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11 Father’s Day Marketing Ideas to Drive Restaurant Revenue
Bianca Esmond
5 min read
May 15, 2025
Bianca Esmond
5 min read
May 15, 2025
When it comes to Father’s Day, one thing’s for sure: families show up hungry—and they’re ready to spend.
In 2024 alone, U.S. consumers spent around $22.4 billion on the holiday, with dining out and gift cards topping the list of go-to gifts.
That level of spending is a clear signal that this holiday presents a valuable opportunity for restaurants.
Whether you’re serving up brunch, dinner or something in between, Father’s Day is a moment worth planning for. But drawing guests in—and giving them a reason to return—requires more than just business as usual. With the right strategies, you can transform this annual tradition into a strong revenue-driver and a memorable experience for every kind of father figure.
Below, you’ll find 11 marketing ideas designed to help you drive revenue, elevate the guest experience and turn Father’s Day into a holiday that delivers—for your guests and your bottom line.
While you’ll want to open your doors to as many diners as possible, focus first on your most loyal guests—your regulars, VIPs and big spenders. Pull up your restaurant CRM to identify your most loyal guests and send them an early offer or priority access via text or email.
Personalized, well-timed email messages are proven to be 12x more effective at driving revenue compared to mass sends. In fact, leveraging guest data and personalized emails to VIPS, Balance Hospitality Group drove $1.3M in revenue and 1,800 covers across three venues in 18 months.
For more tips on how to optimize your email marketing strategy, check out our Email Marketing Guide.
If you followed our advice for Mother’s Day restaurant promotion ideas, then you likely encouraged customers to sign up for your text or email mailing list while they wined and dined Mom in May.
Power up your email and text marketing software and invite those same families to celebrate Dad next. For good measure, you could include a discount as a thank you for their continued loyalty.
Level up your dining experience by offering guests the option to add surprise elements to their reservations.
Upgrades selected during booking, like special menus and unique, branded gifts allow families to delight Dad while guaranteeing added revenue.
According to our recent data report , more than half of diners would pay more for a customized tasting menu, commemorative menu or special occasion keepsake.
Guests will love the convenience of being able to pre-select offerings as Father’s day gifts, just remember to use a PCI-compliant system to collect pre-payments.
Examples of special Father’s Day upgrades include:
Our data also revealed that 48% of diners would pay for their preferred seat. If you’ve got popular tables—think scenic views or cozy lounges—consider adding the option for guests to upgrade in the booking process. Darwin Brasserie used this strategy and increased online sales by 626% in just two months.
Live jazz. Bourbon tastings. A cooking class. When you pair a delicious meal with an unforgettable experience, you create something guests will rave about—and return for.
In fact, 74% of U.S. diners say they’d return to a restaurant after a unique experience like live music, a cooking class or a themed event.
Hosting a Father’s Day event that goes beyond the plate is a smart way to stand out from the crowd. Consider event and dinner ideas like:
These types of experiences not only drive bookings, they spark share-worthy moments that extend your brand’s reach on social media and boost retention long after the plates are cleared.
Don’t forget to capture guest data using your restaurant CRM so you can re-market future events, from Fourth of July to summer restaurant week.
For the Dads who want to be home in time to watch the game from the comfort of their couch, invite the whole family to toast him for a happy hour. Offer drink specials and appetizer deals in lieu of fancy entrees to round out the occasion.
Think: craft beer flights, whiskey tastings and even coffee bars. If you want to go the casual route (and you have the space), consider setting up cornhole boards and giant jenga so families can engage dad in a little friendly competition with a drink in hand.
Don’t forget to include all types of dads in your restaurant promotions and social media marketing. Father’s Day restaurant ideas should cater to all the father figures, including grandfathers, bonus dads, brothers and adoptive dads. Align your staff to celebrate all male figures at the table, traditional or otherwise.
Let dad indulge on his special day by offering all-you-can-eat menu items like waffles, tacos, pasta, ice cream and more.
Unlimited menus aren’t just for breakfast venues and late-night diners. You can transform into a temporary all-you-can-eat restaurant by selecting simple, cost-effective items and serving them in large quantities.
You could also offer a Father’s Day brunch buffet or lunch service, complete with chef-led carving stations, elevated sides and house-made desserts.
Buddy V’s Ristorante in Las Vegas offers a great example: their expansive Father’s Day brunch buffet includes everything from smoked ham to filet mignon, bringing a high-end feel to a relaxed, come-hungry experience.
Whether you go casual or upscale, buffets provide flexibility for guests and operational ease for staff. Just be sure to promote your offering early and highlight crowd-pleasing dishes in your reservation page and restaurant marketing materials.
Prix fixe menus feel fancy for your guests, but they are small enough to allow your staff to focus on quality during busy times. Select a few items from your menu, plus a few Father’s Day specials, and treat customers to a multi-course feast.
Add a customized prix fixe menu option to the booking process, with upgrades like a personal note from the chef, Dad’s favorite saying, or his name printed on the menu. It’s a small touch that wows guests—and drives more revenue.
Gift cards are a great way to generate loyalty. Wow them on Father’s Day so they return for a second summer soiree. By limiting the card’s validity through the summer season, you can market it as an opportunity for guests to return to cheers to other momentous occasions, such as the summer solstice, July 4th, World Chocolate Day or Kings Day.
Engage families that want to forgo dine-in options by offering upgraded to-go menus. This is a great Father’s Day restaurant promotion if your venue serves popular cuisines that can scale as needed, like mexican or italian. Clearly state your menu options on your booking page and advertise these orders well in advance of the holiday so your staff can order appropriately.
Of course, you’ll want to use a direct online ordering platform to accept, manage and execute online orders, but you can also leverage this platform to capture guest data and re-engage them later in the season.
Allow guests to order complete meals they can execute at home, such as DIY BBQ kits, seafood boils or burger boxes with all the fixin’s. Whether you decide to go upscale or keep it casual, be sure to include instructions for finishing and serving the meal. Leverage your pastry chef or mixologist to include a surprise-and-delight dessert or craft cocktail, helping make this Father’s Day celebration their best one yet.
These are just a few ideas of how to creatively maximize revenue this Father’s Day. Remember, you can apply the Father’s Day marketing ideas to any holiday where dining out is common. Leverage upgrades and experiences year-round to pad your bottom line.
For more information on how to drive more revenue by marketing your unique guest experiences across all platforms for special occasions like Father’s Day, book a demo with SevenRooms.
