Are all these national food holidays silly or are they seriously good for business?

Coming to American diners this summer are national food days to celebrate whatever suits your fancy: Chicken wings, French fries, mac ‘n cheese, hot dogs, ice cream, tequila, even Spam and caviar.

As my inbox became flooded with promotions for all these food holidays, I couldn’t help but ask myself “why?”

Why is there a stupid day to honor something that is so popular anyway—like ice cream or French fries? Or a dedicated holiday when people should drink tequila or enjoy caviar?

Then I talked to a few operators to find out how they promote these food holidays and how it benefits their business. And soon these days didn’t seem that stupid after all.

“National French Fry Day [July 12] is a great way to speak about our seasoned fries, which are a big brand pillar for us,” said Russ Romeo, Sr. Director of Marketing for Checkers & Rally’s. It’s so big, in fact, that the fast-food chain petitioned Marlo Anderson, founder of The National Day Calendar (there really is such a thing!), to have Fry Day fall on a Friday every year instead of having a set date in July as it was previously.

“Last year, we offered $1 fries and saw a bump in traffic,” said Romeo. But thinking that a unique offer more enticing than a 50-cent discount would make a Belarger impact, Checkers held a sweepstakes this year, with the prize being a year’s worth of Loaded Fries.

“It was something different to talk about on social media and generated lots of excitement,” he said. “We received 280,000 entries and selected 100 winners.” Also tied into National Fry Day was a deal for Rewards Members: A free order of Loaded Fries from July 12-14. “We got 12,000 new signups for our loyalty club,” said Romeo.

For National Fry Day on July 12, Checkers & Rally's stirred up excitement with a sweepstakes promoting the chains' Loaded Fries. | Photo courtesy of Checkers & Rally's.

Wayback Burgers believes that every burger tastes better with a side of fries, so on July 12, the fast casual offered a free order of fries to its Wayback Rewards members who ordered a burger or sandwich. “We noticed an uptick in posts on our social media platforms and our team members expressed that guests were excited for the Friday treat,” said a spokesperson.

While social media buzz is gratifying, dollars speak louder. Total system net sales were up 14.3% compared to the previous year and transaction count increased more than 11% year over year. Plus, “we had 681 new sign-ups for the Wayback Rewards program, marking the highest number on a Friday since the program's launch,” said the spokesperson.

National Wing Day is coming up on July 29, and PJ Whelihan’s is ready at all 24 of its locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Dine-in guests at the full-service pub can score a free five-piece order of wings with a $10 purchase.

“PJs has the best wings every day of the year, but National Wing Day is extra special for us,” said Jessica Breslow, CEO of parent PJW Restaurant Group. “It gives us a chance to celebrate our famous wings with our loyal customers and reach new audiences with a great promo. It’s really a big thank you to our customers who already know us for our great-tasting wings, but they also look incredible, and our social channels and digital marketing really capture that. If there’s an opportunity or a national day to highlight what we do best, PJs is definitely going to join the conversation.”

In honor of National Wing Day, East Coast Wings Grill is holding a Chicken Wing Champion contest from July 11-August 11. Fans enter through the app, again giving the brand a chance to beef up its loyalty membership and collect data. Customers have to taste their way through the East Coast Wings Grill menu, earning points by dining from each section. Three winners will be chosen per location; Gold gets free wings for a year, Silver a $50 gift card and Bronze a $25 card.

Contestants are encouraged to capture their tasting tour on social media, posting with the hashtag #chickenwingchampion for a chance to win more prizes.

While National Wing Day is a natural for wing concepts, even Whataburger and Golden Corral are getting in the action. On July 29, Whataburger is offering a BOGO promotion of its boneless WhataWings, while Golden Corral is bringing back its summer special of all-you-can-eat Baby Back Ribs and three flavors of Chicken Wings on that Monday.

Baskin-Robbins celebrates National Ice Cream Day each summer with deals like discount coupons on the app. | Photo courtesy of Baskin-Robbins.

The food holiday I can really wrap my arms around is National Ice Cream Day on July 21. Although I don’t need much of an incentive to eat ice cream, Carvel celebrated with $6 off any order over $35 when purchased through Uber Eats or Door Dash from July 18-21. That sounds like a lot of ice cream, but a couple of Fudgie the Whale cakes will do it.

Not to be outdone, Baskin-Robbins celebrated National Ice Cream Day for a whole week. Ice cream lovers could get $5 off any order of $20 or more by using the code “SEIZETHEYAY” in the app or by scanning a digital coupon in the store. “As a private company, we can’t disclose any financial metrics; however, we love using these ‘holidays’ as ways to engage with our consumers who love ice cream … we celebrate National Ice Cream Day each year with extra-sweet deals for our guests,” said a Baskin-Robbins spokesperson.

National Spam Musubi Day is a food holiday at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. | Photo courtesy of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.

Some concepts create their own food holidays to highlight a unique menu item. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is commemorating its fourth National Spam Musubi Day on August 8 by giving away free orders of this iconic Hawaii snack food, redeemable through the chain’s app. The menu item features marinated and seared slices of Spam served atop rice sushi-style.

This year, the day coincides with the anniversary of the devastating Lahaina wildfires, so L&L will match customers’ donations to the Maui Strong Fund up to $10,000 from August 1-8.

Prior to National Spam Musubi Day, vegan treats chain Cinnaholic celebrated National Cinnaholic Day on July 17 by offering its classic Old Skool Cinnamon Rolls for $2 all day long.

Somehow I missed National Caviar Day on July 18, but top hotels and restaurants offered everything from high tea caviar service at the Ritz Carlton New York in Nomad to a Caviar Picnic for Two at Lotte New York Palace hotel’s courtyard.

TGI Fridays offers a selection of $5 cocktails on National Tequila Day. | Photo courtesy of TGI Fridays

Caviar is traditionally served with champagne, but for those on a smaller budget, TGI Fridays is celebrating National Tequila Day on July 24 with $5 cocktails. Fridays’ tequila lineup includes the Cooling Paloma, Tequila Sunrise and Classic Margarita, among others. Guests can also snack on $5 bar bites such as Truffle Tot-Chos, Loaded Potato Skins and Buffalo Chicken Slammers.

“As a brand dedicated to raising the bar through high-quality and creative cocktails, giving our fans the opportunity to enjoy a holiday like National Tequila Day just makes perfect sense,” said Weldon Spangler, CEO of TGI Fridays. “While we can’t share sales figures, we’ve historically seen increased traffic when we highlight popular spirits. We know that tequila is the fastest growing spirit worldwide, and as interest increases in the beverage, we want to help guests celebrate the occasion. This year, we’ve created a special offer—our $5 tequila cocktail promotion allows our guests to enjoy a selection of their favorite drinks without breaking the bank.”