As A Way To Say “Thanks,” Bud Light Wants To Buy Everyone A Round

Did Someone Say “FREE BEER”?

Someone did. The next round of Bud Light’s is on the brewery. The only question is when.

Open for Takeout, a new promo from Bud Light, is asking beer drinkers to order takeout from a favorite restaurant or bar, upload the receipt to a web portal, and get $10 toward their next round of Bud Lights.

Joe Lennon, Senior Director of Bud Light, shared, “Over the past few weeks we have been so inspired by the resilient people from the bars and restaurants that serve us all year long. That’s why it was a no brainer to reward those who are ordering takeout by covering their next round of Bud Lights at their local bars and restaurants when they reopen.”

Three essential words: “When they reopen.”

The other key words that are not included in the promo: When will bars and restaurants be full again?

Just because the state allows a place to re-open doesn’t mean customers are prepared to put themselves in harm’s way.

Now Open for Takeout

When you visit BudLight.com, you can enter your zip code to see participating restaurants in your area.

What do you think? Are you ready and willing to jump through the necessary promotional hoops to get a $10 pre-paid rebate card?

Can you think of other things that you’d rather see from a brand as powerful and ubiquitous as Bud Light?

Takeout Is Terrific, But It Won’t Save Most Restaurants

Takeout is a helpful bridge, but none of us know what’s on the other side.

According to Restaurant Business, dining room business in the 21 states where Denny’s stores have reopened is still down by an average of 68% from a year ago. In contrast, delivery and takeout sales are up 105%.

Meanwhile, 272 domestic branches of the 1,695-unit chain have closed rather than offer any form of service during the pandemic.

Denny’s is one of the lucky ones. On Wednesday, UBS analyst Dennis Geiger referenced the National Restaurant Association, saying that about 3% of restaurants in the US have already closed permanently.

That would mean 30,000 restaurants have already shuttered, based on the NRA’s estimate of more than 1 million restaurants in the US. According to Geiger, the carnage is far from over.

The NRA surveyed more than 4,000 restaurant owners and operators last week. About 11% said that they anticipate they would permanently close within the next 30 days.