Food LTO | KRG Hospitality

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

February 28, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your March 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, March boasts National Cold Cuts Day, Mario Day, and Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our February 2025 holidays list, click here.

March 3: National Cold Cuts Day

If you’re a deli, are partners with a deli, or otherwise serve menu items featuring cold cuts, this holiday should certainly be on your radar.

Whether you choose to feature all the cold cuts available, focus on one specifically, or offer LTO sandwiches or other items, this is a holiday worth building a promotion around.

March 5: National Absinthe Day

Some people choose to celebrate “Cinco de Marcho” on this day, “training” their kidneys for St. Patrick’s Day. Well, allow me to propose an alternative: National Absinthe Day.

While there are also clear versions, absinthe is usually green. It’s interesting, and loaded with lore. And this holiday doesn’t necessarily encourage dangerous levels of alcohol consumption.

March 7: National Cereal Day

From breakfast shots to breakfast cereal-flavored shots and cocktails, this is a simple holiday for programming beverage promotions.

And on the food side, think about how much fun your culinary team can have reimagining famous cereals as new menu items.

March 10: Mario Day

People tend to associate Mario with a few powerups: Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, and Starman stars. So, if we extrapolate and apply these powerups to F&B, operators and their teams can craft food and drinks that feature mushrooms, edible flowers, leaves, and star shapes.

And that’s to say nothing of the suits Mario can don, enemies he bests, and other associations with Mario.

March 13: World Kidney Day

I mention kidneys toward the top of this holiday roundup. Well, operators can celebrate World Kidney Day by offering healthy, zero-alcohol beverages. Going further, they can highlight food items that are free of ultra-processed ingredients, and low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorous. Instead, promote dishes that feature lean proteins and healthy fats.

March 15: National Corn Dog Day

On its own, a standard corn dog, one can argue, isn’t that unique. So…let’s change that. If you have corn dogs on your menu, or you have the capability of adding them as an LTO, think about how far you and your culinary team can go with it.

Elote treatment to the exterior? Awesome. Panko or cornflake crust? Yes, please. Going sweet and savory with a dusting of sugar, and accompanied with ketchup and mustard? I’ll try it.

March 21: National Countdown Day

For several reasons, a lot of people seem to like a countdown. Operators can leverage this by creating a countdown that ends later on National Countdown Day.

A special food item, unique drink, or LTO menu revealed when the countdown reaches zero are just a few ideas.

March 22: National Goof Off Day

I’m always a fan of giving guests an “excuse” to blow off work, errands, and other responsibilities. Not every day, of course, but once in a while.

This year, National Goof Off Day falls on a Saturday, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to encourage guests to goof off at your restaurant or bar.

March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Hey, have you ever thought about a holiday celebrating your business? National [insert your bar, restaurant, cafe, nightclub, hotel] Day? Well, this is the perfect time to launch just such a holiday, or anything else you can dream up.

March 30: National Virtual Vacation Day

If National Goof Off Day doesn’t work with you, your brand, and your guests, perhaps this holiday does. While one way to celebrate this day is to use VR for a “vacation,” another is to simply embrace a holiday mindset. With nearly a month to plan, I’m sure you can come up with a promotion that helps transport guests to a vacation destination via your business.

Image: Microsoft Designer

October 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: October 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: October 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your October holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

To provide a handful of examples, October boasts celebrations of the cheeseburger, the double cheeseburger, cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, beer, and guacamole. Those are fantastic F&B holidays sure to appeal to your guests. However, you can still celebrate some “out there” holidays to get people’s attention and draw them to your business.

For our September 2024 holidays list, click here.

October 1: The New National Taco Day

That’s right; National Taco Day has changed! You can read my article addressing this change here for more details, but what you need to know is that from today onward, National Taco Day will always fall on a Taco Tuesday.

October 2: Walk Your Dog Week

If your venue is dog friendly, and you operate in at least a decently walkable city or town, this is a great week to invite your guests to pop in for a dog treat, a bite, and a drink with their best friends.

October 4: Plaidurday

This day is dedicated to plaid. Plaid shirts, plaid pants, plaid shoes, plaid hats, plaid coats, plaid scarves, kilts featuring a tartan… If it’s plaid, encourage your guests to come by your place while they’re wearing it.

October 11: It’s My Party Day

Okay, this is an odd one. Really, it’s all about nostalgia. Technically, it’s about people revisiting their sweet sixteen parties, which is incredibly specific. Personally, I’d tap into your understanding of your guests and come up with a nostalgic theme that will appeal to them. After all, October is all about dressing up and themed parties.

October 12: National Motorcycle Ride Day

If your venue is motorcycle friendly, encourage your guests who ride to organize a ride, with a stop at your business to relax and refuel.

October 15: National Chicken Cacciatore Day

Recently, we addressed the importance of putting your spin on classic comfort foods. Chicken cacciatore, a recipe that’s about 600 years old, certainly falls into this category; it’s a classic comfort food, and your kitchen team can certainly put their own take on it.

October 21: Apple Day

We also addressed applejack, America’s first native spirit, just yesterday. Sure, you can do caramel apples or apple pie to celebrate this day, but I think you should bring your bar team into the mix, and create an LTO menu featuring applejack cocktails.

October 24: National Food Day

It sounds like this holiday is incredibly open ended, doesn’t it? A blank slate for any cuisine or food item you want to program a holiday promotion to leverage.

However, it’s specifically focused on featuring natural foods. For tips on how to build a natural, farm-to-table menu, check out KRG Hospitality chef consultant Nathen Dubé’s article here.

October 25: Chucky, the Notorious Killer Doll Day

I’ve included this because, wow, is it specific. It’s also a great day to play the Child’s Play movies and Chucky television show, within the confines of the proper licenses, of course.

October 30: National Candy Corn Day

Candy corn sucks, and if you agree (which means you’re correct), you’ll use this day to campaign against this food crime against nature.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

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A closeup photograph of four street tacos with meat, onions, and cilantro in soft corn tortillas

September 20, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

National Taco Day Makes its Move

National Taco Day Makes its Move

by David Klemt

I call this a good start.

I don’t know how to break this to you, so I’m just going to say it: National Taco Day, one of the world’s most important holidays, has made a big move.

For the past 15 years, National Taco Day has been celebrated on October 4. That means that since its inception, the annual holiday that celebrates the taco has only fallen on a Taco Tuesday three times.

In fact, it didn’t even fall on Taco Tuesday until its third year, in 2011. National Taco Day didn’t repeat the feat again until 2016, and then 2022. Had the date remained the same in perpetuity, we wouldn’t get another National Taco Day on a Taco Tuesday until 2028 at the earliest.

Starting this year—in a week and a half, in fact—National Taco Day will fall on the first Tuesday in October.

I’m going to share my thought process after I first found out about this news.

How did I learn about this massive change? Via a post by Smirnoff. You see, National Taco Day and National Vodka Day have been linked since they each first launched in 2009.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Smirnoff (@smirnoff)

It seems that Smirnoff is none too pleased with this news, though they’ll reunite with National Taco Day in 2028.

My first reaction was “I can’t believe this is news,” for a few seconds. That evolved into “I can’t believe this took so long to resolve” rather quickly.

And then I told the KRG Hospitality team about this news.

Finally!

I’ve always thought “Why isn’t National Taco Day always on a Taco Tuesday?” when the holiday has come around.

Finally, someone has acted to rectify this oversight; Taco Bell appealed to National Day Calendar to change the date. It may seem to trivial for a fast-food giant (or anyone else, for that matter) to petition to have a holiday’s date changed when it isn’t a legal holiday.

However, according to a Taco Bell press release addressing this National Taco Day news, it’s rare that National Day Calendar makes such a change. The release goes on to quote Marlo Anderson, the founder of National Day Calendar, which launched in 2013.

“For years, we’ve celebrated National Taco Day on October 4th, but it’s always felt like there was a bigger opportunity to align it with something even more special—Taco Tuesday,” said Anderson.

Interestingly, another fast food chain is credited with creating National Taco Day: Del Taco. Keeping the trivia going, “National” reportedly doesn’t actually pertain to any one country; it’s just what the holiday is called.

While this news is certainly another win for Taco Bell and their, well, obsession with Taco Tuesday (understandable, of course), it’s a win for everyone who loves tacos.

Operators need to pull out all the stops for October 1, the first of the newly revised National Taco Day celebrations. Task your kitchen team with creating LTO tacos, crafting a super-premium version of your signature taco if you have one, and ensuring there are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options to appeal to every single taco-loving guest.

Let’s go all out!

Image: Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

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"Think about things differently" neon sign

September 3, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: Sept. 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: September 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your September holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

To provide a handful of examples, September boasts celebrations of the cheeseburger, the double cheeseburger, cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, beer, and guacamole. Those are fantastic F&B holidays sure to appeal to your guests. However, you can still celebrate some “out there” holidays to get people’s attention and draw them to your business.

For our August 2024 holidays list, click here.

September 4: Eat an Extra Dessert Day

You know what’s better than selling one dessert? Selling multiple desserts.

One approach that may perform well for you, depending on your concept and menu, is to create new, smaller versions of desserts so people won’t be too stuffed to enjoy more than one treat.

September 8: National Ampersand Day

Ah, the ampersand. This is perhaps my favorite logogram, since it means “and,” and it looks cool when stylized. Since this symbol represents “and,” this is the perfect day to feature a menu of food-and-drink pairings or shot-and-beer pairings. I recommend a tiered LTO menu, with a few options for each level: Beam & Bud Light, Woodford & Guinness, etc.

September 9: National Wiener Schnitzel Day

This dish comes to us from Vienna. It’s so good and comforting that it’s one of Austria’s national dishes. Germans, of course, love wiener schnitzel as well.

To leverage this holiday, consider making a traditional version made with veal cutlets, served with French fries, mashed potatoes, or Hasselback potatoes. If you want to build an LTO menu, though, look to other versions of this dish. For example, there’s a non-breaded wiener schnitzel variant served with a cream sauce called rahmschnitzel. One can also argue that Japanese tonkatsu (pork, not veal), Danish skinkeschnitzel (made with pork rather than veal), and American chicken-fried steak will work for this holiday.

September 14: National Eat a Hoagie Day

The humble hoagie is an institution. Depending on where you operate, these iconic sandwiches may be known as heroes, grinders, submarines, subs, po’boys, bombers, or torpedoes. However, if your guests know them as hoagies, you better come correct. Hell hath no fury like a Philadelphian presented with a hoagie with mustard on it, for example.

September 15: National Crème de Menthe Day

Crème de menthe enjoys a deep history, which you can read about here. The main takeaways are the two most-famous cocktails that feature this legend among liqueurs: the Grasshopper, and the Stinger. Both classics are great for an LTO menu celebrating the final days of summer.

September 17: National Table Shuffleboard Day

Does your bar, restaurant, or eatertainment concept feature table shuffleboard? If it does, you’re poised to leverage this holiday.

One of the most effective approaches is to organize a tournament. Of course, you can also feature other contests, like Closest to the Edge.

September 21: Escapology Day

Okay, this one is a bit specific. If your restaurant or bar is located in the same market as an escape room (or several, as is the case for a city like Las Vegas), consider partnering with them if it makes sense to do so. You and your team can recommend your guests check out a particular escape room. Conversely, the escape room can recommend your restaurant or bar for post-escape food and drinks. To solidify the partnership, both businesses can offer a discount or other benefit to each other’s guests.

Really, we want you to think about local businesses that can serve as strong partners.

September 23: National Great American Pot Pie Day

Two weeks ago we tackled comfort foods. In particular, transforming traditional comfort foods into soups. This holiday is the perfect time to make an LTO soup (or, if it performs well, a permanent menu item, or recurring LTO from fall through winter) out of one of the best-known comfort classics, the pot pie.

September 24: Innergize Day

Summer is coming to a close. Traditionally, this means vacation and relaxation time is over as people return to offices, and children return to school.

Innergize Day is about relaxing and disconnecting. It’s quite likely your concept can facilitate relaxation, escaping devices, and slowing down.

September 25: Better Breakfast Day

Is your concept open for the early morning daypart? Do you serve brunch? More importantly, is your concept committed to serving healthy food and drinks, or are you interested in updating your menu to feature healthier items?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, this could be the day for you. Use social media and other marketing channels to promote your healthy menu. Create items like healthy breakfast bowls and smoothies if it’s time for an update, and promote your new, healthier menu.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

Elote en vaso, or vaso de elote, also known as street corn in a cup, on a bar

August 22, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Soup Season: Transforming Comfort Classics

Soup Season: Transforming Comfort Classics

by David Klemt

Elote en vaso or vaso de elote, also known as “street corn in a cup.”

The latest and greatest from Campbell’s Foodservice is all about operators making the most of cooler weather by maximizing soup season.

If you read KRG Hospitality articles regularly, you’re likely aware that we like the helpful information Campbell’s makes available. For example, I’ve written articles that share their tips for leveraging nostalgia, crushing it with LTOs, and 2024 culinary trends.

Their newest tips aim to help operators succeed with soup. Further, much of Campbell’s Foodservice’s tips are in direct response to Datassential and Technomic data. In fact, Campbell’s references Technomic’s Soup & Salad Consumer Trend Report directly.

To be sure, the first bit of advice that Campbell’s shares is the most obvious: Leverage seasonal flavors. In this case, we’re talking fall and winter flavors.

You may already see stores where you live and operate unleashing Halloween decorations. I know I have; it may be 105 degrees in Las Vegas as I write this, but people are getting into an autumnal mood.

Of course, when you take advantage of seasonality for LTOs or menu updates, it’s important to let your guests know.

“Calling out seasonal items on your menu demonstrates the operator is being relevant and using ingredients that are in season,” says Campbell’s Foodservice Executive Chef Gerald Drummond. “From a consumer standpoint, that’s something that they really look towards.”

We agree wholeheartedly. Going deeper, we recommend working with local suppliers to procure seasonal ingredients, and calling that out as well.

Another tip comes from Datassential and Technomic insights. Three in ten younger consumers would like to see soups that feature plant-based proteins. And around half want at least one vegetarian-friendly soup on a menu.

The Standout Tip

When you’re through reading this article, I encourage you to scroll back to the top, click the “soup season” link, and read this Campbell’s Foodservice report for yourself.

That way, you’ll see all of their latest tips for getting the most out of seasonal soups.

However, I’m going to share the tip that stood out the most to me: transforming comfort food dishes into soups. Hence, the image at the top of this article: vaso de elote, or elote en vaso. That dish translates to “street corn in a cup” from Spanish.

Now, elote or street corn is undeniably a comforting street food. If I see it on a menu, I’m going to order it. Were I to see street corn in a cup, particularly if it came with the presentation at the top of this article, I’m going to order it.

So, if a culinary team were to transform street corn in a cup into street corn in a cup of soup, I’m all in.

Think about your concept, the approach to cuisine, and the community you serve. Then, think about the comfort dishes that work well with your concept and resonate with your guests.

In their report, Campbell’s Foodservice recommends beer cheese soup, of which I’m a fan. They also suggest lasagna soup (I’d try it), and chicken pot pie soup (again, I’m down).

Real-Word, Professional Advice

I asked our chef consultant Nathen Dubé for a couple of quick tips for transforming a comforting food dish into a soup. (By the way, you can book a call with him to discuss your menu or kitchen here.)

“I would look at the overall profile of the dish, and then decide if you’re going to combine everything into a puree or a broth,” says Nathen.

Then, the kitchen team needs to decide “which ingredients would be incorporated, and which could be left whole afterwards for texture, and stronger stand-out flavours.” As he explained to me, some ingredients definitely translate better to slow cooking versus finishing towards the end of the process.

With that advice given, take a look at your menu. Do you have some comfort foods that would be intriguing to guests in soup form? What about some of your signature dishes?

Once you’ve determined which dishes to transform into seasonal, LTO soups, engage your kitchen team. They’ll likely be excited to do something new, and show off their culinary talent.

Some people may harbor the misconception that soup isn’t exciting. I think creative operators and culinary teams can disabuse skeptical guests of this notion. Cheers!

Image: Jarritos Mexican Soda on Unsplash

A well-crafted chicken sandwich with pickles, lettuce, and sauce, served next to a basket of French fries

July 29, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Campbell’s Shares Tips for LTOs

Campbell’s Shares Tips for LTOs that Generate ROI

by David Klemt

Yes, the Chicken Sandwich Wars are still going strong in 2024.

We appreciate Campbell’s Foodservice’s reports and posts, and their most recent insights address how operators can succeed with LTOs.

For example, our look into their tips for leveraging nostalgia is here. And our thoughts on Campbell’s Culinary TrendPulse 2024 report are here for your review.

This time out, Campbell’s Foodservice, utilizing data from Technomic, Datassential, and other sources, is tackling LTOs.

If you’re a regular reader of KRG Hospitality’s industry insights, you know we love an LTO—if an operator executes it effectively. Along those lines, you probably also know that we view Taco Bell as a leader in the industry when it comes to leveraging the power of LTOs.

Not only does the QSR giant know what their guests want, they know how to generate demand. In fact, Taco Bell understands the power not just of LTOs but of tying them to their subscriptions. Take, for example, their Taco Lover’s Pass and the Toasted Breakfast Taco menu drop.

When approached with thoughtful consideration, well-executed LTOs are a crucial element of an operator’s marketing and branding strategy. They drive traffic and sales, boost guest engagement and loyalty, and attract attention from first-time guests.

Of course, crafting a gainful LTO—gaining profits, loyalty, and positive public perception—can be easier said than done. However, there are a number of steps you can take to get the ball rolling and come up with one that reflects your brand, and resonates with guests.

Four Steps

Kicking off their tips, Campbell’s Foodservice recommends keeping LTOs simple. As they say in their report, which you can read here, operators need not “reinvent the wheel” when developing these promotions.

You can differentiate an LTO menu item from its standard counterpart in a number of simple ways. A few examples are using a unique cooking process, crafting a limited-edition sauce, and featuring a distinctive and specific topping or two.

Another tip is to do your best to offer LTOs that embrace current trends. While sharing these tips, Campbell’s cites Datassential and the revelation that just 20 percent of all LTOs are recurring. That means that the vast majority of LTOs are new creations, not stalwarts like the McRib. To draw the attention of a wider swath of guests, feature regional and local items and flavors. Per Datassential, 70 percent of guests are interested in such LTOs.

Speaking of attention, operators should learn how to take and edit attractive F&B images. Or, as Campbell’s says, “make LTOs pretty.” Per Datassential, roughly a third of consumers will try an LTO if it looks appealing in an advertisement or in-store imagery.

Finally, and this one is crucial as it embodies the previous three tips, leverage seasonality. It’s currently summer, so what can you add in the way of flavor to an existing item? Is that item regional and locally sourced? Will photographing it and crafting a sharp post communicate the season and inspire a bit of FOMO? These questions can help guide your approach to crafting profitable LTOs.

Oh, and to help you get started, I’ve shared Campbell’s season flavor suggestions below. Cheers!

Campbell’s Foodservice Seasonal Flavors

Not only did Campbell’s share tips for succeeding with LTOs, they also provided several examples of seasonal flavors to inspire you and your team.

Since it’s July, I’ll start with their summer suggestions.

Summer: basil, blackberries, corn, cucumbers, peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini

Fall: artichokes, cranberries, edamame, parsnips, pears, pumpkin, sweet peppers, tomatillos, turnips,

Winter: butternut squash, persimmons, radishes, salsify (a root vegetable), sunchokes, sweet potatoes, tangerines

Spring: asparagus, fava beans, pea greens, rhubarb, snap peas, spring onions, strawberries

Campbell’s Foodservice sources:

Foodservice and Hospitality: A strong LTO strategy helps operators retain and grow their customer base (March 2024)
Datassential: Limited Time Offers Keynote Report
Technomic: 162 Best-in-Class LTOs for 2023
Food & Drink Resources: A Limited Time Offer Strategy For Restaurants
Your Guide to Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables, The Spruce Eats
Datassential: State of the LTO 2024

Image: Hybrid Storytellers on Unsplash

July 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: July 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: July 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your July holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our June 2024 holidays list, click here.

July 7: National Dive Bar Day

Alright, dive and neighborhood bar operators—this is the day to really ensure you and your bar team shine. Show the community why your bar is one of the cornerstones of the neighborhood. This is an opportunity to pull out the stops to impress your regulars and reinforce their love of your bar, and to attract new neighbors to hang out at your place on a regular basis.

July 8: National SCUD Day

Let’s clarify this at the start: SCUD stands for “Savor the Comic and Unplug the Drama.” The intent is for people to relax, unplug, and enjoy some humor, or at least take a light-hearted approach to life. Now, if you happen to feature stand-up comedy or operate a comedy club, this holiday should be all the way in your wheelhouse.

July 9: Cow Appreciation Day

The humble cow provides a lot for us. In addition to all manner of food items, cows even help us make some very smooth vodkas. Given how much cows give, operators can make entire prix fixe menus dedicated to them: from appetizer to dessert, the cow can fill out an entire meal, including drinks.

However, you can take another approach to this holiday. Vegan restaurants, for example, can highlight alternatives to cow products by creating dishes, drinks, and prix fixe menus.

July 11: National Mojito Day

Here’s an easy one. After you’ve ensured that your bar team makes an excellent Mojito, create an LTO menu. Feature the traditional build, a high-end version, and a creative variant or two.

July 13: Embrace Your Geekness Day

How the times have changed, for the better in this instance. Not long ago, “geek” was a real insult. Now, we can’t wait as individuals to geek out with others over our hobbies, interests, and other passions.

Does your bar have an overall theme that can be amplified for maximum geekiness? Do you feature board games, card games, or even video games? Is it common for clubs to meet up at your place? Have you noticed something that several of your patrons seem to enjoy talking about and geeking out over? Lean as far into that as you can and create an amazing experience.

July 15: National Be a Dork Day

Maybe you don’t like the word “geek.” Perhaps, to you, being a dork is more about being a bit (or very) silly, and leaning into being “uncool” (which is actually cool).

At any rate, if you’re not into the idea of Embrace Your Geekness Day—or you want to showcase the difference between geeks and dorks—National Be a Dork Day may work well for you.

July 21: National Junk Food Day

We all have differing ideas about junk food. For some, junk food refers to candy and dessert foods, specifically. To others, it’s anything that isn’t considered a healthy food.

The approach I recommend is giving people an excuse to eat and drink whatever they want on this day, or taking a cheat day. Further, you can certainly create a cocktail menu that captures the flavors of people’s favorite candy bars, candies, etc. Or, build over-the-top burgers, come up with a signature food challenge, or create a signature pizza that features compelling and unique toppings.

July 22: National Mango Day

Mango Margaritas, Mango Mezcalritas, mango IPA, mango ale, mango salsa, mango-habanero-glazed short ribs… If you can mango it, put it on an LTO menu.

July 27: National Take Your Pants for a Walk Day

Are you in a walkable city? This is really just a more interesting way of saying, “Walk to our bar/restaurant to earn your treat and time out with friends.”

July 31: National Avocado Day

Don’t be avoca-don’t—be an avoca-do. If your dishes and drinks can feature avocado in some way, have your kitchen and bar teams lean into it. For example, this would be a fantastic day to impress with a signature guacamole, made table-side.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

Cartoon image of an anthropomorphic cicada wearing a toque and holding a pot

June 11, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Emerging Trend: Cicada Skewer, Anyone?

Emerging Trend: Cicada Skewer, Anyone?

by David Klemt

Need a cicada tattoo? Here ya go!

Two broods of cicadas, numbering in the trillions of insects, have been emerging throughout the US, and this may present operators with opportunity.

Brood XIII is emerging throughout the Midwest, while Brood XIX is making their presence known in the Midwest and Southeast.

I think it’s clear where I’m going with this: operators can put cicadas on their menus.

This suggestion comes with a few crucial caveats:

Harvesting must be done with care, and in safe areas.
The preparation must ensure guests can handle and consume the cicadas safely.
Operators must do their due diligence to make certain that preparing and serving cicadas is permitted in their venue’s jurisdiction.

With that out of the way, eating cicadas isn’t as unusual as it sounds. According to experts on the subject, people have been eating cicadas for centuries.

It’s likely anyone reading this has heard over the years that some insects are excellent sources of protein. Well, according to people who know more about eating bugs than I, this applies to cicadas. I’ve eaten a scorpion (not a live one) but it wasn’t prepared to make it delicious or even palatable, so…I’m no expert. (For those wondering, it was dry, mostly flavorless, and I didn’t enjoy it.)

Since there are people out there who know about these things, and because the internet exists, I dug into the topic of eating cicadas. I’m not telling anyone they need to put these on their menu, of course. But for those who are curious and enterprising enough to do so, what I’ve learned is below.

Harvesting

If an operator’s going to bring cicadas into theirr business, they need to be smart and careful about it, and do so within the bounds of the law.

The source area should be free from pesticides. Along those lines, the cicadas need to come from an area free of other contaminants.

From what I found online, one of the best approaches is to venture to places that don’t see much traffic. This should reduce the possibility of guests consuming harmful chemicals.

Think about it: If someone’s just grabbing cicadas out of a busy neighborhood or within a commercial or industrial area, the critters may have been subjected to lead, fertilizers, unsafe fluids, gasoline, diesel, etc.

But what about actually catching them? Well, there’s more than one approach. One can either hunt them quite early in the morning, when they’ve emerged and are starting to climb trees or tree stumps. Or, they can try an hour or two after dark, looking around the lower part of tree trunks and stumps. Cicadas with white wings are in their teneral state, which means they’re soft.

Another tip? The exoskeletons aren’t pleasant. So, some experts suggest waiting for them to molt before grabbing them. Most sources I found—I think I’ve read too much about this topic—recommended freezing cicada hauls immediately.

I’ll add this, as well. Operators who know foragers in their area of business can check in with them to see if they’re harvesting cicadas. Again, operators need to find out as much as they can about where the cicadas come from, how they’re being harvested, etc.

Preparation

While researching this topic, cooking cicadas before consuming them was a constant refrain. Eating them raw is viewed as not worth the risk of making one’s self sick.

Anyone still reading this and considering putting cicadas on their menu must keep the guest experience in mind. Sure, this is an adventurous, gimmicky thing to try. It still needs to be memorable and enjoyable.

So, serving cicadas that haven’t been “shelled” should be avoided. Further, the wings and legs should be removed as these can be very hard and unpleasant in terms of mouthfeel.

Along with not eating them raw, experts also want people to wash cicadas thoroughly before cooking them. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and opine that operators and their kitchen teams handle cicadas as though they’re raw chicken. Behave accordingly and responsibly.

A couple sources suggested blanching cicadas in boiling water for at least a minute, then freezing them until it’s time to prepare them.

When it comes to actually cooking them, it seems the sky’s the limit. Boil them, fry them, air fry them, grill them, roast them…

KRG Hospitality’s very own chef-consultant, Nathen Dubé, has a couple of suggestions for operators to consider.

First off, he suggests battering and frying cicadas. Serve them with a lime aioli “to play off the earthy asparagus and green pea flavour of the cicadas.”

Nathen also recommends skewering cicadas and grilling them over charcoal. Brush the cicadas with a soy-ginger-scallion sauce continuously “to play off the natural nutty flavour.” You can read culinary articles from Nathen here, here, and here.

I don’t know if Brood XIII and Brood XIX taste differently, or which is nutty and which is earthy. So, operators are going to have to try them to find out.

Caution

Multiple sources warn that cicadas can be unsafe for people with shellfish allergies.

So, people who are allergic to shrimp, for example, probably shouldn’t eat cicadas. Owners, operators, kitchen team, and servers and bartenders need to know this, and caution guests appropriately.

Another important warning? Cicadas can, it turns out, be high in mercury. This means that women who are pregnant or lactating, and young children, should either limit how many cicadas they consume or avoid them altogether.

Lastly, I did look up the safe minimum internal temperature for cicadas. Supposedly, that temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

As far as pricing, I’ll put this here: I found an online source selling a tin of five cicada nymphs for $13. Also, a restaurant that creates a buffet-style, bug-eating experience charges about $17 per adult.

Putting cicadas on the menu can be a lucrative opportunity to drive traffic and engage with guests. However, preparation and service must be done legally and responsibly.

Disclaimers: 1. This content is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as legal or other advice. This article does not constitute professional advice, nor does any information constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed, the law, or liability. This information is of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of a specific individual or entity. The reader of this information alone assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information before making any decisions based on such information. 2. The image at the top of this article was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

Image: Shutterstock.

AI-generated image of a Caesar salad in a bowl on a table with a birthday cake on top of it

June 10, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Happy Hundredth to the Caesar Salad!

Happy Hundredth to the Caesar Salad!

by David Klemt

AI generated some truly unhinged abominations before creating this image.

In about a month you and your kitchen team have the opportunity to pull out all the stops and celebrate an iconic menu item with your guests.

Whereas it’s often difficult to impossible, in contrast, to trace the origins of classic cocktails, we know much of the history of this particular dish. Driven by a restaurant in Tijuana, the Caesar salad will receive recognition on its hundredth “birthday” on July 4.

Or, more accurately, Caesar’s Restaurante Bar is planning a festival to celebrate the salad during the first week of July.

Given the attention this festival is receiving, savvy operators can also plan promotions around the Caesar salad.

Origins: Known

First, let’s get one of the greatest misconceptions surround this salad out of the way. No, it’s not named for Julius Caesar.

Next, let’s dispel another myth. No, the Caesar salad wasn’t around in Rome during Caesar’s reign. Well over two thousand years separate his five-year rule and the creation of this salad.

Rather, the salad carries the name, quite simply, of its creator, Cesare Cardini.

In 1913, Cardini traveled to New York City, and then headed to Montréal. He would return to Italy eventually, then come back to the US in 1919.

Before heading to Tijuana, Cardini ran at least one restaurant in Sacramento. Per reporting, he chose Tijuana—where he operated several restaurants and a hotel—to get around Prohibition.

Cardini’s daughter Rosa shared the salad’s story in 1987 with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. According to Rosa, an overwhelming number of guests arrived at her father’s hotel a hundred years ago. Of course, these guests also slammed the restaurant.

Cardini didn’t have enough fresh veggies to feed everyone, so he chose to improvise. Part of that improvisation was putting on a performance, preparing the first-ever Caesar salad in the dining room in front of the guests.

So, tableside is the traditional, original preparation, an interesting detail.

More Misconceptions

The Caesar, in its original preparation, consists of a handful of specific ingredients. Cardini used romaine hearts, eggs, lemons, Worcestershire sauce, garlic-infused oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and croutons.

However, per Rosa, it’s not just the namesake of the salad and its country of origin that people get incorrect. You’ll notice that anchovies aren’t among the ingredients. Neither are mayonnaise or Dijon mustard. And as far as the finer details, Rosa told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that her father didn’t use raw eggs. Instead, they had been coddled, or boiled for one minute.

Another mistake for which Rosa expressed her disdain is tableside preppers putting all of the ingredients into a bowl at the same time to toss them. There’s a proper order, and you’ll find it at the bottom of this article.

Finally, Rosa noted that the appropriate method of tossing the romaine hearts is to use a gentle, under-over rolling technique. This approach prevents bruising of the leaves when done correctly.

Now, guests visiting bars and restaurants in America will have expectations on the Fourth of July. It’s likely that celebrating the Caesar salad isn’t one of them. So, operators should consider promoting their Caesars in the days before and just after that major holiday.

The Original

Below, the proper order to prepare a traditional Caesar salad, per Rosa Cardini. Following the instructions will yield four servings.

I’m going to skip the steps of making the garlic-infused oil and croutons in house.

The hearts (outer leaves removed) of two medium romaine lettuce heads should be cold and crisp. These can be kept whole or broken into two-inch lengths.
Pour four ounces of the infused oil over the leaves, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Using the aforementioned proper technique, toss the leaves two or three times.
Break the coddled—not raw—eggs over the leaves. Add eight to ten drops of Worcestershire sauce along with the juice of two lemons. Again, toss two or three times.
Add six to eight tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and a half-cup of croutons (made with day-old white bread and a touch of the infused oil, traditionally), and toss again.
Serve on chilled salad plates.

There you have it. The original preparation.

According to Rosa, many guests simply picked up the leaves and ate them like slices of toast. Today’s guests will likely prefer a fork, but that’s an interesting note.

Of course, people enjoy putting their spin on this classic dish. In particular, adding all manner of proteins is a popular way to personalize a Caesar salad.

Recently, I tried a Caesar to which Everything But the Bagel seasoning had been added. Not bad.

Given its adaptability, it could be a good idea to create an LTO Caesar menu with the original at the top, along with two or three variations.

And, hey, while you’re at it, consider offering a Caesar cocktail (another very customizable item) alongside the Caesar salad. Why not?

Image: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This image was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

June 3, 2024by krghospitality krghospitality No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: June 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: June 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your June holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our May 2024 holidays list, click here.

June 6: National Gardening Exercise Day

Does your bar, restaurant, or hotel have an herb garden? If so, this is an excellent day to let your guests know about it, and highlight which drinks and dishes feature ingredients from said garden.

June 8: National Rosé Day

Your first instinct may be to feature your still and sparkling rosé wines on this day. However, there are also rosé spirits out there, like vodka and gin. Use this day to make your guests aware of your rosé program. Oh, and June 8 also happens to be World Gin Day, another reason to offer an LTO menu that features rosé gin.

However, you don’t have to stop the festivities on June 8. The next day is Day of La Rioja, and this Spanish province is world-renowned for its winemaking. In fact, there are more than 600 wineries in La Rioja, and some produce rosado or rosato, a.k.a. rosé.

June 10: National Herbs & Spices Day

If your kitchen makes its own spice blends, shout about them to the rooftop on June 10. And if you don’t yet make your own blends but would like to, here’s a tip from Chef Brian Duffy: make ten pounds of it, not just a quart, and store it in a clearly labeled flat tray. You’ll go through it faster than you anticipate if it’s a hit.

June 15: World Tapas Day

Really, who doesn’t love a small plate and sharing with friends? I know I’ve built a meal out of tapas on more than one occasion. Review your menu, get creative, and build your own brand-authentic and concept-specific tapas menu for June 15.

June 16: Turkey Lovers’ Day

This day lands close to the midway point leading to Thanksgiving. So, create a turkey-heavy LTO menu. Turkey tacos, turkey barbacoa burrito bowls, a full-on turkey dinner, turkey breasts…

June 16: World Sustainable Gastronomy Day

I tend to avoid doubling up on holidays but this one is important, so I’m breaking my own “rule.” Leading up to June 16, review your menu and operations to identify what you’re doing that’s producing sustainable dishes. Taking this a step farther, find out where you can improve to be more sustainable, and implement those initiatives by June 16.

June 21: National Take Back the Lunch Break Day

Do you offer pickup or delivery? And are you open for lunch? How fast are your kitchen times? These are all important operational elements to consider, particularly if you want to attract the lunch crowd. Should you feel that your lunch daypart operations are dialed in, lure in guests with intriguing lunch-time promotions.

June 22: National Onion Ring Day

Not only is this the perfect day to boast about your onion rings, it’s an excellent excuse to review their presentation and come up with something impactful and memorable. Consider an array of accompaniments, size and height, and playing with your batter.

June 27: International Pineapple Day

Ah, the pineapple, the international symbol of hospitality. If there was ever a day to go absolutely bonkers with a pineapple-forward F&B LTO menu, this is it!

June 29: National Waffle Iron Day

Who doesn’t love a waffle, particularly a build-your-own waffle? I think you know what to do on this holiday.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

May 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: May 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: May 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your May holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our April 2024 holidays list, click here.

May 1: Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

If your concept is one that attracts motorcyclists already, or one that can handle motorcyclists to show up en masse without alienating other guests, your venue can celebrate Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month any or every day in May.

Encourage your guests to ride safely, look out for motorcycles when they’re driving, and organize group rides that stop by your bar or restaurant. Responsibly, of course.

May 4: Beer Pong Day

Let’s face it—beer pong is a classic bar game. Importantly, it’s a classic bar game that anyone can learn to play (to varying degrees of skill), and it’s simple to organize a tournament.

Should your bar or restaurant have the room and the following to support a beer pong tournament, this holiday could do very well for you and your team.

May 6: National Beverage Day

I mean…look how open-ended this holiday is. Is your bar or restaurant known for a particular drink? More than one particular drink? Perfect! Now’s the time to really brag about that and bring people through your doors.

May 11: National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day

Part of being a great operator is being an excellent neighbor and member of the community. One selfless act you and your team can participate in is to organize a food drive, acting as the central hub for donations and partnering with a food pantry, shelter, or other charitable organization.

May 17: National Pizza Party Day

Sure, the pizza party has become a corporate trope. That doesn’t mean that if you operate a pizzeria your business shouldn’t be the one that companies, families, and groups of friends call when it’s pizza party time.

May 19: World Baking Day

How are your kitchen team’s baking skills? This is the holiday to shine a light on them and create a baked well LTO.

May 20: World Bee Day

Not only are there some interesting cocktails with the word “bee” in their name, there are also plenty that call for honey as an ingredient.

However, as I pointed out on Earth Day, there are also vegan honey alternatives that can be used for F&B items. So, this could be the day to use those and make your guests aware of them.

May 21: International Tea Day

Tea is, obviously, an excellent drink on its own. However, tea can really shine as the base or mixer for an array of cocktails. Try creating an LTO menu of full-, low-, and no-ABV cocktails for your guests to try.

May 22: National Craft Distillery Day

Do you have a craft distillery in your market? In your state? This holiday is the perfect time to work on developing a relationship with them and crafting an LTO menu with their products.

May 30: National Mint Julep Day

Ah, the Mint Julep. It’s not just for the Kentucky Derby. It’s a classic for a reason, and one of those reasons is how refreshing it is on a hot day. Plus, there are several variants you can adjust to create an LTO menu.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

Scoops of Salt & Straw's 2024 Upcycled Food Series ice cream flavors

April 8, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Salt & Straw Celebrates Earth Month

Salt & Straw’s Upcycled Foods Series Returns

by David Klemt

To celebrate this year’s Earth Month, innovative small-batch ice cream shop concept Salt & Straw is bringing back their Upcycled Food Series.

Last Friday, three returning flavors and two new creations hit Salt & Straw locations in five US states. Currently, the artisanal ice cream shop chain operates in California, Florida, Oregon (the brand’s home state), Nevada, and Washington.

Among other important operational elements, Salt & Straw is known for innovative, chef-driven flavors. This is, in part, due to the concept’s commitment to ensuring at least 20 percent of the menu is dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

However, the brand also shines a spotlight on sustainability and combating restaurant food waste. In 2023, Salt & Straw launched their first Upcycled Food Series. A key element of the LTO menu’s execution is collaboration. Specifically, collaborating with partners that focus on upcycling ingredients.

For example, the bananas Salt & Straw uses to craft one of this year’s brand-new flavors come from Urban Gleaners. That non-profit rescued bananas from grocery stores and restaurants before they were tossed out.

After doing some digging, I found that it’s believed about 40 percent of the entire food supply in the US goes to waste per year. That’s 60 to 80 million tons of food, wasted. Supposedly, 60 percent of the food supply goes to waste in Canada.

So, I think it’s admirable that Salt & Straw leverages Earth Month to expose the alarming issue of food waste. More importantly, the brand shows that a little creativity can go a long way to fight this serious problem.

2024 Upcycled Food Series Flavors

Returning Creations

Three flavors are back for the 2024 Upcycled Food Series.

Day-Old Bread Pudding & Chocolate Ganache: Urban Gleaners partners with Salt & Straw on this flavor, collecting bread throughout Portland, Oregon, before it’s thrown out or otherwise goes to waste. The result is an enticing layering of custard bread pudding ice cream and chocolate ganache, as the name implies.
Malted Chocolate Barley Milk: In collaboration with Evergrain, a business focusing on sustainable ingredients, this vegan option is produced in part using the spent grains from the beer-brewing process. Malted Chocolate Barley milk is a “malty, fudgy, ooey-gooey vegan dream. This flavor takes us behind the curtain into beer brewing and answers the question: What happens to the spent grains after they brew beer? The brilliant food scientists at EverGrain are revolutionizing ways to extract the immense nutrients left in the grain and using it in our everyday foods, like protein-packed barley milk. We churned this barley milk with cocoa, making for a dense and creamy textured chocolate base before drizzling in a homemade fig fudge that make those rich, jammy flavors pop.”
Salted Caramel & Chocolate Brownies: This returning flavor is also vegan and a collaboration with an upcycled food company called Renewal Mill. As described by Salt & Straw on their website: “Behold the ultimate trifecta of salty, sweet, and bitter thanks to our friends at Renewal Mill. Their chef-crafted baking mixes are made with okara—a delicate soy flour upcycled from plant-based milk production. We fell in love with their unbelievably moist and chewy chocolate brownies, baking them in our kitchen before generously frosting them with a rich caramel. These delectable treats are folded into a sweet bed of oat milk for a vegan flavor you have to taste to believe.”

New Creations

There are two brand-new flavors on the Upcyled Food Series menu for this year’s Earth Month.

Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Banana Bread: Of all the flavors, this is the one I’m most eager to try. Salt & Straw expands their partnership with Urban Gleaners for this creation, this time tasking them with saving bananas. However, a second partner helps out to make this flavor possible. Uglies provides the potato chips, which are produced using “imperfect” potatoes. To craft this one, Salt & Straw roasts “bunches and bunches of bananas in honey and spices to make a jammy banana bread ice cream you simply can’t resist. Next, we coat “Uglies” potato chips made from potatoes with slight imperfections in the most beautiful chocolate possible and drizzle in a perfect ribbon of handmade caramel.”
Passionfruit Yuzu Mochi Donuts & Whey Curd: To create this flavor, Salt & Straw takes frozen yogurt and enhances it with The Spare Food Co.’s upcycled whey base. I expect powerful but pleasant tanginess on the palate from this flavor based on the website description: “Bright, acidic flavors with a decidedly delicious twist. Our friends at The Spare Food Co. are concocting drinks of liquid gold by working with Greek yogurt makers around the country and turning their whey, a typically overlooked by-product of yogurt making, into a super-drink. We lean into the yogurt whey’s natural pop of acidity and the unique flavor of their sparkling tonic by making a whey-infused frozen yogurt with a passionfruit-spiked lemon curd, and then fold in homemade butter mochi donuts glazed in yuzu frosting. This flavor sings on your tastebuds and makes you think of new wheys to use traditionally wasted products.”

Images: Salt & Straw

April 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: April 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: April 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your April holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our March 2024 holidays list, click here.

April 5: Walk to Work Day

Operators who with bars and restaurants in walkable areas should leverage this holiday. People who walk to work should reward themselves by walking to a bar or restaurant for dinner and a drink after work. Of course, operators open for breakfast and dinner should encourage guests to walk in for a treat to start their day, and another treat (or two) to end it.

April 6: New Beer’s Eve

As the name implies, we celebrate this holiday the day before another holiday in the US: National Beer Day.

Operators who really want to help New Beer’s Eve gain a loyal following among their guests can bring in new beers for their guests to try on this holiday.

April 8: National Empanada Day

How would you rate your empanadas? How would your guests rate your empanadas? If you and your team are proud of your emapanadas, this is their time to shine.

April 10: Golfer’s Day

If you have Golden Tee in your bar, or you operate an eatertainment concept that revolves around golf, this is the perfect holiday to celebrate golfers. Of course, this also holds true if you operate a bar or restaurant within a community that loves golf.

You’re already (hopefully) your guests’ third spot; become their 19th hole on Golfer’s Day as well.

April 12: World Licorice Day

Sambuca, ouzo, xtabentún, absinthe… World Licorice Day is a great holiday for showcasing the licorice-flavored spirits in your inventory on your menu.

April 17: Blah Blah Blah Day

So, this day encourages people to try or start something that friends and family have been telling them do repeatedly. I would interpret this holiday as one during which to encourage your guests to try a new dish or drink rather than just ordering their usual again.

April 21: National Tea Day

Not only does tea make an excellent mixer for an array of cocktails, it really shines as the base for non-alcohol drinks. The depth of flavors that tea delivers really makes on impact on the palate and the guest experience.

National Tea Day is the perfect time to dial in your tea-based cocktails, be they low-, full-, or zero-ABV.

April 23: German Beer Day

Do you have German beers on your menu? I’m going to give you one guess as to what you should do with those beers on German Beer Day.

However, I have another thought, as well. There’s nothing that says you can’t come up with a creative LTO menu that introduces American or Canadian craft beers that taste similar to a German counterpart…

April 26: National Pretzel Day

Sure, you could just offer bowls of pretzels to guests on this holiday, providing a snack that goes with their beer.

Or, you could activate your kitchen team, make large pretzels in-house, and put pretzel charcuterie boards on an LTO menu. They may just prove to be a hit among you guests worthy of repeat appearances.

April 30: National Bubble Tea Day

Gee, if only there were a holiday that celebrates bubble tea, one that operators with bubble tea on their menu could build an LTO around. Oh, look! There is one!

Operators and their bar teams can also interpret this holiday a little differently. Tea cocktails and zero-proof drinks given the Flavour Blaster treatment? That could be rad…

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

March 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your March holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our February 2024 holidays list, click here.

March 5: Cinco de Marcho

Supposedly, this holiday is meant to “train the livers” of people planning on getting slightly wild on March 17. They have 12 days to get ready to party.

Well, we at KRG Hospitality think this sounds a bit irresponsible. We don’t want any operators or their teams to run into any legal trouble. So, I recommend offering a spin on the Coronarita as a nearly two-week-long LTO.

Build a Margarita with Irish whiskey, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave syrup. Serve it in a salt-rimmed pint glass, schooner, or mason jar. Invert a Harp Lager, Smithwick’s Pale Ale, or Guinness Blonde Lager in the glass.

March 7: National Crown Roast of Pork Day

Here’s a fun one based on a culinary classic. Put simply, a crown roast is anywhere from a dozen to nearly two dozen pork rib chops. When arranged in a circle, they look like a crown.

It’s old school, and it’s certainly a shareable dish. Dress this LTO up with a wine pairing, or dress it down with a bucket of beers.

March 8: National Proofreading Day

Your menu is a billboard. It’s a crucial marketing and branding tool. So, it can be embarrassing when there are typos and other issues on your menu.

If you don’t want to proofread it yourself, or you just want to engage your guests, put a “bounty” on misspellings and grammatical errors on your menu. Watch how quickly any mistakes are found, if any exist.

March 14: National Potato Chip Day

Housemade potato chips are among the best appetizers and sides. If your kitchen team is up for it, consider housemade chips as an LTO side. Think about making them a permanent (or semi-permanent) addition to your menu if all goes well.

March 18: National Sloppy Joe Day

So, it’s March 18. Some people may have gotten after it pretty hard for St. Patrick’s Day. They need comfort food.

If your kitchen team can make delicious Sloppy Joe’s from scratch (maybe served with housemade potato chips), they may be just what the doctor ordered.

March 19: National Poultry Day

Does your restaurant or bar serve dishes featuring poultry? Guess what you should do on this day…

March 21: World Vermouth Day

The days of low-quality vermouth are gone. For a few years not at least, people have discovered that premium vermouth makes a great cocktail base. This holds particularly true for low-ABV drinks, like reverse cocktails.

March 22: National Goof Off Day

This year, National Goof Off Day falls on a Friday. Really, that timing couldn’t be much better.

Encourage your guests to set aside their responsibilities—as long as it won’t get them fired—and goof off at your bar.

March 29: Smoke and Mirrors Day

When a cocktail is served with smoke, people take notice. Often times, when one is served, people watching the show want one of their own.

This is the perfect holiday to show off your smoking cocktails. To really embrace the holiday, smoke and serve them in a glass and chrome smoker box. By the way, these boxes work well when it comes to smoking food items, too.

March 31: National Tater Day

Much like poultry day, I bet you can figure out what to do on National Tater Day. Celebrate the potato! Tater tot nachos? Done. Sriracha French fries? Awesome. Fully loaded potato skins and baked potatoes? Classics.

Get creative. The humble potato is a fantastic canvas for enticing dishes.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

February 13, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Taco Bell Reveals 2024 Marketing Calendar

“Thank You for Coming to My Taco Bell Talk”

by David Klemt

The showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers isn’t the only big news coming out of Las Vegas from Super Bowl LVIII weekend.

Of course, the game’s result is also big news. Congratulations to the Chiefs on their back-to-back world champion wins!

However, Super Bowl weekend kicked off with a unique event. On Friday, February 9, Taco Bell hosted their first-ever Live Más LIVE event.

As the event’s title suggests, Live Más LIVE was a livestream. And during that livestream, the undisputed Kings of the LTO did something they and their competitors simply don’t do. At Live Más LIVE, Taco Bell revealed their 2024 menu lineup.

Another way of putting this to illustrate the event’s significance is that Taco Bell just gave away their marketing calendar for the year.

Apparently, the inspiration for Live Más LIVE comes from Apple. The tech colossus has been hosting their annual Worldwide Developers Conference in earnest for more than 20 years. For the unfamiliar, Apple uses WDC to announce product news.

“I watch Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, and I just had this moment,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer. So, I have to wonder if Live Más LIVE will become an annual or semi-annual event.

I’ll get to the items and opportunities Taco Bell unveiled in a moment. There’s a bigger point I believe operators should take away from Live Más LIVE.

A restaurant or bar’s menu is not just a list of items for sale. A menu is a powerful marketing tool. It’s a billboard. Arguably, the menu is the most powerful tool in an operator’s marketing toolbox.

QSR Innovation

Collaborations

While Taco Bell’s 2024 menu items are huge news, they’re not the only important revelation.

During Live Más LIVE, Taco Bell announced three emerging chefs who will launch the QSR giant’s TBX culinary program. Chefs Reuben Asaram, Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, and Lawrence Smith will first be tasked with reinvigorating the Crunchwrap Supreme.

The announcement that these three chefs will bring their unique styles to Taco Bell speaks to the overall theme of the Super Bowl weekend event: Innovation.

This year, Taco Bell is going hard with new menu items, and they’re entering into compelling new collaborations to do so. These partnerships include:

Beekeeper Coffee for Horchata Cold Brew Latte;
Cheez-It for the Cheez-It Crunchwrap, which features a Cheez-It cracker that’s 16 times (!) the size of a standard one;
Disha Hot for an exclusive sauce packet;
Salt & Straw for Ice Cream Chocolate Taco (think upscale Choco Taco), featuring cinnamon ancho ice cream;
Secret Aardvark for their Serrabanero sauce, which will accompany Nacho Fries; and
Tajín for an exclusive Taco Bell menu that will reportedly consist of a Tajín Crunchy Taco, Tajín Twists, and a Tajín Strawberry Freeze.

Having attended the Salt & Straw opening in Las Vegas (well, Spring Valley, but I won’t get into that further) I can say that I’m eager to sink my teeth into an Ice Cream Chocolate Taco.

On its own, these collaborations and menu testings are big news. However, Taco Bell’s event went bigger.

Menu Expansion

We all remember the Great Chicken Wars of the past several years. Well, Taco Bell has put their competitors on notice: They’re finally leaping into the fray.

According to Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s chief food innovation officer, the company is lacking when it comes to having their “fair share of chicken.” The planned Cantina Chicken menu aims to fix this oversight.

Along with oven-roasted and shredded chicken seasoned with pasilla, other chilies, and spices, come a number of ingredients appearing at Taco Bell restaurants for the first time. Among them are purple cabbage, an Avocado Verde Salsa sauce packet, and white corn taco shells.

Debuting soon (hopefully) are are the Cantina Chicken Burrito, Cantina Chicken Taco (available in soft or crispy varieties), Cantina Chicken Quesadilla, and Cantina Chicken Bowl.

Those aren’t the only new chicken-centric items coming to the Taco Bell menu. There’s also the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada, featuring marinated and slow-cooked chicken.

Oh, and chicken nugget lovers, rejoice! Crispy Chicken Nuggets, made by marinating all-white chicken in spiced jalapeño buttermilk and frying them in a tortilla coating, are on their way.

This year, Taco Bell will also offer the Cheesy Enchilada Dipping Taco (slow-roasted chicken), and Cheesy Street Chalupa, which is available with slow-roasted chicken or grilled steak.

On the sweet side, Taco Bell is launching MTN DEW BAJA BLAST Gelato, and Dulce de Leche Cinnabon Delights.

As one might suspect, some of these items will be permanent, some will come in the form of LTOs. And if my suspicions prove correct, I think we’ll see a secret, unannounced menu item at least once in 2024.

Image: Taco Bell

February 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: February 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: February 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your February holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our January 2024 holidays list, click here.

February 3: Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

I think we can all agree that life is too short to not indulge ourselves and have a treat occasionally. French toast, pancakes, crepes… All of these breakfast foods and more pair quite well with ice cream.

This holiday is even better if your back-of-house team can make ice cream from scratch.

February 4: National Homemade Soup Day

One of the most comforting foods on the planet, particularly during the winter, is a warm cup or bowl of homemade soup.

Of course, as an operator, you’ll want to consider rephrasing this holiday as “Housemade” or “Scratch-made” soup.

February 5: Start of Pride in Food Service Week

Pride in Food Service Week runs from February 5 to 9. The purpose is to celebrate foodservice professionals. For some, this means leaving a larger tip than normal. Some operators use this five-day holiday to host special events that highlight their team’s skills. I also recommend using this time to come up with ways you can honor your team, and improve their lives and careers.

February 11: National Peppermint Patty Day

Back in November of last year I wrote about how peppermint was overtaking pumpkin spice as the preferred flavor. Well, this is the perfect day to feature peppermint via a variety of F&B items on your menu, from cocktails and high-quality non-alcohol LTO beverages to tempting desserts.

February 13: National Cheddar Day

Cheddar is the most-popular cheese in the UK and one of the most-popular in the US. If you can slather it in Cheddar, create an LTO menu, feature it, and promote it.

February 16: National Almond Day

This is definitely the holiday to feature dishes with almonds, from appetizers and entrees to desserts. And, of course, there are drinks made with Disaronno, Baileys Almande, Cîroc Amaretto, and other liqueurs and spirits that can help your bar team serve up almond-flavored cocktails.

February 22: National Margarita Day

Nope, this is not an “out there” holiday. However, it is a fantastic time to showcase your signature Margaritas, alongside a classic build, of course.

February 23: National Skip the Straw Day

If you have been trying to be a more sustainable business, reducing and eliminating waste is key. I’m not saying you have to focus solely on replacing plastic straws. Instead, think about serving drinks without straws.

However, make sure you do have straws on hand for those guests who need them.

February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day

Nachos, nachos, nachos. Nachos piled high, nachos prepared in the traditional method, your bar or restaurant’s signature nachos… Time to create a promotion around the humble tortilla chip!

February 26: National Pistachio Day

Have you ever had a Pistachio Martini? How about a Pistachio Espresso Martini, Pistachio Sour, or Pistachio Fizz?

If you haven’t, odds are many of your guests haven’t, either. Could be a great idea for an LTO menu featuring pistachio, huh?

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

January 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you kick off the new year with your January holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our December 2023 holidays list, click here.

January 2: Thank God It’s Monday Day

We all know the Monday trope: It’s the day of the week to fear, inspiring the Sunday Scaries.

Well, this month encourages people to change how they look at the start of the workweek. Your venue can play a role, offering F&B promotions and entertainment programming that puts people in good spirits on a Monday.

January 3: National Fruitcake Toss Day

Another trope? Fruitcake somehow becoming a rock star during the end-of-year holiday season. I suppose this divisive dessert gets the “rock” part right…

If you have the space, you can hold a fruitcake tossing competition. Nobody’s going to eat the fruitcakes they were given, so they may as extract some joy from them.

January 9: National Cassoulet Day

This French dish is warm and comforting. And according to Tastewise, social conversations were up 20 percent in 2023.

However, less than one percent of restaurants have cassoulet on their menus in the US. Could be an excellent opportunity for savvy operator and kitchen team.

January 13: National Peach Melba Day

Each December, Pantone announces the next year’s Color of the Year. At this point, it’s a tradition.

For 2024, that color is Peach Fuzz. So, it makes sense to put peach dishes and drinks on your menu. The Peach Melba is a dessert consisting of peach wedges resting in raspberry sauce, accompanied by vanilla ice cream. However, there’s no reason your kitchen team can’t make this their own by getting creative with ice cream flavors and other accompaniments.

January 14: Start of National Mocktail Week

This is an excellent way to help guests celebrate Dry January. However, it’s important to note that some sober guests find the term “mocktail” disrespectful. I can see their point: the word has “mock” in it. So, perhaps call your celebration Alcohol-free Week, Non-alcohol Week, or Zero-ABV Week.

Either way, this is the time to dial in your zero-proof menu.

January 15: National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Celebrating this holiday with the Peach Melba is a great way to get the most out of promoting your guests’ favorite new dessert. All you have to do is serve your Peach Melba with, you guessed it, strawberry ice cream instead of the standard vanilla.

January 20: National Cheese Lover’s Day

Getting creative to celebrate this holiday will take some effort. However, if you nail it, this promotion can be recurring and become a sought-after experience.

Wine, beer, and spirits pair with a vast array of cheeses. You can create an entire tasting experience, pairing specific cheeses with a curated selection of wines, beers, whiskeys, or other spirits. Check out this guide for pairing ideas.

January 20: National Use Your Gift Card Day

I don’t usually double up on holidays for this monthly KRG Hospitality feature, but here we are.

If your business offers gift cards, this is the day to encourage people to come in and redeem them. Send a targeted email campaign, include a link to your reservation system, and you’ll have an excellent way to track how many gift cards you can expect to show up for redemption.

January 25: Clashing Clothes Day

Why should October and December get all the dress-up fun? There’s no reason your guests have to pull out all the stops for Ugly Christmas Sweater gatherings and then wait another year to do it again.

If you pull this off well and make it a “thing,” you and your team can own Clashing Clothes Day and make it an annual promotion.

January 30: National Croissant Day

The humble but delicious, flaky croissant is a tasty canvas. Sure, you can just offer croissants, but what about going harder and offering an array of croissant sandwiches or desserts?

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

December 1, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: December 2023

Program for Unique Holidays: December 2023

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your December holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our November 2023 holidays list, click here.

December 2: Global Fat Bike Day

For the unfamiliar, “fat bikes” are offroad bicycles with larger-than-normal tires. They’re fantastic for navigating sandy, snowy, muddy, and rocky terrain. Why? Because riders can run lower tire pressures to overcome obstacles smoothly.

Of course, plenty of riders also like to bop around town on fat bikes. So, whether you operate in a snowy area or you just happen to be in a market with a bunch of fat-bike riders, this would be the holiday to encourage them to group up and roll to your bar or restaurant.

December 4: National Dice Day

There’s a lot we can do with dice. One of the simplest ways to celebrate this holiday is to craft a food and/or beverage menu with numbered items/specials. Guests roll the dice and they’re served whatever they roll.

December 9: National Pastry Day

Hey, it’s holiday season—people are snacking a bit more than they would normally. Pastry, whether sweet or savory, is surely tempting and can make a holiday meal memorable.

December 11: National Noodle Ring Day

Do you know what a noodle ring is? More importantly, if you’re not the chef, does your kitchen team know about noodle rings?

They’re exactly what they sound like, and from everything I can find, they’re hundreds of years old. The premise is simple: a noodle dish is placed in a mold, then it’s baked. Bang—noodle ring.

Clearly, the noodle ring is a canvas for creativity and comfort food. So, see what your kitchen can come up with for National Noodle Ring Day, particularly if noodle dishes are already on your menu.

December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Do you have food items that would taste and look great covered in chocolate? Guess what you should do on this day…

December 19: National Emo Day

You may have heard of the When We Were Young festival that took place in Las Vegas this year in October. The first version of this emo music festival was held in California in 2017.

A lot of people enjoy nostalgia, and during the holidays they get even more nostalgic. You can either hire a DJ for an emo set, hire a local emo band or two, or put together an emo playlist if you think it would draw guests through your doors.

December 20: Games Day

Board games, card games, tabletop games, video games, arcade games, bar games… If your bar or restaurant is set up for people to play games, design a promotion around it. After all, people are gathering for the holidays. Tempt them to gather at your place.

December 21: National Coquito Day

Ah, the Coquito. I’ll risk the pitchforks and say eggnog is not the move: the Coquito is the best winter cocktail. And the best version comes from bartender Giuseppe González.

You’ll find his recipe below, and you should give him a follow and thank him for being gracious enough to share it every year in December.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Giuseppe González (@giuseppe_gonzalez)

December 29: Tick Tock Day

No, not TikTok. This holiday is about accomplishing outstanding goals before the end of the year.

However, operators and their teams can take a different approach to this holiday. Are there any bottles you want to finally get rid of to make space in your inventory? Some rare drams guests can finish off? Create a promotion around them.

December 31: National Champagne Day

Sure, some people may know this day as New Year’s Eve. But really, this is National Champagne Day.

Luckily, it’s not difficult to create promotions around Champers. Whether focusing on dosage, grape varietals, vintage, color, or cocktails, there’s a lot to do with Champagne, and it’s not challenging to shine a spotlight on it on this day.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

November 22, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Taco Bell Leveraging Subscriptions & LTOs

Taco Bell Leveraging Subscriptions & LTOs

by David Klemt

Not for the first time, Taco Bell is showing the industry the power of offering fan-favorite limited-time offers and leveraging subscriptions.

These days, everything seems to be subscription-based. We stream shows and movies via subscriptions. We can have food, clothing, gadgets, collectibles, and knick-knacks delivered to us by subcription.

Car features like heated seats, remote engine start, and self-driving? Subscriptions. Want to use software we used to buy once and install? Now we’re paying monthly to use it (or up front for a “discounted” yearly fee).

So, why should people find it odd to subscribe to one of their favorite restaurants? If the value is there for a consumer it’s no different than paying a monthly fee for other products and services to which they subscribe.

Clearly, Taco Bell has an acute understanding of people’s comfort with subscriptions. For many consumers, they’re the norm, just part of their daily routine.

As evidence, I introduce Exibit A, the Taco Lover’s Pass.

What makes this subscription noteworthy is the fact that it’s only a few years old, and it’s not even a permanent subscription. As Taco Bell Rewards members know all too well, only they can cop a Taco Lover’s Pass, and it only comes available every so often.

Most times, members have just one day to grab a pass. However, people had two whole days to decide the last time it became available.

And now, Exhibit B, the Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass.

An LTO Subscription and Item

Look, tens of millions of people love tacos. So, it’s logical that the Taco Lover’s Pass is so successful.

And if the past several years have shown us anything, millions of people also love Nacho Fries. The LTO menu item first appeared in Taco Bell restaurants in 2018. A few years later, in 2021, the Taco Lover’s Pass was tested in Arizona.

Why wouldn’t we eventually see a Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass, given the hype that follows every reintroduction of this popular item? Taco Bell has mastered the art of the LTO and the subscription. More specifically, they’ve mastered the recurring subscription. Remember, their passes aren’t permanent offerings.

Further, the iconic QSR also understands the power of the “drop.” At this point, it seems as though Taco Bell has noticed the rabid stir a limited-edition shoe or clothing drop can create for the fashion industry, studied it, and adapted it to foodservice.

With that said, the last Taco Lover’s Pass was accompanied by a menu item drop: the Toasted Breakfast Taco. If you think the Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass also ushered in an LTO, you’re correct.

The first-ever Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass comes along with the limited-time-only offer of Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries.

Take the Nacho Fries, slather them in a sauce of melted mozzarella, monterey pepper jack, and cheddar cheeses, add Taco Bell nacho cheese and chipotle sauce, and toss on some marinated steak. There you go—Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries. They’re just $4.99 while supplies last, and there’s a spicy version made with jalapeños.

It’s no surprise that Taco Bell is BrandVue’s most-loved Mexican restaurant brand, and number eight on their overall list of most-loved restaurant brands.

Takeaway

Loyalty and rewards programs, subscription services, hyped LTO menu drops… These aren’t the exclusive domain of global chain restaurants.

Independent operators can absolutely leverage LTOs and subscriptions. Moreover, indies can do so with as much—if not more—specificity. Independent and regional chain operators tend to be far more nimble than their large chain counterparts.

After all, it’s much easier to implement change in one or a handful of restaurants than it is hundreds or thousands of locations. In theory, single-unit operators also know their loyal guests on a more intimate level. Where that’s the case, they should know what levers to pull to generate interest and encourage repeat visits.

It’s no small task to create a subscription program, let alone a free-to-use-but-engaging, branded rewards program. And that’s to say nothing of coming up with menu item so powerful that taking it away for months at a time is a feasible, profitable thing to do. Although, if you’ve shrunk your menu and eliminated a decent food or drink performer, you may have somewhere to start.

With time and thoughtful consideration, independent and regional operators can absolutely nail rewards, subscriptions, and LTOs.

Image: Taco Bell

November 1, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: November 2023

Program for Unique Holidays: November 2023

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your November holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our October 2023 holidays list, click here.

November 3: National Jersey Day

This is an easy one. MLB, the NBA, NHL, NFL, NCAA Football… All of these and more are in regular season play at the moment.

Establish your bar as the place to watch and play fantasy sports to develop a loyal guest base. One way to really get your guests engaged is to get them to wear their jerseys, and this holiday is the “official” day for them to do so.

November 5: Zero Tasking Day

Sure, multi-tasking and the people who claim to have mastery over it are impressive. But you know what’s even more impressive? Taking the time to nothing but relax.

You know what’s an excellent place to check out, relax, and indulge? Your restaurant, bar, or nightclub.

November 6: National Nacho Day

No, nachos aren’t the world’s most unique food. However, your approach and presentation can certainly help you stand out from other operators.

Go highest. Go largest. Go most unusual ingredients. Go most premium toppings. Just go wild.

November 11: National Metal Day

Anyone who knows me knows that metal holds a special place in my life. In fact, I recently hit the Pearl Theater inside the Palms for the Dethklok + BABY METAL “BABYKLOK” tour stop in Las Vegas.

This is the day for you to encourage the metalheads among your guests to show up to your bar or restaurant. Create an LTO featuring metal spirit brands, like Slipknot Iowa Whiskey and Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey.

November 14: National Pickle Day

If your kitchen can pickle it, this is the holiday to have them create an LTO menu showing off their skills.

November 16: National Use Less Stuff Day

Sustainability and ethical business practices aren’t just trendy anymore. Many of today’s guests want to know they’re supporting businesses that have a plan to address waste.

If you’ve been developing a sustainability plan, this is the day to launch it. Look at your operations, look at your menu, and see where you can make small but impactful changes.

November 20: National Absurdity Day

Do you have an “absurd” idea for a promotion, menu item, design feature, or branding exercise? Tighten up that idea and execute it on National Absurdity Day.

You can also check out one of our KRG Concepts, Absurd! Kitchen Co., for a turn-key restaurant concept.

November 22: DrinksGiving

As operators know, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving has traditionally been the busiest bar night of the year. Whether you call it Thanksgiving Eve or DrinksGiving, this is your opportunity to pull out all the stops.

November 25: National Small Business Day

This is the perfect holiday to highlight all the small, craft, and independent F&B brands you work with at your restaurant or bar. Feature local artisans, spirits and beer producers, farmers, and more on your menu to help them and you generate more business.

November 30: National Mason Jar Day

I don’t know what it is but drinking from a mason jar, whether there’s a delicious cocktail, moonshine, or a soft drink inside it, is just a cool experience.

Of course, you can also get creative with starter, side, and dessert presentations inside mason jars.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

October 10, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Taco Bell Racking Up Rewards Program Wins

Taco Bell Racking Up Rewards Program Wins

by David Klemt

Taco Bell, masters of the limited-time offer and loyalty program, continue to rack up wins with the return of a fan-favorite promotion, and more.

The fast-food giant operates more than 7,800 restaurants in the US alone. However, the company understands that sheer numbers aren’t enough to turn a profit.

Rather, Taco Bell continually proves they understand the power of promotions, loyalty, and LTOs.

The QSR routinely releases specialty items, then packs them away to generate buzz and traffic by making them available once again—for a limited time. Compellingly, Taco Bell also ties their LTOs to their loyalty program. Often times, the only way for guests to enjoy special perks and items is to be a Taco Bell Rewards member.

Not only does this help to engage existing members, this approach drives new program signups.

Case in point: the Taco Lover’s Pass.

National Taco Day Promotion

If you’re industry or a fan of Taco Bell, you should be aware of the Taco Lover’s Pass by now.

Tracing its genesis to 2021 in Arizona, the LTO pops up every now and then. In exchange for $10, those who grab a pass can get one free taco each day for 30 consecutive days.

Oh, and the pass is now only available via the Taco Bell app, and to members of the Taco Bell Rewards program. Again, this is an excellent way to boost engagement. Do guests want to take advantage of this LTO? Great—they’ll need to exchange their info and provide access to themselves to do so.

Normally, the Taco Lover’s Pass is available for purchase for just one day. However, this time around Taco Bell gave rewards members two days to snag one. This is likely due to a new menu item drop coming tomorrow.

For quite some time now, Taco Bell has been hinting that they’ll be making breakfast easier and better. And now we know how they plan to accomplish that goal.

Joining the Seasoned Beef Crunchy Taco, Seasoned Beef Crunchy Taco Supreme, Seasoned Beef Soft Taco, Seasoned Beef Soft Taco Supreme, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Seasoned Beef Doritos® Locos Tacos, and Seasoned Beef Doritos® Locos Tacos Supreme on the Taco Lover’s Pass is the new Toasted Breakfast Taco.

Today, October 12 (a Taco Tuesday!), Taco Bell drops the Toasted Breakfast Taco, and holders of their coveted pass can grab one for free.

Clearly, Tuesdays are important to Taco Bell. Let’s not forget that they very publicly challenged the “Taco Tuesday” trademark, and very publicly celebrated its cancellation. So, launching an all-new item that will drive traffic to Taco Bell during the breakfast daypart makes perfect sense. The drop also further solidifies their branding and marketing.

Steal a Base…

…Steal a Taco. Not only is the Taco Lover’s Pass back, so is Taco Bell’s Major League Baseball promotion.

And, once again, it’s available only via the Taco Bell app, and only to Taco Bell Rewards members.

Focusing on the Fall Classic, “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” is a collaboration between Taco Bell, the MLB, and Topps.

Starting October 27 (not a Tuesday), the first player to steal a base will earn the title Taco Hero. That player will also earn free Nacho Cheese Doritos® Locos Tacos for Taco Bell Rewards members.

Taking things further, however, is Topps. The iconic trading card brand has put a limited run of Topps TacoFractor cards into circulation. People who hold the card of the first player to steal a base during the 2023 World Series could win Taco Bell for life. For this promotion, that comes in the form of a digital $15,000 Taco Bell gift card.

Alternatively, the holders of Topps TacoFractor Wild Cards could win the big prize.

On October 10 (a Tuesday!), Taco Bell Rewards members will have the chance to score free Topps Chrome or Cosmic Chrome packs. This limited Tuesday Drop could lead to a Taco Hero card, which in turn can lead to winning Taco Bell for life.

Takeaway

Unquestionably, Taco Bell understands the power of marketing messaging, branding, promotions, and the LTO.

However, they also understand the need for loyalty and rewards programs to do more than just offer discounts and free menu items. A great loyalty program needs to be big, bold, and encourage constant engagement.

With that in mind, it’s more than likely time for most operators, regardless of size, to review and rethink their programs.

Image: Chad Stembridge on Unsplash

October 3, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: October 2023

Program for Unique Holidays: October 2023

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your October holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our September 2023 holidays list, click here.

October 4: National Golf Lover’s Day

There’s a lot of focus on the growth of pickleball in the US and Canada. However, there’s another sport that has been experiencing sizable growth: golf.

Owing in part to the explosive popularity of concepts like TopGolf and Drive Shack, more people have been getting into golf. The past few years has seen “0ff-course” golfers convert to off-and-on-course golfers. If you have golf simulators, Golden Tee, or operate a sports bar or golf-focused concept, this is your holiday!

October 5: National Get Funky Day

Funky rums, funky agate spirits… If there was ever a day to introduce your guests to the funky spirits in your inventory, it’s National Get Funky Day.

October 6: Inbox Zero Day

We can all use a reason to unplug and take a personal day. Hey, the start of October is a great reason to encourage your guests to make their emails as read and spend that personal day at your restaurant or bar.

October 11: Southern Food Heritage Day

Chicken-fried steak. Biscuits and gravy. Southern barbecue. BBQ pulled pork. Fried catfish. There are a nearly endless number of incredible Southern food menu items you can showcase and put your stamp on during this holiday.

October 14: National Motorcycle Ride Day

Yes, I’m including this holiday because I’ve gotten into motorcycles over the past couple of years. However, my motives aren’t entirely selfish. Becoming a go-to spot for groups of guests on bikes can be lucrative.

Just make your menu has plenty of low- and no-alcohol options.

October 16: National Liqueur Day

Not only are there a multitude of liqueurs that pair well with fall flavors, they’re perfect for creating low-ABV sips. Reverse cocktails are a great way to appeal to guests looking for easy-drinking, sessionable sips. And they just happen to be excellent for creating LTO cocktail menus.

October 20: International Chefs Day

If there was ever a day to let your chef and his brigade show off, here it is. Let them create a seasonal prix fixe or LTO menu that shows your guests why your team is the best in the area.

October 21: Apple Day

When temperatures drop and we finally find ourselves in the fall, the pumpkin spice descends upon us. The past couple of years, those menu items haven’t even had the courtesy of waiting for summer to end before making their first appearances.

Well, pumpkin spice isn’t the only fall flavor people want when the weather gets cooler. Sure, PSLs are popular, but you should also be highlighting apple on your food and drink menus.

October 22: National Make a Dog’s Day

There are a couple of ways to make a dog’s day. You and your team can help organize an adoption event and help dogs find their forever homes. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to be “funny” and say furever homes instead.)

If your bar or restaurant has a clean outdoor area, you can also encourage guests to bring them dogs. Have plenty of water and dog-friendly treats available to make their day.

October 30: Mischief Night

Also known as Devil’s Night, particularly in Detroit, Mischief Night is all about cutting loose. Well, most bars are the perfect place for people to cut loose and unwind.

Of course, we don’t want people to vandalize the bar or set fire to anything, so make sure you’re encouraging guests to party and not be malicious toward one another or the community.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

Josué Gonzaléz for the Rémy Martin "Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa" campaign

September 15, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Rémy Martin Pays Homage to Sobremesa

Rémy Martin Pays Homage to Sobremesa

by David Klemt

Mixologist Josué Gonzaléz for the Rémy Martin “Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa” campaign

Rémy Martin is teaming up with the Hispanic Restaurant Association to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring a post-dinner tradition.

That tradition, an important element of a number of Hispanic cultures, is called “sobremesa.” Translating to “at the table” or “upon the table,” sobremesa is the period of time after a meal during which people relax, chat, and digest.

This is, of course, one of the most important elements of a great meal and gathering of friends and family. While sobremesa may fly in the face of the “turn-and-burn” approach to operation, a hallmark of a wonderful time out at a restaurant is the post-meal vibe.

Are guests lingering with smiles on their faces, ordering post-dinner drinks and chatting, giving off a good energy? That would indicate an operator and their team have delivered excellent service and a memorable guest experience.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and sobremesa, Rémy Martin is launching a new campaign: “Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rémy Martin US (@remymartinus)

Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa

A core element of this collaboration between Rémy Martin and the Hispanic Restaurant Association is bringing food and beverage together.

To achieve this, Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa is bringing together three influential F&B professionals.

Hailing from the Bronx with a career that has brought her to Washington, DC, Chef Paola Velez is an entrepreneur, activist, and the founder of Bakers Against Racism.

A restaurateur with restaurants in Mexico and Chicago—and his sights on California’s dining scene—Chef Carlos Gaytán is the first Mexican-born chef to earn a Michelin star.

Miami native and revered bartender Josué Gonzaléz brings an understanding of the culinary to his craft, beginning his journey in hospitality as a Johnson & Wales culinary student. His résumé includes some of the best bars and restaurants in America.

This powerhouse trio has been tasked with creating cocktails and culinary pairings that feature Rémy Martin and shine a spotlight on sobremesa. Their hard work will be showcased through immersive experiences throughout the US. Click here for Chef Velez’s recipes, here for Chef Gaytán’s creations, and here for Gonzaléz’s recipes.

However, Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa doesn’t stop with the conclusion of a meal. Rémy Martin, the Hispanic Restaurant Association, and their featured chefs and bartender also seek to add a new element to sobremesa.

Rather than sobremesa representing the end of a night out, Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa aims to transform the tradition into the start. In other words, “last call” now signals “the first call of the rest of the night.” Instead of asking, “When can we do this again,” the campaign encourages friends and family to ask, “What’s next tonight?”

The Mambo Mango Royale

To provide an idea of the creations coming from the Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa collaborations, here’s a cocktail recipe from Josué Gonzaléz.

1.5 oz Rémy Martin Tercet
0.75 oz Mango Syrup
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
Bar spoon Galliano
Champagne to top
Decorative mango and edible flower to garnish

Add the first four ingredients and ice to a shaker. Shake vigorously for about ten seconds, then add a splash of Champagne. Pour into a flute or cocktail coupe, then garnish.

For more information, please read the press release below in its entirety. Cheers!

RÉMY MARTIN LAUNCHES ‘QUE VIVA RÉMY SOBREMESA’ CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND HONOR THE CHERISHED SOBREMESA TRADITION

Notable culinary and cocktail personalities come together to share custom recipes featuring Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and Tercet and create lively experiences while embracing cultures of excellence and the tradition of Sobremesa

NEW YORK—To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Rémy Martin is launching Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa, an homage to Sobremesa, the post-dining tradition found throughout many Hispanic cultures. The campaign brings influential culinary and mixology tastemakers together, including award-winning chefs Carlos Gaytán and Paola Velez, and renowned Mixologist Josué Gonzaléz, to create a variety of curated cocktails featuring Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and Tercet along with culinary pairings showcasing how Sobremesa comes to life across different Hispanic cultures. The tastemakers and their pairings will be presented at a series of immersive events across the country.

With nearly 300 years of excellence producing Cognac Fine Champagne and symbolizing the diversity of craft and tradition, Rémy Martin continues to be at the forefront of moments that bring people together. As the kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month, Rémy Martin is immersing cocktail connoisseurs in Sobremesa, a tradition where one finds themself lost in deep conversation – talking, sipping cocktails and spending time with those who matter most – often for hours after dining.

Getting lost in conversation and savoring the post-dinner experience is the essence of Sobremesa and with Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa, Rémy Martin will challenge the notion of “last call” by signaling Sobremesa as the start of the night ahead. After all, the most dispiriting words heard when you’re out are “last call” and “kitchen’s closed” – but with Rémy Martin the last call can now be the first call of the rest of the night.

“Rémy Martin’s passion for excellence, family values and traditions offer a moment for us all to partake in Sobremesa and we are thrilled to be teaming up with a variety of notable personalities to kick off the celebration this Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Tina Reejsinghani, Vice President of Luxury Brands at Rémy Cointreau Americas. “Enjoying classic recipes and sparking conversations around the table is at the heart of Hispanic heritage and Rémy Martin is excited to lead in the festivities of the time-honored tradition.”

As part of the campaign and the brand’s ongoing commitment to advancing the world of gastronomy, Rémy Martin is teaming up with the Hispanic Restaurant Association (HRA) and their Global Ambassador, Chef Fernando Stovell to support and further the careers of aspiring chefs, culinary entrepreneurs, restaurant managers, and industry professionals within the Hispanic community, uplifting the next generation of gastronomic excellence.

“At the Hispanic Restaurant Association, our vision is focused on fostering education and uplifting the Hispanic community across generations,” said John Jaramillo, Co-Founder and CEO of the Hispanic Restaurant Association. “As we work to elevate the culinary artistry within the Hispanic community, our partnership with Rémy Martin will play an integral part in extending our mission and vision across the country, allowing us to continue fostering a richer culinary perspective and build lasting bridges within the community.”

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, Rémy Martin will invite cocktail and culinary aficionados in New York and Miami to join the brand at the Rémy Martin Sobremesa Social Club. The events will feature lively entertainment alongside the unique dishes and cocktails curated by Carlos Gaytán, Paola Velez and Josué Gonzaléz, each inspired by their backgrounds. Chef Carlos, Chef Paola and Josué Gonzaléz will make appearances at the events, to showcase their creations and celebrate Sobremesa with guests. For more information and to purchase tickets for a VIP table experience, please visit Rémy Martin Sobremesa Social Club. Proceeds will benefit the Hispanic Restaurant Association.

Rémy Martin will also be capturing the essence of the Sobremesa tradition with a series of curated craft cocktails that highlight the opulent and complex flavor profiles of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and Rémy Martin Tercet. To keep the flavors going strong and accentuate each Rémy Martin expression, world-renowned chefs Carlos Gaytán and Paola Velez and Mixologist Josué Gonzaléz have created a variety of culinary and cocktail recipes representing their own cultures. From the Flamingo 1738 cocktail inspired by Josué’s childhood in Cuba and Chef Carlos’s nod to the sweet and savory elements of Mexican cooking with the Foie and Chocolate dish, to Chef Paola’s Nutmeg Pavlova recipe which combines her Dominican roots with the flavors of autumn, this campaign will take patrons on a culinary journey around the world.

The Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa campaign was developed in collaboration with creative agency FRED & FARID New York and will be featured across billboards and kiosks in Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL and New York, NY in addition to digital media and social content throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. For more information on the campaign, recipes and events, visit RemyMartin.com and follow along on social media on Instagram @RemyMartinUS | Twitter @RemyMartinUS | Facebook RemyMartinUSA

#QueVivaRemySobremesa #TeamUpForExcellence

ABOUT RÉMY MARTIN

Since 1724, the House of Rémy Martin has produced premium spirits that consistently appeal to the world’s most discerning connoisseurs. A profound love of the land, a continuity of family ownership and a passionate commitment to excellence has sustained Rémy Martin for nearly three centuries. As a result of its masterful production and generations of tradition in Cognac, the House of Rémy Martin produces award winning Cognacs Fine Champagne including Rémy Martin® XO, which was named Cognac of the Year 2022 by USA Spirits Ratings, and The Cognac Masters gold medal winning Rémy Martin® Tercet®, Rémy Martin® 1738 Accord Royal and Rémy Martin® V.S.O.P.

ABOUT HISPANIC RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

Looking ahead, our vision is focused on fostering education and uplifting the Hispanic community across generations. We aspire to create a comprehensive impact by fostering economic growth and entrepreneurial endeavours through a range of interconnected networks, educational platforms, events, and supportive infrastructure.

ABOUT CHEF CARLOS GAYTÁN

A native of Mexico, chef and restaurateur Carlos Gaytán has made his mark in the culinary industry. From a young age, he was enamored with cooking, exploring a full spectrum of flavor while perfecting heirloom recipes alongside his mother. With a seamless unification of his Mexican heritage and his love of French culinary style, Carlos became the first Mexican-born chef to earn a coveted Michelin star in 2013. Gaytán appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef in 2013 and has since been widely featured as a host and judge on numerous culinary programs. He has opened two award-winning restaurants — one in Mexico in 2017, and another in Chicago in 2019. In 2024, he will open three new restaurants in California.

ABOUT CHEF PAOLA VELEZ

Award-winning chef, entrepreneur and community activist Paola Velez is the multihyphenate for a new generation of lifestyle personalities. Growing up between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, Velez is fluent in cultures of city and island life, bringing infectious positivity and a keen eye on the micro-trends of the moment to the table. Her unique perspective has catapulted her to the pages of Food & Wine, and garnered her a nomination for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation, “Pastry Chef of the Year” from Esquire and “Best New Chef” from Food & Wine. Most recently, Paola founded the organization Bakers Against Racism as a social community, connecting bakers and creatives all across the globe to fight against racism in all of its forms. Looking ahead, under her lifestyle brand Dōekï Dōekï, a reflection of her Afro-Latina heritage, Velez is launching a series of collaborations and pop-up dinners across the country in addition to her first cookbook in 2024.

ABOUT MIXOLOGIST JOSUÉ GONZALÉZ

Josué Gonzaléz is a Miami native with a true passion for hospitality. As a culinary student at Johnson & Wales University, he accepted a barback position at Zuma Miami to gain industry experience, setting a decorated front-of-house career into motion. Josué found a friend and mentor in renowned Miami bartender Rob Ferrara, helping both achieve great success with openings at Swine Southern Table & Bar, Lure Fishbar and The Rum Line. As an individual, Josué was named one of Zagat Miami’s 30 under 30 in 2014, and went on to win and place in the top of various cocktail competitions. As part of the opening team at Sweet Liberty Bar & Supply, Josué was integral in the venue as it was awarded Best New Cocktail Bar in America at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. In 2018 Josué moved to Washington DC to open and manage the bar at Seven Reasons, a Latin concept, with Enrique Limardo. The restaurant was named Best New Restaurant in America 2019 by Esquire Magazine. Josué brings his talents and experience back to Miami in his work with Unfiltered Hospitality where he makes experiences better for people in every facet of the service industry.

Image: Rémy Martin

September 1, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: September ’23

Program for Unique Holidays: September 2023

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your September holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

For our August 2023 holidays list, click here.

September 4: Eat an Extra Dessert Day

Do you know what’s better than one dessert? Okay, yes, I know that you know I’m going to say two desserts.

On this holiday, highlight your desserts and encourage your guests to indulge, treating themselves to at least two.

September 5: Be Late for Something Day

Look, none of us are perfect. We’ve all been late for something, and each of us will be late for something in the future.

There’s no reason your guests can’t be late for something on September 5, taking the time to enjoy another bite or another drink (responsibly, of course).

September 8: National Ampersand Day

Pairings. Combos. Flights. LTOs. Restaurants and bars practically run on the word “and,” or the humble ampersand. Celebrate the ampersand by creating an LTO menu of enticing pairings and combos.

September 14: National Eat a Hoagie Day

If I have to tell you what to feature on this day…just wow. One word of caution, however: Make sure you’re making authentic hoagies, not just any sandwich.

September 15: National Cheese Toast Day

Whether you and your guests call it rarebit, cheese on toast, a toasted cheese sandwich, or a grilled cheese, this is the day to put your cheese toast in the spotlight. Bonus: This is also National Grenache Day, so come up with a toasted cheese sandwich that pairs well with this wine varietal.

September 16: National Guacamole Day

Sure, you can serve a guacamole you order from your food supplier. Or you can create your own signature guacamole (or guacamoles) and prepare it table- or bar-side.

As an example, when I make guacamole I like to add a bit of orange or grapefruit juice, along with lime juice. Nothing groundbreaking, but it adds a nice bit of zip.

September 22: Car Free Day

Encourage your staff and guests—if feasible, of course—to forego their cars, trucks, and SUVs and use alternative methods of travel to your venue. Bicycles, skateboards, EVs, scooters, motorcycles (lower emissions than cars), walking…anything but a traditional automobile.

September 25: Better Breakfast Day

Do you know where the people in your community can get a better breakfast? I really hope you said, “My restaurant/bar!”

September 27: National Crush a Can Day

I’m sure you have more than just a few “crushable” or sessionable beverages on your menu. Whether beer, canned cocktail, canned wine, or other canned RTD, this is the day to make your guests aware of your crushable menu items.

September 30: National Hot Mulled Cider Day

With summer over, cold-weather drinks will be the order of the day. So, get your hot mulled cider dialed in and feature it on your menu.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels