Super Bowl Sunday: 3 Ideas To Drive Online Ordering Demand For Your Restaurant

It’s that time of year again — Super Bowl Sunday! As we approach February 7, food-related festivities will be top of mind for customers looking to tune in to this national event and root for their favorite teams. Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect time to drive more online orders for your restaurant, with four out of every five consumers intending to buy food and beverages for game day.

Plus, as Super Bowl Sunday is traditionally a home-based celebration for many people, there is sure to be extensive demand for your online menu and special offerings. Now is the time to get your ducks in a row with menu planning and marketing promotions that will help your restaurant boost online ordering revenue this Super Bowl Sunday.

Food is a huge part of Super Bowl Sunday and consumers are expected to eat, on average, over 2,400 calories per person (!) during the big event. And the numbers on what they eat are staggering, with Americans chowing down on 1.38 billion wings, 11.5 million pizzas and 8 million pounds of guacamole on game day. With consumption at an all-time high, and the option to attend an in-person party or event at a restaurant or bar off the table, Super Bowl Sunday will have huge demand when it comes to online ordering. So why not make it easy for your customers to consume? Offering creative food packages that highlight easy to share game day favorites via your direct online ordering platform is key.

From ‘Brats and Beers’ to ‘Wings & Things’ or even ‘Champagne & Fried Chicken’, your options are endless for creating and promoting packages that your customers can order online.

Don’t be afraid to take traditional game day favorites and incorporate your brand’s personality and hospitality like serving your signature truffle fried chicken in a branded bucket for Super Bowl Sunday, or updating an on-menu dessert with the competing teams’ colors.

Plus, by offering this directly to your customers on your website, you won’t lose money or customer data to third-party delivery platforms. Don’t forget to call attention to your offerings clearly on your online menu. Create new menu categories such as “Super Bowl Specials & Packages” so these stand out from your traditional online menu categories.

In October 2019, there were over 3.7 billion active users across social media channels. Today, that number has grown as consumers continue to flock to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more to share and digest content on everything from the latest fashion trends to the hottest new restaurants. This means you should continue to prioritize your social media channels to boost customer engagement.

A simple way to do this is by offering a giveaway to get your followers (and future customers) excited about your business. In the days leading up to the game, offer one lucky local follower the chance to win their very own Super Bowl Essentials Kit — complete with food, drink and other themed surprises. To get your followers extra excited for your Essentials kit, stage a photoshoot to capture high-quality photos of your offerings and special surprises. This way your social posts can be captivating and stand out from the crowd.

The benefits are two-fold: you can promote your existing game day packages and drive traffic to your online ordering page, plus you can gain more followers in the process by asking entrants to ‘tag their friends’ to enter the giveaway.

**PRO TIP** Market your giveaway and any special menu offerings across all your digital channels. Make sure to update your website, menus and social channels with your promotions to keep your digital audience in the know well in advance of Super Bowl Sunday. Want more ideas about how to prepare your marketing channels for big ordering moments? Download our latest guide: Online Ordering Marketing Calendar: Optimize 2021’s Biggest Delivery and Takeout Moments.

Did you know that on Super Bowl weekend Americans typically purchase 51.7 million cases of beer? This year, snag your piece of the pie by leveraging your beverage programs to boost revenue by selling beer, wine and cocktails to-go. Offering alcoholic beverages as part of your existing delivery and pick up services is a low lift for your staff, who can simply add cans, bottles or pre-batched drinks to takeaway bags. Plus, the addition of alcohol, a high margin item, to your online ordering strategy will help pad your bottom line with much-needed dollars over the cold winter months.

Not allowed to deliver alcoholic beverages in your city or state? Instead, offer your customers the ability to buy pre-mixed, non-alcoholic drinks that simply require the addition of their favorite spirit. Margarita, sangria, and Bloody Mary mixes can be easily created and packaged up at your restaurant for customers to add their preferred alcoholic libations at home.

No matter where you’re located in the United States, Super Bowl Sunday is guaranteed to be a big online ordering day for consumers. Even if your business can’t host its traditional Super Bowl watch party, it doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from a day when Americans are focused on food. Online ordering is the solution to capturing your share of the opportunity. Don’t miss out on extra revenue for your restaurant by leveraging these three tips to boost profits this game day.

Interested in learning more about SevenRooms’ online ordering platform? Reach out to schedule a demo today.