Game Day Food Ideas

The Best Bar Foods are Stadium Foods

Whether you own a sports bar, restaurant, or entertainment place, there is one thing you know: the importance of the game day. Game day is a sacred day for your customers filled with loud cheering and passion. On this important day, your customers have chosen to spend it with you. Why not enhance their experience? Add these game-day food ideas to your menu to create an experience your customers will enjoy.

Beer and Popcorn Pairings

Drinking beer and watching a sports game go hand and hand. But have you considered adding popcorn to the mix? Popcorn and beer together are an unbeatable combination. Pairing the two together would be a great game-day food idea for any sports bar. With hundreds of different popcorn flavors and beers, the possibilities are endless. For example, pair a blonde ale with white cheddar popcorn for a delicious experience. Or combine any IPA with caramel or kettle corn and your customers’ taste buds will be satisfied. If you sell beer at your establishment consider doing these fun pairings. Your customers will be excited and eager to try more.  For more beer and popcorn pairings ideas download our free eBook.

Pairing it with beer isn’t the only thing you can do with popcorn. Show your team spirit and sell popcorn in your team’s colors. It can be a signature item that you prepackage and sell in souvenir containers. Because popcorn costs so little, you also have the option to use it as a complimentary snack to help boost beverage sales.

You can even go all out and sell two different color popcorns on big rivalry game days. Give your customers the option to pick which color popcorn (which team) they want to eat. Die-hard fans will love this idea.

Finally, serve football-shaped popcorn treats. Display and serve caramel corn on a large platter formed to look like a football. Not only will this be picture-worthy but delicious too.

Nachos

A game day must-have food is nachos. For your customers, you can create several different nacho combinations that they will love. Whether your nachos are covered in cheese, salsa, sour cream, meat, or all of the above, nachos are a classic salty treat everyone loves. Be wild and crazy and create your own version of ultimate game day nachos. You can give your nacho a creative name based on which team is playing that day. You can call your nachos: “It’s Nacho Day ____” and fill in the blank with an athlete's name. For example, if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing the New England Patriots, you can call your nachos that day: “It’s Nacho Day Tom Brady “. (Get it? It’s Not Your Day…) This name idea can work with any sporting event to taunt a certain team or player.

Instead of you creating the nachos, why not let your customers try? Consider setting up a nacho bar on game day for your customers to use. They will love being able to make their own crazy creations. A nacho bar is a great addition to any party. Make the display creative with a football field design. Use guacamole for the football field and cheese and salsa for the end zones. Check out our nacho and cheese supplies to help you get started.

Hot Pretzels

If your bar or restaurant is crowded on game day, serving pretzels can keep your guests happy. Pretzels are easy to make and sell. Simply cook your pretzels and have them heating in your pretzel warmer throughout the day. If your customer wants an easy-to-grab snack, then they can have a pretzel in hand within seconds.

Every game day menu could use some sweet as well. Try dipping and covering your pretzels in sweet substances like chocolate, peanut butter, or sugar. The process is easy to do, and the end product is simply delicious. Your customers won’t be able to keep their hands off of them.

Savory Shakes: Wings, Fries, Potatoes

Wings, fries, and potatoes are more classic game-day foods. But what if you could spice these traditional foods up? Flavor your wings, fries, or potatoes by adding Signature Shakes™ as a tasty topping. Simply tumble together for a host of flavors. Your customers will love the variety of flavors from traditional to spicy. Traditional lovers would love wings, fries, or potatoes topped with barbecue, ranch, or white cheddar. While more dangerous customers will be ready to try more daring flavors such as hot jalapeño or buffalo breath. (Click here for recipes for wings, burgers, and more!)

Fried Foods: Pickles, Corn Dogs, and More

Your game day menu is not complete without fried food. Fried food and sports are perfect complements. Serve fried food such as fried pickles, corn dogs, or onion blossoms. Or go on the sweeter side and add fried donuts, elephant ears, or funnel cakes. Make your funnel cakes more game-friendly by making them multi-colored. Use different coloring agents to create the funnel cake color you desire. On game day, dye the funnel cakes the color of the teams playing to create the ultimate customer experience. (Follow this recipe to learn how to make multi-colored funnel cakes.)

For other unique deep-fried food ideas check out this article. 

Be the sports bar, restaurant, or entertainment place customers want to go to on the game day. By adding these best game day foods, your customers will not just want to come for game day but every day.