🏈 Football Season Menu Ideas: How Restaurants Can Score Big with Online Ordering and Delivery in 2025

Football season isn’t just about touchdowns—it’s one of the most profitable times of year for restaurants. From casual takeout spots to full-service dining, the months between preseason and the Super Bowl can drive huge spikes in online orders and delivery demand.

But winning big requires more than just wings and pizza. By introducing creative football-themed menu items, crafting promotions around the season’s biggest games, and optimizing your online ordering experience, your restaurant can turn game day into a consistent revenue driver.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best football-themed menu ideas, seasonal promotions, and online ordering strategies to help you boost sales, capture more delivery traffic, and keep fans coming back all season long.

Why Football Season Is a Goldmine for Restaurants

• Game Day = Group Ordering: Families, roommates, and friend groups want easy, shareable foods to enjoy while watching the game.

• High Repeat Potential: With weekly games, football season provides built-in opportunities for repeat orders and loyalty campaigns.

• Increased Delivery Demand: Not everyone wants to leave the couch at kickoff. Online ordering and delivery are critical for capturing this demand.

• Upselling Opportunities: From sides to drinks, customers are more likely to add extras to their cart for the big game.

The restaurants that capitalize on these behaviors with smart menu design and digital promotions will consistently score higher revenues.

Football-Themed Menu Ideas That Sell

Here are some winning ideas you can easily integrate into your menu this season:

1. Touchdown Platters

Offer sharable bundles—think wings, sliders, nachos, and fries packaged together. Position them as game-day must-haves and offer them in small, medium, and large sizes.

2. Team-Inspired Specials

Create dishes named after local teams or players. Example: “The End Zone Nacho Tower” or “The Patriot Burger.” Fun names increase shareability online and drive repeat orders.

3. Limited-Time Sauces and Flavors

Football season is the perfect opportunity to roll out unique flavors—buffalo ranch wings, smoky BBQ sliders, or seasonal chili. Limited-time offers (LTOs) generate urgency and increase average ticket size.

4. DIY Game Day Kits

Provide take-home kits with pizza dough, toppings, or taco fixings so fans can build their own game-day spread. These upsell well for delivery and encourage family/group ordering.

5. Fan-Friendly Drinks and Sides

Bundle sodas, mocktails, or even “football-themed dirty sodas” with food packages. Don’t forget sides like mozzarella sticks, potato wedges, or dips—high margin items that boost your bottom line.

How to Use Online Ordering to Maximize Game Day Sales

Menu ideas only win if customers can order them easily. Here’s how to make your online ordering experience football-ready:

1. Feature Game-Day Bundles at the Top of Your Storefront

Highlight your football specials in a banner or carousel so customers see them immediately when they click “order online.”

2. Create Pre-Set Combos for Faster Checkout

Fans don’t want to spend 15 minutes building an order during kickoff. Offer one-click bundles that include entrees, sides, and drinks.

3. Upsell with Smart Add-Ons

When someone adds a wing platter, suggest an extra dipping sauce or dessert. Sauce’s online ordering platform makes upsells seamless at checkout.

4. Schedule Promotions Around Big Games

Use push notifications, SMS, or email campaigns to remind customers about ordering ahead for Sunday night or the playoffs. Personalized, timed marketing increases conversion rates.

5. Leverage Zero-Commission Delivery

Third-party apps cut deeply into margins. A direct, commission-free ordering system like Sauce keeps profits in your pocket while ensuring customers get a premium, branded experience.

Seasonal Promotions to Drive Repeat Orders

The season lasts months—so plan multiple promotions to keep things fresh:

• Kickoff Specials: Offer discounts or free delivery for the first few weeks to build momentum.

• Mid-Season Combos: Introduce new flavors halfway through to keep regulars excited.

• Holiday Tie-Ins: Combine football with Halloween, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s promotions.

• Playoff Packages: Bigger bundles and premium upsells for watch parties.

• Super Bowl Blowout: Market early—fans plan ahead for this one. Create an exclusive, limited menu to maximize volume.

Menu Design Tips to Sell More

Football promotions aren’t just about the food—it’s about how you present it:

• Use Icons and Visuals: Football graphics, bold colors, and eye-catching names draw attention to specials.

• Highlight High-Margin Items: Place wings, platters, and sodas in “prime real estate” on your menu.

• Bundle for Value: Customers perceive bundles as better deals, even if the margins work in your favor.

• Keep It Mobile-Friendly: Most fans will order from their phones. Ensure your ordering page is fast, simple, and easy to navigate.

How Sauce Helps Restaurants Win Football Season

Sauce gives independent restaurants the tools to thrive during the busiest times of the year:

• Commission-Free Online Ordering: Keep 100% of the revenue from every game-day order.

• Premium Branded Storefronts: Showcase your football specials with professional, SEO-optimized menus.

• AI-Driven Marketing: Sauce automates personalized campaigns to bring customers back week after week.

• Reliable Delivery Network: Access virtually unlimited drivers with 24/7 support for you and your diners.

Final Whistle: Make Football Season Your Restaurant’s MVP

Football season creates a predictable surge in demand. With creative menu ideas, well-timed promotions, and the right online ordering tools, your restaurant can turn Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays into some of the most profitable nights of the year.