2025 Restaurant or Bar Promotion Ideas for the Big Game

Whether you’re a diehard football fan or an avid foodie, everyone likes to gather over plenty of delicious food and drinks for the big game. In fact, these parties are more popular than ever before. According to a  study by the National Retail Federation, consumers that watch the game spend about $86 for the event, attributing about 80% to food and beverages. Additionally, their study found that 16.2 million people are planning to celebrate at a restaurant or bar.

So why not make your place the perfect party destination or a place people can order from? Below are some easy bar or restaurant promotion ideas for this year’s big game.

1. Offer Discounted Appetizers 

These bar and restaurant promotion ideas probably come as no surprise. If you don’t already have them, kick off the next game by adding football fan favorites to your menu:

• Wings—Football and wings are the perfect combination before, during or after game time. Every year the National Chicken Council releases the estimated number of wings that Americans consume for the big game. In the last few years, the report has estimated that people eat between 1.42 billion wings over that weekend. It’s a no-brainer to get in on the chicken craze by offering a discounted price on all your traditional and boneless varieties that will make your place a hit with both passionate and casual fans.


• Pizza—Pizza is another popular food for the game, and it’s easy to munch on while watching the game. Whether you operate a sit-down restaurant, own a small-town bar or offer delivery, think about discounting the price of pizza for the day.


• Chips and dip—If you’re looking for a football food idea for your restaurant, then try marketing guacamole or queso, as these seem to be the most popular of the fan favorites. 

2. Serve New Appetizers

While wings are a slam dunk, other appetizers also are a hit on game day. Everything from nachos and flatbreads to mozzarella sticks and onion rings gets equal attention. Try serving some different options just for the occasion. Try out some of these ideas for restaurant specials:

• Swedish meatballs


• Hummus 


• Veggie platter


• Football-shaped finger foods

If you’ve been thinking about adding a few new artisan apps to the menu this year, now is a good time to test them out. You can promote your bar or restaurant by advertising them as being “limited-time” or “for the big game only.”

3. Spice up the Beer Specials

Whether it’s on TV or on the menu, those famous domestic beers are a staple during the game. Instead of offering only those popular libations as specials, add some craft beers or foreign brews to the lineup. If there are local breweries in your area, this is a great time to partner with one of them and offer a couple of their top selections as specials during the day.

4. Create a Mini Tailgate

Who said tailgating is only for the stadium parking lot? Bring those tasty tailgate favorites to your bar or restaurant for the game. If the weather allows it, set up a grill outside to cook burgers, hot dogs and sausage, and create a small buffet station inside with condiments, buns and more for your patrons. Consider offering a “tailgate package” that includes grilled food, a side and an appetizer for a flat fee.

5. Have a Little Something for Everyone 

Other places pride themselves on being a haven for sports fans, but your establishment might not cater to that crowd. So don’t break the routine. There are still plenty of people looking to do something completely different while everyone is watching the big game.

• Host a special event – Another bar or restaurant promotion idea to attract all crowds is holding a trivia tournament or movie marathon throughout the entire day.


• Game day-only wine tasting – For wine shops or upscale distilleries, this would be a good time to host a special tasting. Create demand by making it a game-day only event. If it’s successful, who knows, maybe you can add it as a permanent option on your bar menu.


• Put out table games – It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but having a game like tabletop football or ring toss can keep children and adults alike entertained during half-time.

If airing the game seems too risky, host these other non-football events before kick-off. After all, no one needs to watch 10 hours of pregame coverage, right?

“Overtime” Advice

Whatever big game promotions you do at your restaurant or bar, remember to do the following:

• Leverage social media – Aside from posting fliers, make sure to post your promotions on social media. As soon as you create images and finalize event details, start posting. Create a Facebook event to make a big deal out of how your establishment will celebrate for locals to find and join. Try to have everything complete a week or two before the game if you can. Remember to repost frequently the week leading up to the game as well as on game day. Check out some of our social media tips on Snapchat filters, geo-targeting and more inspiration.


• Avoid using trademarked terms – Certain terms related to the game are trademarked. Don’t use them in campaign messaging or promotional materials, especially if there is a giveaway involved. Those terms are allowed on materials that aren’t sponsored or branded, but you can avoid any potential issues or gray areas by using generic terms like “The Big Game.”


• Avoid using trademarked logos and team names – Don’t use the NFL logo, team logos, team names and the term “NFL” in any messaging or promotional content. The same goes for a player’s name. Instead, use generic stock images on any digital art or posters promoting your restaurant for the game. To be safe, consider adding a disclaimer stating that your establishment is not an official sponsor of the NFL.