Marketing

Restaurants offering side of toilet paper with delivery, pickup orders

The promotions provide much needed comic relief amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Photograph: Shutterstock

“We’ve got your back(side).” That’s the message Ike’s Love & Sandwiches is sharing as it offers customers a free roll of toilet paper with any sandwich order.

This tongue-in-cheek promotion is just one example of how restaurants across the country—many of which have been restricted to delivery and pickup only—are hoping to provide their customers with a laugh, as well as some extra supplies, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ike’s promotion began Friday and is valid while supplies last on pickup orders at the sandwich shop’s more than 75 locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Hawaii. While the free roll is not available with delivery, Ike’s is offering free delivery on orders made through its app.  

In Cambridge, Minn., Cambridge Bar & Grill is including a free roll of TP with all orders of more than $25. “When the customers get their order, you hear a genuine laugh, and that’s the best thing right now,” owner Sean Okerlund told Fox 9. Wednesday marked the first day of the promotion, and the restaurant is currently open for takeout from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, Tommy Riemer, general manager of The Beacon Tap in Des Plaines, Ill., told NBC Chicago he ordered 300 rolls of toilet paper from his supplier to “offer it to customers as a little comic relief.” The Beacon Tap is giving out free TP with a delivery or takeout order. The offer was posted on the restaurant's Facebook page Monday morning, and it was still handing out toilet paper as of Thursday.

Pizza chains are also rolling with it. Pizza Schmizza in Portland, Ore., announced a $15 special that includes a pizza of any size and a roll of toilet paper for curbside pickup at its Southwest Montgomery Street restaurant near Portland State University, The Oregonian reported. Wisconsin’s Mequon Pizza Company is also offering a free roll of TP with a pizza order, and it is also allowing customers to purchase just toilet paper for $1, with a limit of six rolls, according to Insider.

tp email

Photograph courtesy of Ike's Sandwiches

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Welcome to the latest restaurant recession

The Bottom Line: Bankruptcy filings, closures, strategic alternatives and a sudden value messaging all suggest the industry is in a tough spot. But many brands are still thriving.

Emerging Brands

Scott Taylor hits the ground running as CEO of Cherry Bounce Hospitality

The industry veteran with a knack for scaling full-service brands is bringing his expertise to three Southeastern mainstays and is on the hunt for more.

Financing

Podcast transcript: Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone

A Deeper Dive: Here is the transcript for the May 29 podcast with the chief executive of the drive-thru coffee chain, who talks real estate, boba and other topics.

Trending

More from our partners