Image courtesy of Bruegger's Bagels
 
The start of the summer brings a sense of excitement, as people look to get out and enjoy the season. Many businesses look to take advantage of that by offering unique deals and promotions that encourage customers in their doors.

The foodservice industry is no different. We’ve seen many standout promotions in recent days and weeks as businesses look to increase traffic at the start of summer.

McDonald’s recently announced a new fry-themed concoction that celebrates our Instagram/selfie culture. The ‘Frylus’ is meant to promote the chain’s new 100 percent fresh beef Quarter Pounders, as well as National Selfie Day on June 21.

The Frylus is a tool that keeps phones clean while eating, as fingers can get messy during the process. They will be given away at 2,000-plus stores on June 21 with the purchase of a Quarter Pounder.

Another idea creating buzz online is a new promotion from Dairy Queen. Since many kids are home for the summer and parents are looking to keep them busy, DQ is reminding parents to spend time with their kids in a fun way.

The Skip Day Soft Serve Singers is a children’s choir that is inviting (and guilt-tripping) parents to take a day off via several online video performed from a pool, a baseball field, and a park. They are sung, to the tune of folk classics but with alternate lyrics, directly at parents from the places they’d like to be enjoying with them.

“The DQ brand is a summer staple, so we felt like it was time to encourage our fans to take a day off, live their best summer lives, and make a memory with their kids,” says Maria Hokanson, executive vice president of marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation.

Bruegger’s Bagels recently held a sweepstakes that gave away five Summer Kickoff Kits to lucky recipients. Each Summer Kickoff Kit consisted of an Everything Bagel pool float, a bagel beach towel, a Bruegger's Bagels tumbler cup, a Bruegger's T-shirt, sunscreen lip balm, and 12 free bagels with cream cheese and coffee.

“We want to give our guests an extra-fun way to celebrate the start of the season,” said Bruegger's Bagels President Leigh Anne Snider. “What more could a bagel fan want than to float on a giant bagel, sipping a beverage and enjoying free, authentic New York-style Bruegger's bagels with cream cheese?”