National Donut Day is the first Friday of June!
Whether your shop specializes in donuts or offers them as one of many treats on the menu, consider this “holiday” the perfect excuse to spread joy, boost sales, and incentivize customers to return.
Unlike most other food or hashtag holidays, National Donut Day is actually a historical celebration that dates back to WWI. Learn more about the Doughnut Lassies through the Salvation Army.
Read on for 5 limited-time offers and promotions to utilize in your shop:
Offer a free gift with purchase
Instead of giving away free donuts, offer a free gift after purchase. Some shops do buy one, get one free (BOGO), or even a free drip coffee with any food purchase. Avoid giving away premium food/beverages.
Award extra loyalty points
You do have a loyalty program, right? You’ll want to award extra points or discounts for any purchases made on National Donut Day.
These days, digital loyalty programs (think Five Stars or Paytronix) are preferred over paper punch cards—but any way you can incentivize repeat purchases is great. Earnest Donuts in Lewisville, TX is offering double stamps on their rewards card.
To learn more about loyalty program benefits and considerations, click here.
Create a special flavor of the day
Create a “stunt donut” flavor just for the holiday, something crazy that will get people curious and talking (especially online). The caveat: make sure your crazy creation is actually delicious, and not just an Instagram pretty photo like the Starbucks Unicorn Frappucino.
The Salty Donut is offering a French Toast Special for one day only at all shops. The Doughnut Project is celebrating with a drool-worthy Funnel Cake Doughnut for the entire weekend.
You could also ask your social media followers and/or customers to vote on which retired flavor to bring back, just like Federal Donuts and Hero Doughnuts.
Host a giveaway
What you’re giving away should depend on your goals. Launching merch? Give away your new hats and shirts. Expanding your coffee menu? Give away a pair of premium coffees. Want to increase catering sales? Give away free catering for a local office.
Winners can be selected through a social media contest or, better yet, you could reward in-store customers by placing stickers/stamps on the bottom of randomly selected boxes. Glam Doll Donuts and Guru Donuts have the right ideas here.
Ask your supplier to sponsor a sales program
Your food supplier may sponsor whatever prizes you giveaway, or they could sponsor a fun activity to attract people to your shop. Consider a live band, photo booth, or custom latte art machine (the one where they print photos in the foam). You’ll never know unless you ask!
Bonus tactic: work with your local community to create a donut or dessert trail
Butler County Donut Trail in Ohio and Rhode Island Food Fights both offer a bucket list experience along with a passport of the best local shops. Customers get stamps at each location visited, vote for their favorite, and have an opportunity to win prizes.
This option takes a lot of coordination and collaboration, but it can generate tons of buzz and new customers if done right.
If you don’t have time to get a sponsor or design the passport itself, a custom Google Map is a great start! Your competitors will likely share your creation, so everyone wins. Here are a few maps I’ve put together for some of my favorite cities:
Need help creating or promoting your National Donut Day program?
Remember, promoting is more than just photos and captions on Instagram! Email me at info@donutdigest.com to create a comprehensive plan to attract more customers on your special day.
