Every year on October 16, restaurants, cafés, and food businesses around the world celebrate World Food Day, a United Nations initiative focused on food security and sustainable agriculture.
For diners, it’s a chance to enjoy meals that connect them to community and global awareness.
For restaurants, it’s an opportunity to host events, promote special menus, and draw in crowds who want to be part of something bigger.
A well-executed campaign doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right print materials, your restaurant can grab attention, highlight your values, and give customers something tangible to take away.
Menus That Tell a Story
On World Food Day, your menu isn’t just a list of dishes, it’s your storytelling tool. Highlight farm-to-table sourcing, seasonal ingredients, or limited-edition specials inspired by global cuisines.
Custom menus (flat or folded) let you design for the occasion without disrupting your main menu. Restaurants often create a “World Food Day Special” insert that can be swapped out easily after the event.
Related Blog: Menu Design Tips for Small Restaurants
Coasters That Spark Conversation
Every drink is a chance to start a dialogue. Coasters printed with messages about sustainability, food waste reduction, or local farm partnerships connect your customers with your mission while they sip.
You can even add QR codes that link to donation pages for local food banks or to your restaurant’s sustainability initiatives. Coasters are small, affordable, and visible throughout the dining experience.
Related Blog: How One Café Doubled Reviews Using Coasters and Stickers
Posters That Fill the Room
If you’re hosting a World Food Day event, don’t keep it a secret. Large-format posters can showcase your campaign at the entrance, on walls, or even around the neighborhood.
Bold visuals like farm landscapes, global cuisine imagery, or impactful food statistics will catch attention and set the tone before guests even sit down. Pair the poster with a simple, action-oriented CTA: “Celebrate with us October 16” or “Every Meal Supports Local Farmers.”
Related Blog: Retail Marketing That Pops
Packaging That Extends the Message
World Food Day is also about community. For takeout and delivery, use custom wrapping paper or tissue printed with awareness messages. Customers will notice the detail, and it shows you care about more than the transaction.
Adding an insert card or thank-you notecard in each bag makes the experience even more personal.
Related Blog: How to Design Postcards That Double as Packaging Inserts
Loyalty and VIP Engagement
A single day can start a long-term relationship. Print materials like greeting cards or personalized business cards for your loyalty program members can make your campaign feel exclusive.
For example, you might send thank-you cards to your top customers inviting them to a private tasting on World Food Day. That small gesture can generate big loyalty.
Related Blog: Retention Starts with Print
Blending Awareness With Action
Print campaigns for World Food Day can do more than drive sales. They can educate and mobilize. Brochures or table tents can share facts about food waste or promote a partnership with a local food bank. Posters can highlight donation goals. Coasters can encourage guests to “Give $1, Feed a Family.”
These tangible reminders extend the campaign beyond a single meal and position your restaurant as part of a larger movement.
Related Blog: Print Marketing for Food Trucks
Final Thought
World Food Day is more than a date on the calendar — it’s an opportunity to tell your restaurant’s story, strengthen your community ties, and build customer loyalty. Digital campaigns spread fast, but print campaigns last longer: a menu gets folded into a bag, a coaster makes it home, a poster lives in memory.
With the right mix of menus, coasters, posters, and packaging, your restaurant can create a campaign that feels authentic, impactful, and unforgettable.
