NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Restaurants are increasingly leaning into nostalgia with limited-time promotions that bring back menu prices from decades past to help celebrate many years.
Across the country, restaurants marking milestone birthdays are temporarily slashing prices, offering everything from burgers and cocktails priced as they were when the restaurants first opened specials that coincided with the anniversary number — like $1.65 fries for 65 years in business.
At Burgerville, the Pacific Northwest burger chain that celebrated 65 years on March 10, customers could buy items like $1.65 small fries, a $1.65 fountain drink and a $2.65 original cheeseburger for one day only.
FROM RETRO TO ORIGINAL: JELL-O SALAD AND SAVORY GELATIN MEALS MAKE AN UNEXPECTED COMEBACK
“Sixty-five is an incredible milestone for Burgerville,” CEO Kyle Welch said in a statement. “We’d like to take this time to look back, and look forward, continue to innovate, and provide our communities with quality, delicious, local food for the next 65.”
Burgerville, which recently celebrated its 65th anniversary, has historically hosted local car shows. (Burgerville, LLC.)
Burgerville opened its first location in Vancouver on March 10, 1961, and has grown to more than 40 restaurants across Oregon and Washington, according to the company.
Some restaurants associate anniversary celebrations with unusual menu prices and historic dishes.
AMERICANS ARE AS DIFFERENT AS “GRANNY CANDIES” AS CARAMELS AND CIRCUS BARS PACK CONTROVERSY
In New Orleans, several long-running restaurants are marking milestones with special menus and retro promotions, Axios reported this month. Tujague’s, which dates back to 1856, is celebrating its 170th year with $1.70 Grasshopper cocktails, a drink that was invented at the restaurant.
Brennan’s, meanwhile, is celebrating its 80th anniversary with an $80 multi-course meal featuring signature dishes spanning eight decades.
Experts say nostalgia-driven discounts can attract customers, even if the deals are only offered for a short time. (Stock)
In Las Vegas, Carmine’s Pizza Kitchen celebrated 50 years in business with a promotion last month that recreated prices from when it opened. During the 95th anniversary celebration, diners can order $3.50 large cheese pizzas, $1.99 meatballs and 95-cent salads, the same prices from the restaurant’s early days.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFE NEWSLETTER
“Vegas gave me this, that’s why I’m doing this promotion,” owner Carmine Vento told Neon Las Vegas at the time. “It’s about saying thank you to Las Vegas. I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
The promotions, which appeal to budget-conscious shoppers and tap into nostalgia, reflect an industry-wide strategy known as “reverse pricing,” the Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) reported last year, with major chains participating.
Diners line up for limited-time deals featuring burgers, fries and other favorites at decades-old prices. (Stock)
At the time, White Castle had just announced that it would offer six Original Sliders for $4 — making the burgers about 67 cents each, roughly what they cost in 2012 — as part of a promotional deal.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS
“Being able to share an offering that takes us back in time — like our ‘6 Sliders for $4’ deal — helps feed the soul a little bit,” Jamie Richardson, White Castle’s chief marketing officer, told NRN. “Being able to promote savings going back to 2012 is compelling, especially in a day and age where the sticker shock of many everyday purchases can be real.”
Friendly’s previously celebrated its 90th birthday with 90 cents of ice cream during a limited promotion, while Planet Hollywood is launching a throwback menu at its Times Square location priced at the restaurant’s original 1991 menu prices.
Industry analysts say such promotions can draw customers in, although they may not lead to repeat visits.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Rollback pricing can encourage a visit or a one-time order, but I doubt it will lead to repeated use unless there is something very special about the event or item,” Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer research at Technomic, told NRN. “I would also suggest that price reversals run the risk of reminding consumers how expensive their prices are, which creates another problem.”
Limited-time throwback price promotions allow customers to purchase classic menu items at prices reminiscent of decades past. (Stock)
Limited-time deals may pass quickly, but the unexpected appeal can still be strong across generations, according to industry publication Restaurant Business.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Restaurant marketing blog Gourmet Marketing makes a similar point.
“Nostalgia for the past is one of the most powerful advertisements for restaurant customers,” the post said. “Nostalgia influences people to spend more, feel more social and feel better about themselves.”
