Fair warning, Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Consumers will spend $22.9 Billion to celebrate Father’s Day this year. Up from $21.4 last year. It’s a major day for restaurateurs – usually one of the top 5. It’s no Mother’s Day, in which consumers spent a record $35.7B in 2023. But it’s a potentially serious revenue-generating day for restaurants and the National Restaurant Association has consistently ranked it as one of the top revenue-generating holidays in foodservice.

The potential target audience here is huge. There are 72 million fathers in the United States, with 29 million of those fathers also being grandfathers. It’s estimated that there are 1.5 billion Fathers on Earth.

So Father’s Day can be a big day for a food and beverage business if your marketing and promotion game is in gear.

As a way to attract new customers and test out various promotions, Father's Day is a great opportunity for restaurants as well.

Laughing out loud. Father and daughter laughing out loud while spending time together sitting in cafeteria

Here are some proven effective promotions you might consider running:

A Special Father's Day Menu

Creating a menu with dishes like steaks, burgers, or BBQ is a common, popular, and profitable tactic. Similar to Mother’s Day, many restaurants prep a fixed-price menu or special discounts that appeal to traditional culinary sensibilities surrounding Dads.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar perfectly captures the spirit of the special Father’s Day tweak with “The 3-Course Celebration Dad Deserves” menu. Their website also does a good job promoting their carry-out, delivery, and catering capabilities for Dads who want Father’s Day at home.

Dads Eat For Free

Always popular, the free meal offered on Dad’s special day can dramatically increase business.

One example is at Cafe Mexicano, with multiple locations across New York, Boston, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.. They are offering the crowd favorite “Dad's Entrée Is On Us” promotion.

Father’s Day Gift Card Promotions

Encouraging customers to treat their fathers by offering incentives on gift card purchases is becoming a standard promotion for high revenue-generating holidays like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Father’s Day.

For instance, think about providing a bonus gift card or offering a discount on a future visit when customers buy a certain amount in gift cards.

Ruth's Chris Steak House combines a special menu as well as a $25 gift card for Dad to promote customer visits after Father’s Day.

Benihana is always active in making holidays like Father's Day hibachi-licious. They've crafted a promotion landing page on their website for Father's Day as part of their ongoing multi–channel approach to building customer loyalty, and rewarding Dad, with their gift card strategy.

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