Today marks the start of the NFL season, with the first Thursday night football game scheduled to kick off this evening. Even though stadiums will not be filled to capacity and tailgate parties may be limited to social-distanced gatherings in parking lots, backyards or living rooms, restaurants are getting into the action with food and drink promotions.
Family meals and kits skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, and operators are now tying them into football season. Twin Peaks has two tailgating kits available for curbside pickup or delivery. The Twin Peaks Wing Pack includes 96 boneless, bone-in naked, bone-in-breaded or smoked and grilled wings with a choice of dips. Customers can add on french fries or sweet potato fries for a small upcharge. The Twin Peaks Party Pack is a family-style meal that serves four to six eaters. Each comes with a choice of protein (sirloin steak, chargrilled salmon, ribs, chicken tenders or smoked chicken) along with four sides, a house salad and six rolls.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is offering game-day specials with a Louisiana accent. From Oct. 1-Nov. 30, customers can purchase the restaurant’s Tailgate To-Geaux bundle ($50), designed to be a starter for up to eight people. Included are boudin sausage balls, Cajun Queseaux (aka queso), cheeseburger sliders and boneless chicken wings.
Game Day Meal Packs are the latest addition to the menu at Metro Diner. The Game Day Combo feeds four and includes 16 bone-in wings, 32 buttermilk marinated boneless wings, celery sticks, dips and a choice of side ($39.) There are also packages starring fried chicken and tenders and steak tips with blue cheese, both $44 for four diners.
Fans can catch the football spirit at Raising Cane’s with tailgating packs filled with chicken fingers, fries, Texas toast and cole slaw. The chain’s signature chicken fingers are available in quantities of 25, 50, 75 or 100, with Cane’s Sauce included in each to-go order.
Some operators are welcoming fans inside with limited seating, setting up safe football-watching areas with food and drink packages, like Buffalo Wild Wings. At its Cleveland locations, the chain is offering a $750 season ticket and “Gameday Spread” for all Cleveland Browns’ games. Purchasers can munch on wings, nachos and fries while they root for their team.
Public House, one of the independent concepts in Chicago’s Dineamic Restaurant Group, is going ahead with its 8th annual Thirst & Goal football promotion, starting today and offered every Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Customers can enjoy $6 drafts, $30 beer towers and $8 Grey Goose cocktails when they come inside to watch the games on a video wall.
Armchair athletes can purchase a tailgate catering package to go, with choices such as wings ($35), sliders ($25) and 6-packs of beers and hard seltzers ($16-$18).
And Torchy’s Tacos is debuting a football-centric LTO to celebrate the season kickoff. September’s taco of the month is the Tailgater, composed of a panko-battered chicken, bacon, green chile queso, hot wing sauce, poblano-ranch slaw, blue cheese crumbles and honey on a flour tortilla.
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