There’s no doubt promotions are a powerful marketing tool for restaurants. Offering a discount not only increases orders, but it also boosts customer loyalty. In fact, 80% of diners will try a new restaurant if they can get a discount. Incorporating March national food holidays into your marketing strategy will give your restaurant a dozen reasons to promote your menu.

National food holidays are fun, lighthearted ways to showcase different cuisines, dishes, and seasonal favorites. Start spring off on the right foot by developing a marketing strategy around food holidays. 

Why should restaurants celebrate national food holidays?

Celebrating national food holidays gets customers excited about certain parts of your menu. Use national food holidays to create marketing campaigns that resonate with diners. These holidays allow restaurants to connect with their customers on a personal level, tapping into the shared joy and nostalgia associated with specific dishes. By actively participating in these celebrations, restaurants can not only boost orders and revenue, but also strengthen their brand identity, creating memorable experiences that resonate with diners and encourage repeat visits.

No matter how you celebrate, embracing national food holidays is a great way to spice up your marketing strategy. Browse our national food holiday calendar to determine what food celebrations fit your menu and plan promotions that resonate with your diners.

3 Restaurant promotion ideas for March

March has a food holiday for every type of menu. Whether you’re celebrating cereal (March 7) or ravioli (March 20), pairing a holiday with a promotion will help your restaurant stand out. March also brings popular delivery days including St. Patrick’s Day and the weeks surrounding the national college basketball tournament.

1. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Restaurants often get an uptick in orders during national holidays, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. Make your business stand out by embracing this lucky holiday on Sunday, March 17th. Creating a fun holiday menu is a great place to start, and adding limited-time deals will encourage diners to place an order.

St. Patrick’s Day promotions ideas include:

• Offer a 15% discount on all green menu items
• Discount your pints and pitchers
• Give away a free appetizer to parties of 6+
• Offer a free drink to anyone wearing green
• Encourage diners to post a photo of your food on their story for 10% off their check

2. Embrace freebies

Did you know that offering a free menu item can actually increase your orders and revenue? An irresistible freebie is a great way to get diners to taste your menu and get hooked. Complimentary items create a positive and memorable experience for patrons, increasing the likelihood for repeat business and to encourage others to try your restaurant as well.

National Chip and Dip Day (March 23) is a great holiday to run a giveaway. Give free chips to anyone who dines in and purchases an entree. Celebrating this lesser-known food holiday will add a unique reason to visit your restaurant over the competition.

3. Launch a spring menu

Embrace local ingredients by creating a seasonal menu for the start of spring. Seasonal menus are great for attracting customers and promoting sustainability — not to mention the freedom it can allow for your chefs to get creative in the kitchen.

Spring is a season marked by the arrival of fresh and vibrant produce. Including ingredients like asparagus, strawberries, spinach, and onions will bring out the flavors of the season. Add some of the March food holidays items to your menu and discount them on their special day. National Spinach Day (March 26) isn’t usually widely celebrated, but if you discount your spinach omelets you will get diners excited about the leafy vegetable.

Announce promotions with food holiday social media templates

Ready to spread the word about your food holiday promotions? Tap into Grubhub’s free social media templates to let customers online know you’re celebrating. Give details of the food promotion in the caption, and add a link to your online ordering site in your bio to boost conversion.

The best part about these templates is you can customize them to match your brand. Put your own food photography center stage while encouraging diners to place an order. 82% of people would order food just because of how it looks in a photo, regardless of whether they wanted it or not. Getting your dishes in diners’ social feeds can have a direct impact on order volume. Post your templates with #GrubhubPartner for a chance to be featured on our Instagram, Grubhub for Restaurants.

March national food holidays

March is National Noodle Month, National Peanut Month, and Nation Sauces Month.

• March 3: National Cold Cuts Day
• March 4: National Pound Cake Day
• March 6: National Oreo Cookie Day
• March 7: National Cereal Day
• March 9: National Meatball Day
• March 10: National Ranch Day
• March 14: National Potato Chip Day
• March 14: National Pi Day
• March 16: National Corn Dog Day
• March 18: National Sloppy Joe Day
• March 20: National Ravioli Day
• March 23: National Chip and Dip Day
• March 26: National Spinach Day
• March 30: National Hot Chicken Day