Deal or No Meal – How QSR Coupons and Promotions Increase Sales
The QSR industry is more competitive than ever, and tasty food alone won’t cut it. To stand out in a booming market, QSRs need creative, effective promotions to capture customer interest and drive action.
To put things into perspective, when the National Restaurant Association started tracking industry sales in 1970, they were around $40 billion. Fast forward to 2030, and the industry is projected to hit an astounding $1.2 trillion. With more people looking for quick, affordable dining options, it’s no longer just about the food – enticing promotions are key to grabbing attention and keeping customers coming back.
What exactly is a QSR?
A quick service restaurant (QSR), also known as a fast-food restaurant, is designed to deliver meals quickly and affordably, making it a go-to choice for customers on the move. Think of grabbing a burger from McDonald’s, a sandwich from Subway, or a taco from Taco Bell – these are classic examples of QSRs. What sets QSRs apart from traditional restaurants is their emphasis on speed, efficiency, and affordability, often with minimal table service.
QSRs have become a staple of modern life, catering to the growing demand for fast, convenient meals. With the rise of digital ordering and delivery services, QSRs have evolved to offer mobile apps, online promotions, and even loyalty rewards to keep up with changing customer expectations.
Why should you launch promotions for your QSR restaurant?
Let’s face it – diners have a lot of options when it comes to picking where to grab their next meal. Coupons and promotions can be the deciding factor between attracting new customers or losing them to a competitor.
Amid the cost of living crisis, price-conscious customers are drawn to promotions like discounts, BOGO deals, and combo offers in the fast food industry, where affordability is key. Unlike in high-end retail, promotions in QSRs enhance brand appeal by aligning with the value-focused nature of the industry, offering customers great deals without harming brand perception.
In fact, 45% of foodservice operators expect competition to be fiercer this year, according to the National Restaurant Association. This makes it more critical than ever for fast food restaurants to implement well-thought-out marketing strategies that capture customer attention.
Despite this, a surprising gap remains: only 18% of restaurant marketers feel confident that they understand their customers’ behavior after they leave the restaurant, according to Epsilon. This is where promotions can shine – not only by grabbing diners’ attention but also by collecting valuable data. This insight allows you to personalize future offers, improving engagement and driving repeat business.
Limited-time offers, app-exclusive discounts, and seasonal promotions help bring in new customers and keep loyal ones engaged. In today’s economy, offering the right deal at the right time can make all the difference.
What are the challenges for fast food restaurants in orchestrating promotions?
As we look to 2025, fast food restaurants are navigating a more complex and competitive environment than ever before:
- Intensified competition: With numerous fast food brands vying for attention, standing out takes more than good food. Restaurants need regular promotions, LTOs, and seasonal menus to stay relevant, though this constant innovation can strain operations across locations.
- Maintaining data integrity across multiple channels: Fast food brands must offer a seamless experience across mobile apps, online orders, delivery platforms, and in-store interactions. Maintaining accurate, consistent customer data and promotions across these channels is challenging. Issues like promotions failing online or incorrect discounts in-store can erode customer trust.
- Rapid menu iterations and seasonal changes: Seasonal menu items and regular updates are now key to QSR strategies. From holiday-themed offerings to new product lines, fast food restaurants must be quick to adapt. For larger chains, ensuring consistent rollouts across multiple regions and stores adds to the challenge.
- Personalization at scale: Modern consumers expect personalized promotions tailored to their behavior, preferences, and location, not just generic deals. Delivering these real-time, customized offers to a large audience requires advanced data processing and segmentation, a challenge many QSRs find difficult to scale effectively.
What types of promotions work best for QSR?
Promotions in the QSR space need to be quick, effective, and tailored to their fast-paced, value-driven customers. Only in the first half of 2024, the number of promotions increased by 25% in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), according to QSR Media UK, highlighting the growing importance of well-executed promotional strategies.
Here are some key types of promotions that consistently deliver results:
1. Limited-time offers (LTOs)
LTOs are one of the most powerful tools to create urgency. Offering discounts or exclusive items for a short period encourages customers to act fast. McDonald's McRib or Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte are classic examples of LTOs that leverage FOMO (fear of missing out). According to Datassential, LTOs can boost sales by up to 20% when executed well.
2. Combo deals and bundles
Encouraging customers to spend more by offering meal bundles (like a burger, fries, and drink at a discounted rate) is a tried-and-tested strategy for increasing AOV. Combo deals are a major draw for cost-conscious consumers, especially when paired with digital offers. Bundling items also helps QSRs upsell without customers feeling like they’re spending too much.
Subway, for instance, successfully taps into this with its sandwich, drink, and chips combos, which not only increase sales but also give customers a sense of saving.
3. Upsize promotions
Offering customers the chance to upsize their meals for a minimal cost is another simple but effective tactic to increase order value. By offering a larger drink or extra fries for a small add-on price, QSRs can upsell without making the customer feel like they’re overspending. Burger King has used this tactic with great success, encouraging customers to upgrade their meals to “King Size” for just a bit more, driving higher ticket sales.
4. BOGO (Buy One, Get One Free)
BOGO deals are an effective way to boost both sales volume and customer satisfaction. They encourage larger purchases by giving customers the feeling that they’re getting extra value for their money. BOGO offers work especially well for QSRs, where lower-cost items make it easier for customers to justify buying more.
For example, Dunkin' has successfully used BOGO deals on their beverages, offering a free drink with the purchase of another during specific days or events like National Coffee Day. Whether customers share the second item or save it for later, they leave feeling like they’ve gotten a great deal.
5. Digital coupons
With more consumers ordering online or through mobile apps, digital coupons are an essential tool for driving both in-store and online traffic. These can be personalized based on customer behavior, offering specific discounts tailored to their preferences.
According to a Valassis study, 92% of consumers actively look for coupons before making a purchase, and digital coupons make it easy for QSRs to engage with customers across different platforms. App-exclusive deals, such as offering free delivery or a discount on a first app order, can increase app downloads and customer loyalty.
6. Delivery promotions
With the rise of online food delivery, offering free delivery or discounted delivery fees has become an effective strategy to increase orders, especially for customers who prefer convenience. Chipotle, for example, frequently runs free delivery promotions during peak times like weekends or holidays, boosting online orders while encouraging customers to try delivery services.
7. Seasonal and event-based promotions
Tying promotions to holidays or special events (e.g., offering a discount during the Super Bowl or a free dessert on Valentine’s Day) allows QSRs to tap into customer excitement and align their offers with the broader cultural moment.
Krispy Kreme often runs seasonal promotions such as offering themed doughnuts for Halloween or special deals on National Doughnut Day, where customers receive a free doughnut with no purchase required, drawing in crowds and creating brand buzz.
More examples of successful fast food promotions and coupon campaigns
1. McDonald's Super Value Meals & App Promotions
McDonald’s has consistently leveraged its Super Value Meals to offer customers the perception of savings while increasing AOV. These combo meals bundle a burger, fries, and a drink at a discounted price, creating convenience and encouraging larger purchases. Sometimes, they also have promotions which also include an add-on product.
The brand’s app-based promotions, like daily deals and app-exclusive offers, have also significantly boosted app downloads and sales.
2. Taco Bell's "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" Campaign
Taco Bell’s "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" campaign has been a standout success for years. Linked to the MLB World Series, Taco Bell offers customers a free taco if a base is stolen during the series. This clever promotion capitalizes on a major national event, generating excitement and reinforcing Taco Bell’s brand in the minds of millions.
3. Wendy's 4 for $4 Deal
Wendy’s 4 for $4 promotion has been a game-changer in value-driven fast food marketing. Customers receive a burger, fries, chicken nuggets, and a drink for just $4. The deal is frequently shared and discussed across social media platforms, generating buzz for the brand and driving sales during slow periods.
4. Starbucks' Happy Hour BOGO
Starbucks’ Happy Hour BOGO (Buy One Get One) promotion is another example of how strategic timing can enhance a promotion’s success. Starbucks offers a buy-one-get-one-free deal on select beverages during specific hours of the day, which helps to drive traffic during the slower afternoon period. By using in-app notifications and emails to alert loyal customers, Starbucks ensures high participation in the promotion while keeping customers engaged with the app.
5. Chick-fil-A’s Free Breakfast Entrée Promotion
Chick-fil-A ran a successful free breakfast entrée campaign to encourage morning visits. By offering a free breakfast item to customers who downloaded their app, Chick-fil-A not only increased app downloads but also boosted breakfast sales during a time slot where fast food restaurants often struggle. This promotion was successful in generating increased morning traffic and expanding the use of the Chick-fil-A app.
Best practices for implementing effective QSR coupons and promotions
1. Maximize impact by targeting the right moments
Timing is crucial when planning promotions. Running offers during high-demand periods like lunch hours, weekends, or holidays can significantly boost foot traffic and sales. For example, lunchtime promotions appeal to busy professionals, while holiday specials tap into seasonal buying patterns. Limited-time offers (LTOs) during these key moments create urgency, encouraging customers to act quickly.
2. Don’t underestimate the role of technology
The QSR market demands efficient data synchronization across multiple channels. Using a unified platform to manage coupons, promotions, referrals, and loyalty programs is more effective than relying on multiple disconnected systems. A bloated tech stack can lead to inefficiencies, higher costs, and complexity. Consolidating operations into one platform simplifies processes, ensures consistency, and improves customer engagement. With tools like APIs and webhooks, composable platforms enhance data flow and agility.
3. Gamify your fast food promotions
Everyone loves a bit of fun, and gamification can be a great way to engage customers while offering promotions. Incorporating games or challenges into your promotions creates excitement and encourages repeat visits. For example, you could run a digital scratch-off contest where customers win discounts or free items, or create spin-the-wheel challenges where customers instantly earn rewards.
Burger King’s “Burn That Ad” campaign used augmented reality to let customers “burn” competitors' ads within the Burger King app. When users scanned a rival brand’s billboard or print ad, the app displayed the ad burning away, revealing a free Whopper coupon underneath.
4. Treat your QSR promo campaigns as data goldmines
To assess the effectiveness of your promotions, it's crucial to track key metrics like redemption rates, foot traffic, and average order value. Redemption rates tell you how many customers are taking advantage of the offer, while foot traffic and order values reveal the promotion’s impact on overall sales.
But beyond just tracking sales, it’s equally important to see your campaigns as a treasure trove of data. By gathering customer feedback and analyzing behavior, you can uncover valuable insights into your consumers’ preferences, enabling you to further personalize future promotions. In today's competitive QSR market, where restaurants are fighting for every customer, understanding your audience’s needs and tailoring your offers accordingly is key to standing out and fostering loyalty.
How Voucherify can help you run effective QSR campaigns
Voucherify empowers QSR brands to create smarter promotions and coupon campaigns that engage customers and drive revenue:
1. Built for speed and scale
QSRs need fast, flexible promotions that can handle high volumes across multiple locations. With Voucherify, you can instantly launch national campaigns, like a BOGO offer on select items during peak times, driving both in-store and online traffic.
Our platform is designed to handle massive traffic spikes, using dedicated clusters for lower latency and autoscaling on AWS to ensure optimal performance during peak hours. For example, during the T-Mobile Tuesdays campaign for well-known QSR brands, Voucherify generated over 1 million unique codes in a single burst for distribution, showing its ability to scale rapidly and maintain performance even under heavy load.
Learn more: How to Increase AOV with Promotion Nudges?
2. Personalized offers for stronger engagement
Voucherify allows you to segment customers and deliver targeted offers based on behavior, preferences, and location. By integrating with customer data platforms (CDPs), you can create behavior-triggered campaigns – for example, sending discounts or rewards based on customer actions.
You can also personalize offers further by factoring in order types, past engagements, or menu preferences. For instance, you could offer a discount on vegetarian items to customers who frequently order plant-based meals or provide location-specific offers like free delivery in certain regions.
Learn more: How to Target Coupon Codes?
3. Omnichannel experience
Today’s QSR customers expect a unified experience, whether ordering online, in-store, or via self-service kiosks. With Voucherify’s API-first structure, you can easily sync promotions across multiple platforms. The same API endpoints can manage promotions across POS systems, websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and even phone ordering systems.
For example, customers could scan a QR code in-store to unlock a special offer redeemable through the app, or receive a discount while placing an order via a self-service kiosk. This integration makes it easy to offer a consistent experience across all channels, helping to boost engagement and drive conversions no matter how customers interact with your brand.
Learn more: Omnichannel Coupon Distribution
4. Real-time tracking and optimization
Voucherify’s real-time tracking tools help you understand exactly how your campaigns are performing. Track metrics like redemption rates, foot traffic, and sales increases, and quickly adjust campaigns on the fly. For instance, if your lunchtime offer isn't generating enough traffic, you can tweak the discount or extend the time frame to optimize performance and boost conversions instantly.
Learn more about Voucherify’s Tracking and Reporting feature here.
5. Secure, fraud-proof campaigns
Coupon fraud can significantly impact profitability, but Voucherify’s advanced security features help prevent abuse. With the Rules Engine, you can set specific conditions, such as geo-restricted offers or one-time-use codes, ensuring promotions are only redeemed by the intended customers and in the correct locations. Additionally, the Session Lock Mechanism adds another layer of protection by securing user sessions and preventing unauthorized or multiple redemptions during a single session.
To further safeguard your promotions, Voucherify enables you to define promotion stacking rules and establish a hierarchy of offers, so you can control which discounts apply and how they interact with one another.
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