Dive Brief:
- Independent restaurants across the U.S. have bolstered their menus in recent months with World Cup-themed menu additions, according to SpotOn restaurant data emailed to Restaurant Dive. The point-of-sales provider analyzed 204 menu items added to its POS system from March through May.
- Of the new items analysed for the time period, 65% were drinks, including tequila, cocktails, draft items and country-themed pours. Merchandise is also up, with 27% of World Cup additions including retail items, such as soccer shirts, balls, party supplies and fan accessories.
- Prep has also ramped up, with restaurants adding 150% more World Cup items in May compared to April, and 120% more items in April compared to March.
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Dive Insight:
World Cup promotions could help independents better compete with large chains, like McDonald’s, that have the marketing funds to afford a systemwide World Cup promotion.
McDonald’s added the FIFA World Cup 26 Meal to its U.S. restaurants on June 4. Buffalo Wild Wings will begin offering a limited-time menu, which includes six dipping sauces and two signature cocktails, as part of its Match Day promotions, according to an emailed press release.
TGI Fridays is offering a World Cup menu through Aug. 31 that features various LTOs, such as Matchday Bites, starting at $8.99 and Matchday Platters starting at $14.99.
Independent restaurants are making their pricing affordable for these offers with median listed prices around $18.50, according to SpotOn. About two-thirds of the offers are $25 or less, which SpotOn said signals that “operators are building traffic offers — not ticketed events.”
Operators have been leaning on group-friendly offers, like Match Up Combos, Churros Futbolitos, soccer-themed snacks and other sharable items, SpotOn said.
Restaurants are reviewing their tipping policies ahead of the tournament since there will be an influx of larger parties, longer table times and international visitors unfamiliar with U.S. tipping, SpotOn said. Some restaurants in World Cup host cities have been opting for a 20% automatic gratuity whether customers dine in or order takeout and will be posting notices so that visitors are aware of the practice.
Gratuities are already going up. SpotOn’s restaurant clients charged a gratuity of 39.09% on at least one order when auto-gratuity applied. That’s up from 37.99% in April.
It’s also not just restaurants in host 11 U.S. cities across nine states preparing for the tournament, either. SpotOn said Ohio, Texas and Missouri accounted for 57% of the state-tagged additions out of 25 states analyzed. Texas and Missouri are both host states, while Ohio is not.
“While national chains are rolling out World Cup marketing campaigns, independent restaurants have something chains can't replicate: local hospitality,” SpotOn wrote. “The fans who can’t get tickets — or can’t afford them — are looking for a neighborhood place to watch. … The opportunity is national.
