With the NCAA and the NFL season underway, many people’s weekends are focused on football. As family meal deals grow in popularity, it might be time for your restaurant to considering offering a takeout tailgaters menu people won’t be able to resist.
What is a Tailgaters Menu?
Like family meal deals, a tailgaters menu focuses on conveniently feeding a large group of people. These game day meal packs can be brought to an official tailgate or can be consumed at people’s homes on game day. Whether they’re inviting friends over for the big game or they simply don’t want to take the time to cook while their favorite team is playing, tailgaters specials offer customers the opportunity to easily feed a large a group of people on game day.
When to Offer Tailgaters Specials?
Tailgating is a football tradition, so you should offer tailgaters specials during football games. For the NFL, that means you’ll likely want to have your tailgaters menu available all-day Sunday and potentially on Monday nights or Thursday nights when your local team is playing. For college football, games tend to be on Saturdays. If your restaurant is located in a college town, you might limit your game day meal pack to home games to accommodate people who are tailgating on campus. That said, many fans gather together to watch away games, which means you’ll likely have demand for away games as well.
What to Include on Your Tailgaters Menu?
There are plenty of foods that we associate with tailgating, including everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to wings and pizza. When planning your tailgaters menu, you’ll want to consider your regular menu and determine what makes the most sense to include. They’ll need to be foods that are convenient to eat and that can withstand some travel time. You’ll also want to include some variety. Successful tailgaters specials might include an extra-large pizza, hot wings, mozzarella sticks, and spinach and artichoke dip, or it might be a combination of hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese fries, and nachos. Even foot-long subs or deli sandwiches and chips can work great in your game day meal pack. If it’s legal in your area, you might also consider offering drinks. A growler of beer or to-go cocktails inspired by your local team can be a great addition to your takeout menu. Ready to start offering tailgaters specials at your restaurant? McDonald Wholesale can help! From foodservice distribution and restaurant technology to menu development and restaurant marketing, we’ve got you covered. In the meantime, check out our restaurant blog where we cover everything from creative takeout ideas to how to promote a new menu item on a budget.