Football season is here, and it's more than just game time — it's an opportunity for restaurants to connect with fans in exciting new ways. Crafting a game day experience that includes food, atmosphere, and special events can turn your space into a fan favorite and ramp up your revenue.
Ready to kick off the season right? Here's your ultimate playbook.
Football marketing tips for restaurants
To nail your football strategy as a restaurant, get into the mindset of your local fans. And take note of these tips from restaurateurs who have learned from a few seasons of trial and error.
1. Commit to the whole football season
"With football, you can't fake it," cautions Dāmel Harrison, owner of Sundaze Burgers in Poughkeepsie, NY. "If you're going to implement a strategy around football marketing, you have to be serious. You have to know the game, know the schedule."
That's right, throwing a party once a year for the big game won't make you the go-to spot during the regular season. Unsure where to start? Tap into staff members (or regular customers) who are true fans to understand what gets them excited about watching the game each week.
2. Craft a game day menu with local favorites
Up the excitement with a special game day restaurant menu. Shareable favorites, like wings, nachos, and fries are the bare minimum. Make an effort to tap into any local flavors fans love — think adding some cajun spice to some apps when the Saints are in town or coming up with a new twist on a Philly cheesesteak just for game day.
The last piece of the puzzle is of course your own establishment's point of view (POV). Create a menu that feels festive for gameday, but also stays true to why your customers keep coming in the off season. Remember, authenticity is key.
3. Transform your space into the go-to football watch zone
One screen will not cut it, unless that screen is very, very large. Make sure the game is visible from every seat in the house (or at least the whole area you're designating for the watch party), whether that means adding more TVs to your setup or rolling out a few extra projectors and screens just for game day.
Serious fans will want the game sound on, and loud. A popular tactic is to have bar staff fade up music on the house system during commercial breaks, but you'll need to make sure someone is always paying attention. For a real watch party atmosphere, some bars have been known to hire a DJ to play music during the breaks and a set during halftime. If you're playing multiple games at once, prioritize announcers for the local team.
4. Offer football game day promotions for bar customers or delivery diners
While you're crafting your themed game day menu, brainstorm football promo ideas to serve up alongside it, like discounts on popular apps or special meal deals. And don't forget customers watching the game from home — extend your menu and promos to takeout and delivery diners, too.
"We have a spend $15 get 20% off deal running through DoorDash that performs well," said Sammy Mandell, owner of Greenville Avenue Pizza Company in Dallas. "And we offer a deal where you spend $45 and get seven bucks off, which also performs well."
5. Share the game day excitement on social media
Once you've mastered the game day vibe, be sure to share photos and videos of customers having a blast on your social media channels.
"Social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, are powerhouses for us!. They allow us to showcase our vibrant atmosphere, delicious specials, and behind-the-scenes content that really connects with our audience."
6. Know the big games and your local NFL and college football schedules
Football is not just on Sundays anymore — in fact Thursday and Monday nights are just as popular overall, and may be the most important for fans in your area depending on your local team's specific schedule. Oh, and that's just professional football.
If you're in a big college football region, be ready for multiple games every Saturday, and a slew of games any other day of the week.
The upshot? Being tuned into your local market is crucial when it comes to planning ahead for game day events.
7. Hold football themed events like Jersey Nights or Fantasy Football Drafts
Football-themed events can be a great way to draw in fans. Keep your eye out for other televised football events, like the draft, which is watched by even casual fans. Add excitement to lower stakes games like the pre-season by encouraging fans to wear their favorite jerseys and other gear.
Fantasy football draft nights are common among fans as well, and there's no reason fantasy leagues can't come to your restaurant to select their players — just make sure your wifi can handle the sudden influx of connections. Other ways to facilitate a smooth draft process include giving leagues enough room to spread out (it's likely at least one person will need to be on a laptop), and offering up food and drink specials to ensure they're fueled up for the long process.
"Our goal is to create an unforgettable game day experience that keeps fans coming back!" says Smith.
"We've found that themed events, like jersey nights and fantasy football drafts, really energize the crowd and foster a sense of community. Our special menu items, such as football-themed platters and shareable wings, are always a hit."
8. Encourage football fans to place their game day orders in advance
For the takeout crowd, you don't want a long wait to pick up food to be the reason they miss kick off. Consider encouraging fans to order and pick up a few hours (or a day) in advance, especially if your menu lends itself to easy and delicious reheating.
"On busy game days, such as the Super Bowl, we try to get people to order the days before or morning of."
"Having the guest order the food ahead of time lowers demand at time of, lets the customer control when they want to eat it as well as helps them not have a long wait or delivery time," adds Andy Husbands, Owner of The Smoke Shop BBQ in Boston.
9. Send football promotions via email and social media as well as on delivery apps
Now that you've planned a great menu and optimized your space for game day watching, how do you let your customers know about upcoming events? You could take an old school approach with on premise signage in high traffic areas, or take advantage of your email lists and followers on social media to capture folks who may not be coming in regularly.
"We leverage targeted email campaigns to keep our regulars in the loop with the latest events and exclusive offers," says Smith.
High-volume operations tips for restaurants
With high viewership and a growing population of fans, football game days bring more orders to restaurants — here’s how to prepare.
10. Have a game plan for pickup, delivery, and catering orders
Game plans are not just for on-the-field action. You know your team and your menu, so make a plan that sets them up for success when it comes to off-premise dining to ensure customers have a good experience whether they are in house or not.
"A few hours before the game starts we lower the availability of our menu for third-party delivery," explains Husbands. "This enables us to cook in larger quantities with less variables, making it easier to produce, and thus quicker out-the-door times. Lastly, we challenge our team members to not turn off or slow down third-party delivery, often this is a knee jerk reaction that is not good for the business and can be avoided with proper planning."
11. Run a tight ship and streamline operations and inventory for high-volume game days
Stocking a menu with in-demand apps and snacks only works when you're stocked up enough for anticipated demand.
Smith and his team work closely with suppliers to ensure inventory is set for high-volume game days. "We maintain buffer stock of fan favorites, like wings and beer, so we never run low," he explains.
"For delivery, we optimize by dedicating a team to manage online orders and partnering with reliable delivery platforms like DoorDash to ensure fans can enjoy our football specials at home without a hitch."
12. Bring on additional staff for high-traffic football games
"Football season is high-energy, and with that comes challenges like managing high foot traffic, keeping inventory levels stocked, and ensuring seamless service," Smith says. "We tackle staffing challenges by preparing early — bringing in extra team members and cross-training our staff to handle peak times efficiently."
Keep in mind that game day may require an all-hands-on-deck approach from your team, requiring staff to cross-train and pick up slack where needed. Planning ahead to handle staffing challenges will set your team up for success.
Set your restaurant up for big wins during football season
Football season brings a months-long opportunity to grow your roster of regulars, offer exciting events, and maximize delivery sales with DoorDash Promotions.
Ready to sign up for DoorDash? Join now to unlock sales during football season.
Get your promotion boosted for Fall Football
To help you reach more customers and get more orders from sports fans, DoorDash is increasing the value of Discount for All Customers promotions during football season. That means if you’re running a Discount for All promotion between August 29-November 18, DoorDash will increase its value by up to 25% on Saturdays and Sundays — at no additional cost to you (e.g., a Spend $30, Get $8 promo can become Spend $30, Get $10).
On average, stores running promotions see up to a 20% boost in sales.* Don’t miss out on this opportunity to attract new customers and drive sales this football season.
How to participate:
Set up a Discount for All Customers promotion before November 1
Make sure your promotion is live at some point during August 29-November 18
You’ll automatically get the value boost of up to 25% once the promotion is live
Plus, to give you extra visibility, your promotion will be featured in our Fall Football homepage carousel and Offers hub on these weekends.
