Restaurant promotions are widely used to attract traffic, communicate value and encourage repeat purchases. In 2024, 53% of all restaurant operators added new discounts, deals or value promotions, while more than 80% of each of three off-premises customer groups said they would use several major offer types when available locally.
Table of contents
- Restaurant discount and value-promotion adoption
- Which value offers operators reported as successful
- Loyalty and rewards programs
- What off-premises customers want
- Delivery and off-peak promotion results
- Restaurant gift-card promotion statistics
Restaurant discount and value-promotion adoption
The National Restaurant Association’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2025 reported that 53% of all restaurant operators added new discounts, deals or value promotions in 2024. Looking ahead, 47% planned to add them in 2025. The figures describe operator activity and plans, not a forecast of the performance of any particular promotion. (STATE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY 2025)
Adoption varied substantially by restaurant segment:
| Restaurant segment | Added promotions in 2024 | Planned promotions in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service | 46% | 39% |
| Family dining | 52% | 45% |
| Fine dining | 33% | 25% |
| Limited service | 60% | 56% |
| Quick service | 66% | 60% |
| Coffee and snack | 59% | 55% |
Quick-service operators had the highest reported adoption in both periods: 66% added new offers in 2024 and 60% planned to do so in 2025. Limited-service operators followed at 60% and 56%. Coffee-and-snack operators reported 59% and 55%, respectively.
The reported levels were lower among full-service and fine-dining operators. Full-service restaurants recorded 46% adoption in 2024 and 39% planned adoption for 2025. Fine-dining restaurants recorded 33% and 25%. Family-dining operators were between those groups, at 52% and 45%.
Across every listed segment, the share planning new promotions for 2025 was lower than the share that added them in 2024. These are separate reported percentages for activity and plans; they should not be interpreted as a measured year-over-year change in the same operators.
Which value offers operators reported as successful
The same National Restaurant Association report measured which types of value offers operators said succeeded in 2024. Results differed by segment and offer format, so these percentages should be read as reported success rates within the named operator groups.
Limited-time offers were reported as successful by 51% of quick-service operators, 35% of fast-casual operators and 43% of coffee-and-snack operators. Reduced-price value or combo meals were reported as successful by 45% of quick-service operators, compared with 22% of fast-casual operators and 17% of coffee-and-snack operators.
Buy-one-get-one-free offers were reported as successful by 35% of quick-service operators, 23% of fast-casual operators and 24% of coffee-and-snack operators. Among quick-service operators, 18% said discounted add-ons such as dessert or drinks succeeded.
| Offer type | Quick service | Fast casual | Coffee and snack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited-time offer | 51% | 35% | 43% |
| Reduced-price value or combo meal | 45% | 22% | 17% |
| Buy-one-get-one-free | 35% | 23% | 24% |
The data provides a useful distinction between adoption and reported success. A segment may use promotions frequently without every format producing the same result. For restaurant marketers, the figures support comparing a limited-time offer, a bundled meal and a buy-one-get-one-free mechanic as different campaign choices rather than treating every discount as interchangeable.
Loyalty and rewards programs
Loyalty programs were common among restaurant operators in 2024. The National Restaurant Association reported that 52% of all restaurant operators had a customer loyalty or rewards program, and 70% of those operators said the program boosted traffic. This is a reported association from operators, not a controlled estimate of incremental visits. (STATE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY 2025)
Program adoption and reported traffic impact varied by segment:
- 38% of full-service operators had a program, and 64% said it boosted traffic.
- 43% of family-dining operators had a program, and 69% said it boosted traffic.
- 41% of casual-dining operators had a program, and 76% said it boosted traffic.
- 20% of fine-dining operators had a program, and 80% said it boosted traffic.
- 66% of limited-service operators had a program, and 76% said it boosted traffic.
- 71% of quick-service operators had a program, and 75% said it boosted traffic.
- 56% of fast-casual operators had a program, and 76% said it boosted traffic.
- 80% of coffee-and-snack operators had a program, and 78% said it boosted traffic.
Square’s 2024 survey and report offered additional loyalty measures. In that survey, 42% of restaurant leaders said they offered digital customer rewards programs, while 61% of customers said loyalty-program perks would interest them in a business. Square also reported that loyalty programs boost repeat business by 40% on average. The 40% figure is presented by Square as an average reported in its 2024 report citation, not as a result independently verified here. (Loyalty Programs: Why They Matter and How to Start One)
Together, these figures show two sides of promotion planning: program availability among operators and interest or reported results among customers and operators. They do not establish that every loyalty program will increase traffic or repeat business by the same amount.
What off-premises customers want
The National Restaurant Association’s 2025 report on takeout, drive-thru and delivery measured intended use among three off-premises customer groups. More than 80% of each group said they would use daily specials or limited-time offers at reduced prices when available locally. More than 80% of each group also said they would use lower-priced value or combo meals and buy-one-get-one-free offers. (Report: Takeout, drive-thru, delivery are more popular than ever)
Other promotion formats also showed broad stated demand. Roughly 80% of consumers across all three off-premises groups said they would use discounts for less-busy days or times. Exactly 80% across all three groups said they would use a discounted drink or dessert with a regularly priced entree.
More than 70% of off-premises customers said they would use a smaller portion at a reduced price. More than 70% also said they would use a larger portion at the regular price as a value option. Seventy percent across all three groups said they would use a discount for paying cash instead of by card.
These results measure what customers said they would use when an offer was available locally. They do not measure redemption rates, profit, average order value or the cost of funding each promotion. Still, the range of formats suggests that value communication can include price, portion, timing, add-ons and payment method.
Delivery and off-peak promotion results
DoorDash platform data for 2024 showed that restaurant dinner orders were two times as high in volume as lunch orders. DoorDash also identified a second restaurant-order lull between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. (DoorDash Introduces New Products to Drive Off-Peak Demand)
The platform’s merchant data associated item-level discounts with higher sales during specific dayparts. Restaurants using DoorDash item-level discounts saw an average 33% sales increase during Happy Hour, while restaurants using them during Lunch Specials saw an average 23% sales increase. These are DoorDash-reported averages for merchants using the discounts; they are not a guarantee of results for restaurants using another ordering channel or a different campaign design. (DoorDash Introduces New Products to Drive Off-Peak Demand)
The daypart figures align with the stated off-premises interest in discounts for less-busy days or times. A restaurant promotion can therefore be evaluated not only by the discount amount but also by when it is offered and whether it targets a demonstrated lull. The supplied DoorDash figures quantify sales changes for Happy Hour and Lunch Specials, but they do not provide a general sales result for every off-peak period.
Restaurant gift-card promotion statistics
Restaurant gift cards were a prominent holiday purchase option in a National Restaurant Association survey conducted November 22–24, 2024. Fifty-nine percent of adults planned to give a restaurant gift card during the 2024 holiday season. The share was 74% among Gen Z adults, 70% among millennials, 54% among Gen X adults and 44% among baby boomers. (Restaurant Gift Cards: The Holiday Favorite on Everyone’s Wish List Says New National Restaurant Association Survey)
The survey also identified the features adults valued in a restaurant gift card. Eighty-one percent said it was important for the card to cover the full cost of a meal. Seventy-seven percent preferred a card from a favorite restaurant, while 36% wanted one for somewhere new. Seventy-six percent valued cards usable for delivery or takeout.
These findings point to practical promotion considerations for gift-card campaigns: communicate the usable value clearly, make redemption options visible and recognize that preference for a familiar restaurant was more common than interest in trying somewhere new in this survey. The results describe adults’ holiday plans and preferences during the specified November 2024 survey period; they are not a forecast for every holiday season.