There’s no escaping the World Cup at American restaurant chains this summer. Buffalo Wild Wings launched a limited-time “Around the World” menu, featuring six new sauces inspired by different cuisines from around the globe and two signature cocktails, designed specifically to go with match nights.
Baskin-Robbins took a more surprising angle: an ice cream flavor called “Fútbol Fireworks,” blending cream soda, cherry sorbet, blue raspberry swirls, and green apple pop candy — a flavor as loud as its name suggests.
At Jason’s Deli, the mechanic is different: every goal scored by the United States team unlocks, through the “Deli Dollars Goal Rush” loyalty program, free items and bonus points for members. Enough to turn a frustrating draw into a double disappointment.
These initiatives, however small individually, point to the same reflex across American restaurant chains: tie the brand to the tournament for as long as it lasts, even if it means inventing ice cream flavors that won’t exist six months from now.