Crumbl teamed up with Warner Bros. on its latest cookie creation. | Photo courtesy of Crumbl.

Fans of Willy Wonka may want to head to a Crumbl location to score a “Wonka” themed red velvet cookie. Restaurant chains continue to push value leading into the holiday season. And Scooter’s Coffee teams up with Reading Is Fundamental to help address illiteracy.

Here’s a look at what’s new in the world of restaurant marketing.

Crumbl and the chocolate factory

Crumbl  has launched a Willy Wonka Cookie. The cookie chain teamed up with Warner Bros. on the Wonka’s Wildly Wonderful Red Velvety cookie in celebration of the production company’s movie “Wonka,” set to be released on Dec. 15.  The cookie takes on the classic look of a red velvet cookie but with a swirly W for Wonka, written on top.

And as a sweet treat to diners, the cookie chain is hosting a sweepstakes with the prize of an exclusive screening of the movie as well as a “generous” supply of Wonka cookies. To enter the contest, diners can follow Crumbl on Instagram, like the post detailing the contest and tag one friend in the comments. Fans can enter until Dec. 16.

Restaurant chains push value

Several chains are pushing value with their holiday promotions this year. TGI Fridays, for one, has several deals for diners underway—most of them for rewards members. For instance, the chain is offering new rewards members a free appetizer after signing up. And throughout the month of December, Friday’s rewards members will receive double the points when they order one of the chain’s Holiday Combos.

But Fridays has some deals in store for the general public too. Party packages booked until Dec. 31 will receive 15% off. And the restaurants are offering $2 beers, $4 cocktails and $5 wine all day every day.

O’Charley’s Restaurant and Bar is gearing up for New Year’s. To that end, the chain is offering half-priced appetizers and $5 drink specials on Dec. 30 and 31. Also on offer is a $20 family-style meal bundle. From Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2024, diners can add a whole pie, a gallon beverage and an appetizer to their meal order for $20.

And throughout December, Zaxby’s is offering rewards members a buy-one-get-one offer on its Chicken Philly sandwich, a free order of loaded fries with a purchase of $15 or more, and $10 off with any purchase of $40 or more.

Reading with Scooter’s Coffee

Scooter’s Coffee is spreading the joy of reading with young diners through a partnership with the childhood literacy nonprofit Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). In November, RIF held a reading challenge for fourth grade students across a few elementary schools in Texas. Fourth grade students from Christie Elementary School read the most at 876 books, bringing home the competition. As a prize, each student and their parent or guardian has the opportunity to attend the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Dec. 19. In addition, Scooter’s is donating $64,000 to RIF to help support its literacy mission.

Santa Jam with The Greene Turtle

The Greene Turtle celebrated the opening of a new location with a bang. The chain hosted a Santa Jam party, featuring a Rudolph mechanical bull, a photo booth and a Grinch-inspired cocktail menu. The chain also hosted a costume contest for the best Santa and Elf costumes with the prize of a $100 bar tab.

National Chicken Teriyaki Day

In honor of National Teriyaki Day on Dec. 11, Teriyaki Madness had a special deal for reward members. On the day of, the chain offered a buy-one-get-one offer on its chicken teriyaki bowls. In addition, every customer who placed an order on Dec. 11 was automatically entered into a contest to win free bowls for a year.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.