considered. While this meal is put together with menu prices, you can pretty reliably find a deep discount in the Wendy's app and occasionally even land a free burger.

Nonetheless, to get your meal, skip the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and grab two Jr. You haven't really eaten at Wendy's until you've dipped your fries in a Frosty. The money goes to charity and you wind up getting free Frostys for an entire year. What to order: If you're looking to maximize your caloric intake for the buck, the Sausage Egg and Cheese on a croissant has a whopping calories.

The bagels at Dunkin' tend to survive life before your mouth a little more intact than the croissant. No, you aren't getting a coffee, but Dunkin' isn't fooling anyone with the name change. You still came there for the donut.

What to order: Chipotle is not the go-to spot for a budget-conscious eater. You really can't get anything there's a kid's menu. I know I will. Sometimes, I like to go to Shake Shack and with a very long straw, drink from others' beverages.

When they look around in alarm, I declare, very much like Daniel Plainview, "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE". They usually don't respond. Anyways, I'm not welcome back technically but what are they going to do, call the cops?

Ha, I should think not. Offer is not valid for drive-thru purchases, delivery, or curbside. Buy Now at Sam's Club.

Deals on Restaurants. FILTER 1. Sorted by Featured. Staff Pick Restaurants. Offer Type. Popularity Rank. Offer Status. Medium Sub at Firehouse Subs. more Redeem this offer in-store at Firehouse Subs after 4pm.

All Deals Restaurants. Ends Today. Western Bacon Cheeseburger at Carl's Jr. Free via app for Rewards members. more Today only, members can enjoy a free burger via the app.

Amazon · 6 hrs ago. Grubhub Order. COPY CODE. All Deals Restaurants Amazon. Dunkin Donuts Dunkin' Iced Coffee. All Deals Coffee Dunkin Donuts. Red Lobster Lobsterfest. Limited Time New Offers. more Enjoy 10 crowd pleasing Lobsterfest meals.

Taco Bell · 1 wk ago. Taco Bell Build Your Own Cravings Box. Buy Now. All Deals Restaurants Taco Bell. Chipotle · 1 wk ago. Side or Topping of Queso Blanco at Chipotle. more Coupon code "QUESO24" bags this freebie with entree purchases online or in the app. All Deals Restaurants Chipotle. Wendy's Dave's Single Burger.

more By signing up to the Wendy's app, you can redeem a Dave's Single for free under the "offers" tab.

Buy Now at Taco Bell. Coupon code "QUESO24" bags this freebie with entree purchases online or in the app. Shop Now at Chipotle. By signing up to the Wendy's app, you can redeem a Dave's Single for free under the "offers" tab. Also, the same app will grant you free delivery during the Superbowl.

Shop Now at Uber Eats. Every Monday, from 5pm to close, score 50 cent wings. Buy Now at TGI Fridays. The Big Game might be over a week away but you can start celebrating now with deals from Little Caesars.

Available for takeout orders only, and availability may vary by location. Join the Chuck E. Cheese rewards program to score free e-tickets when Hendrick Motorsports drivers win. Tickets are valid for one week after race completion.

Shop Now at Chuck E. Order in app and get a free sub, valid on your next purchase. Only one redemption is allowed per MyMike's account. Score game day pizza deals today. You'll find deals on something to feed crowds of all sizes. Shop the new limited time Valentine's Day Dough-Note Collection, available through catering pictured.

Plus, send Valentine's Day e-gift cards, and shop merch, including mugs, hats, and T-shirts. Shop Now at Krispy Kreme. Options include Medium 2-Topping Pizzas, Breads, Loaded Tots, Boneless Chicken, Pastas, Sandwiches, Salads, or Desserts.

Shop Now at Domino's. Between 2pm and 5pm, apply coupon code "TWOFORFUN" to avail of this offer online or via the app. I know I will. Sometimes, I like to go to Shake Shack and with a very long straw, drink from others' beverages. When they look around in alarm, I declare, very much like Daniel Plainview, "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE".

They usually don't respond. Anyways, I'm not welcome back technically but what are they going to do, call the cops? Ha, I should think not. Offer is not valid for drive-thru purchases, delivery, or curbside.

Buy Now at Sam's Club. Deals on Restaurants. FILTER 1. Sorted by Featured. Staff Pick Restaurants. Offer Type. Popularity Rank. Offer Status. Medium Sub at Firehouse Subs. more Redeem this offer in-store at Firehouse Subs after 4pm.

All Deals Restaurants. Ends Today. Western Bacon Cheeseburger at Carl's Jr. Free via app for Rewards members. more Today only, members can enjoy a free burger via the app.

Amazon · 6 hrs ago. Grubhub Order. COPY CODE. All Deals Restaurants Amazon. Dunkin Donuts Dunkin' Iced Coffee. All Deals Coffee Dunkin Donuts. Red Lobster Lobsterfest. Limited Time New Offers. more Enjoy 10 crowd pleasing Lobsterfest meals. Taco Bell · 1 wk ago. Taco Bell Build Your Own Cravings Box.

Buy Now. All Deals Restaurants Taco Bell. Chipotle · 1 wk ago. Side or Topping of Queso Blanco at Chipotle. Though, the nuggets would substitute well and keep you in the same price range.

Plus, you'd be getting those sweet, sweet sauces. Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason. What to order: Jimmy John's hasn't always been the best place for a super-cheap lunch. However, in late , JJ added the Little John. Plus, there are seven varieties of the Little John, which gives you options, but the 6 is a solid choice if you're looking to get the most out of the smaller sandwich.

The vegetarian sandwich comes with avocado, provolone, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. You're getting a lot more flavor there than with the spare Slim 5 and a few more calories than with the other Little John options. If you're ordering anything but the salt and vinegar chips, you're doing it wrong.

What to order: You're going to have a tough time pulling this one off. That's the highest calorie soup they offer. For the same price, you can come close with the Summer Corn Chowder or the Bistro French Onion.

What to order: You'll run into the same problem here that you ran into at Chipotle. You could turn to the kid's menu, but that can get awkward. Let's go a different direction. What to order: The Dollar Menu is dead; long live the Dollar Menu. That's the best you'll do unless you're dining with the Hamburglar.

What to order: Get dressed like you're making stops at the sock hop and Makeout Bluff, then try not to spill chili cheese down your chest. So, there's really only one option to make it all happen here.

Load it up with your favorite fixings and add in a bag of Sun Chips, because that's what you do at Subway. What to order: Yes, you could blow your budget and more on any of its ridiculously sweet Frap du Jour surprises.

But you can actually get a decent breakfast as well. Not to mention you should be checking the Rewards app to get points and see if there's a Happy Hour going down.

What to order: You could blow the budget on the new Impossible Whopper , which is really a pretty good choice. That'll land you a bacon cheeseburger, four-piece order of chicken nuggets, cookie, value-sized fries, and a ounce soft drink.

What to order: Look, you know where this is going. You can't just go to Popeyes and not get that chicken sandwich. That almost puts you up to you budget's ceiling. You're going to want that drink to cool your mouth if the sandwich proves too spicy for you.

Skip to main content News. By Dustin Nelson. Here are the three principles driving the food selection for this list: 1. Now, dig in.

Taco Bell. Panda Express. White Castle. Jimmy John's. Burger King. Want More Free Food? You're welcome. Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow him dlukenelson.

You can pick from three yummy options, including Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. These entrées are prepared, packaged, and chilled, making them ready to take home — perfect for dinner that night or lunch the next day!

Frosty with any purchase through the end of It resets every hour after being claimed, so you could be looking at a whole lot of Frosties in !

Plus with a Frosty Jr. Einstein Bros. Bagels has a new and exciting offer for Schmear Society Rewards Members can participate in the new Unlimited Free Coffee Program.

That means any time you place an order online or through the app, you can score a FREE hot or iced coffee excluding cold brew of any size with any purchase!

To redeem your reward, order online or through the app. Not part of the Schmear Society Rewards program? Any purchase will unlock the reward for the next calendar month. You can choose from a medium 1-topping pizza, a selection of melts, 8-piece breaded boneless wings, a double order of breadsticks, cheese sticks, and their new chocolate donut bites!

Plus this deal is available for takeout or delivery! Note that participation may vary by location. One of our favorites is the hot dog and drink combo. That's the highest calorie soup they offer. For the same price, you can come close with the Summer Corn Chowder or the Bistro French Onion.

What to order: You'll run into the same problem here that you ran into at Chipotle. You could turn to the kid's menu, but that can get awkward. Let's go a different direction. What to order: The Dollar Menu is dead; long live the Dollar Menu.

That's the best you'll do unless you're dining with the Hamburglar. What to order: Get dressed like you're making stops at the sock hop and Makeout Bluff, then try not to spill chili cheese down your chest. So, there's really only one option to make it all happen here.

Load it up with your favorite fixings and add in a bag of Sun Chips, because that's what you do at Subway. What to order: Yes, you could blow your budget and more on any of its ridiculously sweet Frap du Jour surprises. But you can actually get a decent breakfast as well.

Not to mention you should be checking the Rewards app to get points and see if there's a Happy Hour going down. What to order: You could blow the budget on the new Impossible Whopper , which is really a pretty good choice.

That'll land you a bacon cheeseburger, four-piece order of chicken nuggets, cookie, value-sized fries, and a ounce soft drink. What to order: Look, you know where this is going. You can't just go to Popeyes and not get that chicken sandwich. That almost puts you up to you budget's ceiling.

You're going to want that drink to cool your mouth if the sandwich proves too spicy for you. Skip to main content News. By Dustin Nelson. Here are the three principles driving the food selection for this list: 1. Now, dig in. Taco Bell. Panda Express. White Castle. Jimmy John's. Burger King.

Save time and money with our restaurant deals. Although if you do, you should definitely check out our recipes. There is, you just need to know where to look.

Heck, you can even score free food at the popular restaurants. If you want to stay in the know with the latest specials and promotions, be sure to download our Hip2Save app. Take a look at our FAQ page for more info. Download these apps and load up your phone with FREE and cheap restaurant deals that'll blow your mind, but not your budget!

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