National Burrito Day 2024 Promotions: How Chipotle Drove Sales With Free Burritos

TLDR

As National Burrito Day approaches again on the first Thursday of April, look to Chipotle's innovative promotions last year for inspiration on driving sales. With free burritos for Twitter followers and $0 delivery fees in their app, Chipotle created buzz and droves of burrito-loving customers. Local Mexican restaurants can similarly leverage National Burrito Day's sales opportunities through creative mobile promotions and social media engagement. Follow Chipotle’s lead this year to craft promotional campaigns that entice burrito buffs nationwide.

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National Burrito Day 2024: A Sales Opportunity for Mexican Restaurants

Exclusive Discounts and Giveaways

To attract new customers on National Burrito Day, consider offering exclusive discounts, coupons, and giveaways. Chipotle drove sales last year by offering 10,000 free burritos to customers who followed them on Twitter and entered special codes for a chance to win. You can replicate this strategy by offering coupons for free or discounted menu items on your social media channels and requiring customers to enter a code or follow your account to claim the offer.

Free Delivery Promotions

Many customers will expect special deals on National Burrito Day, so promoting free delivery is an easy way to boost sales. Chipotle offered free delivery for orders placed through their mobile app last year using the code “DELIVER.” If you have your dedicated mobile app, provide a similar promo code for free delivery on National Burrito Day. If you do not currently offer delivery, consider partnering with Per Diem which integrates with DoorDash delivery service.

Social Media Contests and User-Generated Content

Launching social media contests and encouraging user-generated content is an engaging way to spread awareness about your National Burrito Day deals and promotions. For example, you can ask customers to post photos of their burritos on Instagram or Twitter with a special hashtag to be entered to win a gift card. You can then repost and share some of the photos on your social media channels. Contests and user-generated content will increase brand engagement and word-of-mouth promotion.

By offering exclusive discounts and freebies, free delivery promotions, and social media contests, you can successfully leverage National Burrito Day to attract new customers and boost sales at your Mexican restaurant. Following Chipotle’s example, a combination of digital and in-store promotions will help you get the most out of this sales opportunity.

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How Chipotle Leveraged National Burrito Day in 2023

To increase sales and brand awareness on National Burrito Day 2023, Chipotle launched a creative social media campaign offering 10,000 free burritos. The promotion required customers to follow Chipotle on Twitter to obtain special codes released throughout the day. By texting the codes to a specified number, lucky recipients received a coupon for one of the 10,000 free burritos.

Build Anticipation on Social Media

Chipotle built anticipation for the giveaway on social media in the weeks leading up to National Burrito Day. They tweeted teasers about the upcoming promotion and encouraged customers to follow them on Twitter to participate. On the day of the event, they released codes for free burritos every 30 minutes from opening until the 10,000 burrito limit was reached. Releasing the codes over time rather than all at once created a sense of urgency and excitement.

Offer Free Delivery

In addition to the burrito giveaway, Chipotle offered free delivery on all orders placed through their mobile app in honor of National Burrito Day. Customers simply had to enter the promo code to redeem the offer. The free delivery promotion provided value to all customers, even those unable to claim one of the 10,000 free burritos.

Drive App Downloads and Sales

The social media campaign and delivery offer successfully drove brand engagement, app downloads, and sales for Chipotle on National Burrito Day. Their creative approach to leveraging the holiday provides a model for other restaurants to boost sales and customer loyalty. By offering highly sought-after giveaways and promotions on days of celebration, restaurants can create buzz and position themselves as the place to be for the occasion.

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Other Promotional Tactics Mexican Restaurants Can Use

Chipotle-Inspired Discounts and Giveaways

To generate buzz on National Burrito Day, local Mexican restaurants should consider emulating Chipotle’s promotional tactics from 2023. Offering free or discounted burritos or other loved items at your store, either through social media contests or promotional codes for your mobile app, can attract new customers and boost sales. For example, you might give away a certain number of free burritos to the first customers who download your mobile app. You could also waive delivery fees for customers who order through your app using a special promo code. These types of deals and giveaways are an easy way to join in the National Burrito Day celebrations and raise brand awareness.

Social Media Engagement Campaigns

Launching social media contests and giveaways is one strategy, but restaurants should also leverage National Burrito Day to increase overall social media engagement. Post fun facts about burritos, share photos of your signature burritos, or ask fans to post photos of their favorite burritos using your branded hashtag. You might also ask trivia questions about burritos and offer small prizes to the first fans who answer correctly. These types of social media campaigns boost engagement and visibility, especially if you encourage people to tag friends to participate. The more people interact with your social media content on National Burrito Day, the more potential new customers will discover your brand.

Email Marketing Promotions

In the days leading up to National Burrito Day, be sure to promote the occasion in your email newsletters and marketing campaigns. Let subscribers know about any specials you’re offering to celebrate and encourage them to spread the word. You might also include burrito-themed content like recipes, photos, or fun facts to build excitement. Email is a direct line of communication to your customer base, so leveraging it to spread awareness about your National Burrito Day deals and events is key. With some creative messaging, you can turn existing customers into brand ambassadors who will help attract new business on the big day.

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Creating a Mobile App to Boost National Burrito Day Sales

To truly leverage the promotional opportunities of National Burrito Day, small Mexican restaurants should consider developing their own mobile app and delivery partnerships. By offering special deals and discounts on delivery orders placed through their app, restaurants can drive sales and build brand loyalty.

Develop an App to Facilitate Online Ordering

Creating a mobile app for your restaurant is an investment that allows you to connect directly with your customers. An app provides a convenient way for customers to place orders for delivery or pickup, and it gives you an easy way to communicate promotions and deals directly to users. On National Burrito Day, you can offer app-only specials, such as $1 burritos or free guacamole and chips with any burrito order over $10. Promoting these types of deals through Per Diem's push notifications feature will drive customers to download your app, allowing you to stay connected with them long after the holiday has passed.

Following Chipotle's lead by leveraging technology and delivery partnerships to facilitate online ordering is a smart strategy for small Mexican restaurants looking to make the most of National Burrito Day. Offering special deals and discounts for customers who order through your mobile app or third-party delivery services will drive sales, raise brand awareness, and build customer loyalty. With some creative promotions, you can create buzz around your restaurant and turn the holiday into an opportunity for sustainable business growth.

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Final Thoughts

Get Ahead of the Crowd This National Burrito Day

Chipotle set the bar high last year by giving away 10,000 free burritos on National Burrito Day. You can employ similar strategies to drive foot traffic and app downloads for your restaurant. Offer exclusive deals through your app and generate buzz on social media with giveaways and contests. With smart planning and creative promotions, your neighborhood taqueria can compete with big chains like Chipotle. Seize the opportunity this National Burrito Day to connect with burrito lovers in your community.

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