Outstanding Memorial Day Restaurant Promotions for 2023

Thinking of Memorial Day restaurant promotions that will surely attract customers to your restaurant? We got you covered.

It’s annually celebrated on the last Monday of May, which falls on the 27th this year.

Restaurants can capitalize on this celebration as people take this chance to spend quality time with friends and loved ones by engaging in outdoor activities or dining out.

Join the country in honoring and remembering the service and sacrifice of brave fallen heroes by keeping their memories alive through your promotions.

And to guarantee smooth operations on this busy federal holiday, you can use an interactive restaurant QR code menu software.

It has many helpful marketing tools that are easy to understand and implement, helping boost your average sales and income.

Read further to learn more about promotions and discover how this online restaurant tool can improve your bottom line.

Memorial Day restaurant promotions to generate more sales and income

Check out the following list to see how you can show support and appreciation to troopers while maximizing your sales and profit:

Free meals to families of fallen military personnel

Celebrate the patriotism and selfless service of the fallen warriors by giving their families a free meal.

Create a special menu category on your QR code menu and offer a limited selection of dishes, including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks.

To confirm if they have a relative or family member who died while in service, they need to present proof of military service, like a military ID or proof of service.

Happy hour

How to attract new customers and boost foot traffic? Happy hour is one surefire way to do so.

It is a good deal for customers as they take advantage of a discounted food and drink menu, which can encourage them to visit your place during off-peak hours.

Craft fun menu ideas featuring discounted items. Consider offering various options to meet different customer tastes and dietary preferences. For instance, you could offer a platter of fresh seasonal fruits.

If you have new items, you can combine them with regular ones. It's also a good opportunity to promote popular and signature dishes.

Memorial Day veteran discounts

While Memorial Day is meant for those who have passed, you can still honor war veterans who are still alive and kicking.

Give them a special discount and honor their selfless dedication to serving the country. These Memorial Day deals could be a percentage off the bill or a free item from the menu. 

Since your Memorial Day veteran discount promotion is a limited-time offer, it creates a feeling of urgency among customers.

In fact, the RetailMeNot survey reveals that 80% of consumers admit they're inclined to try a new brand if it offers a discount.

Eat-all-you-can buffet

An eat-all-you-can buffet is a great deal for customers looking for various food options at a fixed price. 

This type of meal serving is also ideal for customers who have a hearty appetite without worrying about additional costs.

Implement this idea for sales and promotions by deciding on the buffet's theme and concept.

You can go for an all-American buffet for your Memorial Day deals or try other cuisines like Indian, Chinese, Italian, or Japanese. Or you can offer a little of everything, so diners have more choices.

Offer summer-themed drinks

Memorial Day is often regarded as the unofficial start of summer.

Since hotter days are approaching, offer al fresco dining while giving them various options for drinks perfect for the summer.

Offer different drink options, such as healthy, refreshing, alcoholic, and nonalcoholic, to cater to different customer preferences.

You can't also go wrong when you offer your signature drinks and give a twist to the classic ones. 

Other worth-considering restaurant promotions for Memorial Day

If you're looking for incentive-related promotion ideas, consider the following:

Free drink or dessert with a purchase of an entree

By offering customers complimentary items, you can encourage them to purchase an entree, potentially increasing the average check amount per customer.

You can retarget customers by sending them an email newsletter about this offer, and to reach more potential customers, advertise this promo across different social media platforms.

This promotion can be your unique selling point, attracting customers looking for added value to the promos. 

Run online contests

Boost online engagement by running online contests on your preferred social media platform.

Encourage customers to post their most memorable Memorial Day celebration while tagging your restaurant. The best one will win special deals and prizes.

To ensure these ideas for sales and promotions increase your reach, ask them to include hashtags on their captions like #memorialdaydeals, #memorialday2023, and others.

Reward early customers

Giving handy rewards like vouchers or coupons can help attract a flood of customers to dine at your place.

For example, give the first 100 customers a voucher or meal coupon they can redeem anytime this year.

This can make happy and satisfied customers share their positive experience with their family or friends; they can serve as your brand advocates.

Honor your heroes

Encourage relatives of fallen heroes to submit the story of bravery and heroism of their passed loved one to your restaurant for a chance to win exciting freebies.

It could be a free meal or gift cards they can use for future purchases.

Showcase the winning article by posting it on your restaurant website or by placing it in a visible spot at your restaurant so customers can easily read it. 

You can also collaborate with local writers and bloggers to feature your customers' articles.

5 Ways to promote your products using MENU TIGER's QR code menu

MENU TIGER is among the best QR menu providers for the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Its functional features will surely smoothen kitchen operations. It also has marketing features to help you boost sales and profits. 

To know how to use them, see the following:

Feature popular items

MENU TIGER's QR menu has a section for “featured” items. This lets you highlight your chef's signature dishes and other popular offerings on your tablet menu.

This can also increase the item's visibility and draw customers' attention to check out the food section, and the best part is they may be more inclined to order it.

Run scheduled promotions 

Implementing a Memorial Day weekend sales and promotion is a piece of cake with MENU TIGER's built-in restaurant website. You can run multiple scheduled promotions and choose from various promotion types.

Fill out the required information to complete setting up the promotion. Remember to add attractive images with compelling descriptions to grab customers' attention.

Label new items on the QR code menu

One way to promote new items on your menu is by labeling them as “New.” Doing so creates a sense of curiosity among customers.

This will prompt customers to try something unique for their taste buds. It's also convenient for customers who take a long time to decide what they should have for a meal, helping them save time.

Display tasty-looking food images

Using visually appealing and mouthwatering images of your restaurant's dishes is another way to increase sales during your Memorial Day celebration.

Using MENU TIGER, you can display not only one but up to three images per item, providing a more comprehensive visual representation of the dish.

You can also highlight unique features and elements of the dish, helping them make informed decisions.

Upsell and cross-sell

Another advantage of having a digital menu like MENU TIGER is that you don't need to train your staff about particular items to upsell and cross-sell. 

You can easily do these on the online menu by suggesting valuable additional items like sides and add-ons to complement the customer's initial purchase.

They can also set the quantity of the items. And for meat items like steak, they can choose its doneness, whether medium rare or well done.

This will help increase your sales and enhance the customer experience as they personalize their orders.

Have a successful Memorial Day celebration with the help of MENU TIGER 

High-value Memorial Day restaurant promotions and deals can give you a competitive edge over the tough competition.  

Seize the moment to create a memorable dining experience using your promotions with genuine customer value. 

And to help you carry out successful long weekend promotions, rely only on MENU TIGER's QR code menu software.

With its intuitive interface, easy-to-use functions, and marketing tools, you can guarantee smooth operations and achieve your commercial goals.

Sign up for any of MENU TIGER's premium plans and enjoy a 14-day free trial.