Article

Restaurateurs celebrate the season with holiday promotions

Holiday promotions abound at restaurants nationwide. Restaurant operators are offering tasty treats, hot or cold beverages, while helping people in need.

December 2, 2015 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

Along with Santa Claus, bustling stores and visiting relatives, the holidays bring promotions — lots of them. Here's a look at what some restaurants are offering customers this holiday season.

Baskin-Robbins — Baskin-Robbins has a lineup of ice cream cakes and its new Flavor of the Month, Oreo Cool Mint Chocolate. Featuring chocolate ice cream filled with Cool Mint Oreo cookie pieces and a dark peppermint fudge ribbon, Oreo Cool Mint Chocolate can be enjoyed in a cup, cone, milkshake, Cappuccino Blast or as a Brownie Sundae with hot fudge topping, whipped cream, chopped almonds and a cherry on top.

Also available now at participating Baskin-Robbins locations nationwide are the new Polar Bear Dome Cake and new Fudge Yule Log Roll Cake. The Polar Bear Cake has a white icing coat and Oreo cookies for ears, chocolate eyes and nose and is accessorized with a winter scarf. The Fudge Yule Log Roll Cake is topped with white frosting and edible glitter. Both ice cream cakes can be customized with a guest's favorite Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavor, can be ordered in-store or online, and are available for pick-up within 24 hours of ordering.  

Additionally, Baskin-Robbins will have its final "Celebrate 31" promotion of the year on Dec. 31. As part of the brand's ongoing "Celebrate 31" promotion, guests can celebrate New Year's Eve with all regular and kids scoops for $1.31 and two-scoop sundaes for $3.31.

Bojangles' — Participating Bojangles’ restaurants are offering the Holiday Family Variety Feast, comprising eight pieces of seasoned, hand-breaded bone-in chicken; 12 boneless Chicken Supremes or Homestyle Tenders; eight biscuits, a choice of three picnic sized fixin’s; and a half-gallon of Bojangles’ Legendary Iced Tea. The Holiday Family Variety Feast will feed eight to 10 people.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream — For the first time this holiday season, customers can enjoy the new Chocolate Peppermint, made with chocolate ice cream and red and green peppermint candies. This seasonal item joins Bruster’s familiar holiday offerings of Peppermint Stick, a combination of vanilla ice cream with red and green peppermint candies; Eggnog Ice Cream; Gingerbread Man, a spiced ice cream rippled with graham cracker crust; Rum Raisin, rum raisin ice cream with raisins soaked in rum; and Winter Wonder, white chocolate ice cream with peppermint flakes. Available in December, all are served in waffle cones or cups, or as sundaes. Flavor availability and prices may vary by location.

Cold Stone Creamery — Cold Stone Creamery's holiday limited-time offerings for the holidays will be available in stores through Jan. 5. The seasonal offerings are: 

• Chocolate Peppermint Perfection — Dark Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream with Oreo cookies, fudge and whipped topping.
• Gingerbread Caramel Delight — Gingerbread Ice Cream, caramel, graham cracker pie crust and whipped topping.
• Holly Jolly Peppermint Cake — Layers of red velvet cake and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream with chocolate shavings wrapped in fudge ganache.
• Peppermint Mocha Frappe — Creamy iced coffee drink with peppermint fudge, whipped topping and candy cane grind.

Dunkin' Donuts — Dunkin' Donuts packaged Coffee and K-Cup pods are available this season in several varieties, including Original Blend, Dunkin' Decaf, French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Rainforest Alliance Certified Dark Roast, and Hot Cocoa. K-Cup pods are available at Dunkin' Donuts restaurants only. This year, as a way to customize Dunkin' K-Cup pods, guests at Dunkin' Donuts restaurants can purchase two 12-count K-Cup boxes in a Gingerbread House package. Also, a new K-Cup Donut Box Variety Pack leverages Dunkin's dozen donut box, filled with 25 assorted K-Cup pods for $19.99. DD Perks members can purchase two boxes of K-Cup pods for $14.99 at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants through the end of the year.

Dunkin' Donuts is also giving customers with weekly chances to win $10,000 in cash. Each time a DD Perks member makes a purchase at a Dunkin' Donuts restaurant using an enrolled DD Card, he or she will be entered into a weekly sweepstakes for the chance to win $10,000. Dunkin' Donuts' special seasonal sweeps for DD Perks members continues each week until Jan. 3, 2016. No purchase necessary, 18+, restrictions apply. For information on how to enter without purchase and for rules, please visit DDPerksSweepstakes.com.

As part of Dunkin' Donuts first-ever National Afternoon Latte and Macchiato Break, every day from 2 to 6 p.m. through Dec. 27, all guests at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide may purchase a hot or iced medium Latte or Macchiato for $1.99.

Additional Dunkin' Donuts promotions include:

• Guests using the Dunkin' Mobile App through Dec/ 27 will receive a muffin of their choosing for 99 cents redeemable any time of day at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants.
• DD Perks members will receive 30 bonus points with every hot coffee purchase, as well as bonus points for any beverage and sandwich combo purchased after 11 a.m. through Jan. 3, 2016.
• Dunkin' Donuts is also giving its December donut lineup a seasonal flair with the return of the Holiday Wreath Donut. First introduced last year, the Holiday Wreath Donut is a yeast ring donut topped with green icing and red icing drizzle resembling a traditional holiday wreath design. It joins Dunkin' Donuts' two other holiday donut treats introduced at the beginning of November: The Snickerdoodle Croissant Donut features a glazed croissant donut filled with cookie dough-flavored buttercreme, finished with white icing drizzle and sprinkled with cinnamon streusel topping, while the Caramel Cheesecake Square is a square donut with cheesecake filling, frosted with caramel icing and topped with chocolate caramel candy cups. All holiday donuts are available through the holiday season at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide.

Gloria Jean's Coffees — Gloria Jean's Coffees has featured five whole bean flavors, including Holiday Cheer, Mocha Merriment, Christmas Morning, Winter Wonderland and the new Macadoodle, which offers an aroma of cinnamon sugar cookies with the nuttiness of fresh macadamia nuts.The limited-time bags of whole beans are offered in bright red packaging. The brand also has introduced a line of gourmet coffee gift sets, which include samples of Gloria Jean's most popular flavored coffee as well as origins and blends. Brewing a cup of delicious Gloria Jean's coffee for friends and family is the best way to warm up and come together this season. In addition to the whole beans and gift sets, Gloria Jean's Coffees has an assortment of seasonal merchandise such as its ceramic mugs, tea tumblers and cocoa tins.

Tthe specialty coffee shop has also announced a series of new seasonal gourmet beverages. The selection includes hot and cold beverages such as the Sugar Cookie Chiller and Latte, the Sleigh Ride Cookie Chiller and Mocha, the new Macadoodle Chiller and Mocha.

Jamba Juice — Jamba Juice is returning its annual, limited-time JambaCard promotion. From now until December 31, 2015, customers will receive a small Jamba smoothie or 12-ounce juice with the purchase of $25 or more in JambaCards. Jamba customers can purchase gift cards in stores or through Jamba eGifting from the Jamba Juice website. Jamba eGifters can choose from a selection of holiday designs, select specific dollar amounts, personalize messages, and digitally share with family and friends.

Krystal — Krystal is offering Sprite for a limited time. To kick-off the holiday gift-giving season, and while supplies last, the special deal will also include an upgrade of a medium drink to a large combo drink and include a limited-edition plush Coca-Cola polar bear – all for 99 cents. Krystal will make a donation to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program for every bear distributed in their restaurants. A plush Coca-Cola bear will be given upon purchase of a fully priced individual Krystal meal combo with the Sprite Cranberry drink upgrade.

McAlister's Deli — McAlister’s Deli is giving customers the chance to win a gift card and give a gift card with its “Win One, Gift One” promotion. Beginning on Black Friday through Dec. 24, McAlister’s will randomly select one winner daily to receive two $25 McAlister’s gift card, one to keep and one to give. Customers can enter to “Win One, Gift One” by visiting www.facebook.com/TeaFreaks or www.mcalistersdeli.com/WinOneGiftOne/.

Pinkberry — Pinkberry is introducing its new Celebrity Swirl campaign, bringing the flavors, products and talents of local icons and chefs into its test kitchen. Executive Pastry Chef and Co-owner of Flour Bakery Joanne Chang in Boston is working with the Pinkberry New England team to create a flavor inspired by her  sticky buns, which will available through Dec. 31, with 10 percent of the flavor's proceeds to go to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign. Guests will taste hints of cinnamon, pecans and caramel. The new flavor is called "Joanne Chang's Sticky Bun" and will be available at the following Pinkberry locations in New England: Newbury Street (Boston), South Station (Boston), Prudential Center (Boston), North End (Boston), Harvard Square (Cambridge), Chestnut Hill (Newton), Hingham, Wellesley, South Shore Plaza in Braintree, and North Beverly.

Philly's Best Cheesesteaks — Philly’s Best Cheesesteaks has teamed up with Coca-Cola to get customers into the holiday spirit with a giveaway. Through Dec. 21, customers have the chance to win a 30-inch plush Coca-Cola collectible Polar Bear through in-store entry forms. All 21 Philly's Best locations will be raffling off a special edition Coca-Cola Polar Bear, along with two social media contests. To enter, visit any Philly’s Best location and fill out an entry form. Philly's Best will also hold two social media giveaways on their Facebook and Instagram pages. All in-store winners will be drawn from entries on Dec. 21. 

Philly's Best is also offering a "Give More. Get More" holiday gift card incentive! Through Dec. 31, customers who purchase a $25 gift card will receive a $5 bonus card to use Jan. 1-31, 2016.

Villa Italian Kitchen — Villa Italian Kitchen kicked off its first-ever "Pizza with Purpose" campaign with a "Peace, Joy & Pizza" Sweepstakes. Guests can enter for a chance to win $2,000. Villa Italian Kitchen will then match that amount and donate $2,000 to a charity of the winner’s choice on their behalf. Guests can enter the sweepstakes two ways: text-to-win "Villa" to 973-241-8500 or enter on Villa's Facebook page for a chance to win $2,000 and daily prizes. All entrants will receive a thank-you coupon for a free Pepsi drink with any purchase. No purchase necessary. Event ends on Jan. 5, 2016.

Daily instant win prizes for the "Peace, Joy & Pizza" Sweepstakes include items such as Tom’s Shoes, Hand in Hand Luxury Soap and LSTN Wooden earbuds, all of which give back to those in need:

• Tom’s Shoes: Each pair of shoes purchased equals a pair of shoes for a child in need.
• Hand in Hand: Donates a bar of soap for every one purchased and provides a month of clean water to children in need.
• LSTN Sound:Travels around the world with Starkey Hearing Foundation to help more than 20,000 people hear.

About Travis Wagoner

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Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.