“Tip-Off & Take-Off: The Rise of AM ‘Grocerant’ Game Fuel During NCAA Bracket Season”

 

When the first whistle blows in the morning during NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, something fascinating happens—not just on the court, but in kitchens, breakrooms, and increasingly, retail foodservice counters across America.

Welcome to the AM Daypart Game Day Revolution, where breakfast meets bracketology, and indulgence becomes a shared social ritual.

 

The Dunk Heard ‘Round the Donut Case

Enter Krispy Kreme with a perfectly timed play: the Bracket Bash Dozen.

This limited-time lineup isn’t just a novelty—it’s a strategic “grocerant” move (that hybrid of grocery + restaurant) designed to capture early-day social eating occasions:

• Basketball Doughnuts: Cream-filled, iced, and drizzled like mini edible courts
• Basketball Net Doughnuts: Chocolate-dipped with vanilla drizzle
• Original Glazed Staples: The MVPs of familiarity and comfort

Add a BOGO-style $2 dozen promotion, and suddenly you’ve got high-perceived value + shareability + immediacy—a trifecta that drives traffic before noon.

 

Food Industry Fast Break: Why AM Matters

Let’s break down the data behind the deliciousness:

• Breakfast is the fastest-evolving daypart in foodservice, with increased demand for portable, indulgent, and shareable items.
• During major sporting events, food consumption shifts earlier—especially for weekday games when fans are at work or working remotely.
• Retailers and QSRs (quick-service restaurants) are leaning into “occasion-based bundling”—think game-themed packs that simplify hosting.

This is where grocerants win: they provide restaurant-quality, ready-to-eat food in a retail setting, ideal for spontaneous celebrations.

 

Grocerant Guru® Insights (AM Daypart Playbook)

1. Morning “Micro-Events” Are the New Tailgate

Early NCAA games create bite-sized social gatherings—coffee + screens + quick treats.
Insight: Winning brands design for low-friction hosting: easy pickup, visual appeal, minimal prep.

 

2. Sweet Is the New Savory at Tip-Off

Forget eggs and toast—permissible indulgence spikes during events.
Insight: Consumers justify sweets (like themed doughnuts) as part of the experience economy, not just breakfast.

 

3. Digital Ordering Fuels Impulse Celebrations

With app-based ordering and promo codes, brands like Krispy Kreme convert last-minute game awareness into instant purchases.
Insight: The AM daypart is increasingly digitally triggered, not routine-driven.

The Bigger Picture: Food as Fandom Fuel

Bracket season isn’t just about buzzer-beaters—it’s about shared rituals, even at 9 a.m. Whether in offices, homes, or hybrid workspaces, fans are building new traditions around food that’s:

• Visual (Instagrammable)
• Shareable (group-friendly formats)
• Accessible (order ahead, pick up fast)

And that’s exactly where grocerants thrive.

Final Bite

The Bracket Bash Dozen isn’t just a product—it’s a case study in daypart disruption. As early games continue to shape consumption habits, expect more brands to lean into AM occasion-based eating.

Because in today’s food culture, the question isn’t “What’s for breakfast?”

It’s: “What are we eating for the game?”

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With deep experience in restaurant operations, brand positioning, and strategic consulting, Steven provides valuable takeaways that inspire and drive results.

Visit GrocerantGuru.com or FoodserviceSolutions.US Call 1-253-759-7869

Wendy’s: The Real MVP of March Madness Marketing

 

In the competitive arena of fast-food marketing, Wendy’s has mastered the art of staying fresh—not just with its never-frozen beef but with its consumer-focused, basketball-fueled approach. As the Official Hamburger of March Madness, according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Wendy’s has dribbled its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of Millennials and Gen Z, leveraging unbeatable value, strategic partnerships, and the cultural relevance of NCAA basketball to score big with fans nationwide.

A Winning Game Plan for March Madness

Wendy’s understands that the real March Madness happens both on the court and at the dinner table. With millions of basketball fans tuning in, the brand is stepping up its game by delivering crave-worthy deals that cater directly to value-conscious consumers. From now through April 13, Wendy’s is offering its signature Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger (JBC) and Double Stack for just $1 with an additional purchase—exclusively via the Wendy’s app.

For fast-food aficionados and sports lovers alike, these slam-dunk promotions prove that Wendy’s is not just feeding fans but fueling the tournament experience. The Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger—a fan-favorite with its signature square beef patty, crispy Applewood smoked bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, American cheese, and mayo—provides a fast break for flavor. Meanwhile, the Double Stack, with its two juicy beef patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion, brings an unbeatable value play to the lineup.

Reaching the Next-Gen Consumer

The success of Wendy’s extends beyond the court and into the hands of digitally savvy consumers. With Gen Z and Millennials seeking convenience, affordability, and engaging brand experiences, Wendy’s strategically taps into these priorities by promoting app-exclusive deals and seamless digital ordering. By incentivizing mobile use with budget-friendly offers, Wendy’s ensures that younger consumers stay connected to both the game and the brand.

Reach a Larger Share of Stomach

With Relevance  

Leveraging NCAA Basketball for Maximum Engagement

Wendy’s marketing playbook isn’t just about the food—it’s about culture. By aligning with NCAA basketball, Wendy’s taps into a high-energy, highly engaged audience that is passionate about sports and social experiences. Basketball legends and sports analysts, including Ian Eagle and Clark Kellogg, have joined the campaign to reinforce the brand’s position as the freshest in the game. This endorsement, coupled with strong promotional tie-ins across DoorDash, Uber Eats, and GrubHub, ensures that whether fans are courtside or couch-side, Wendy’s remains their go-to for fresh, never-frozen beef.

The Fun Food Factor: Beyond Just a Burger

Fast food is more than just sustenance—it’s an experience. Wendy’s commitment to fresh, hot, and juicy burgers isn’t just a tagline; it’s a legacy. Fun fact: Wendy’s was the first fast-food chain to offer a drive-thru window, pioneering convenience long before mobile ordering was a thing. Today, the brand continues to innovate, blending nostalgia with modern convenience, making its offerings even more relevant to younger generations.

Final Buzzer: Wendy’s Scores with Consumers

Wendy’s is proving that in the fast-food game, it’s not just about what you serve, but how you serve it. By leveraging affordability, NCAA basketball, and digital engagement, Wendy’s has solidified its place as the MVP of March Madness marketing. So, whether you’re celebrating a bracket-busting upset or just craving a championship-caliber burger, Wendy’s is serving up the real victory meal this season.

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Here are the most popular foods for those watching NCAA Basketball Tournament

 

There is but one problem in the Grocerant Guru’s house this time of year.  That problem is a desire to consumers some of all the top popular foods for watching NCAA Basketball Tournament every game! Even with family and friends visiting, watching are rooting for teams they some never even heard of all of the popular food at one sitting is simply too much.  I will note he and his friends are now old!  No matter how much they don’t want to be this time of year.

The question is which of these popular food items are you selling, delivering, or bundling to edify your customers experience watching the game at home or at your location? 

All that said, while there isn't an official ranking of the top ten, here are some popular foods for NCAA Basketball Tournament gatherings according to recent grocerant scorecards and google:

Pizza: A college staple, perfect for feeding a crowd with various topping preferences

Wings: A game day favorite, though maybe get boneless for less mess

Nachos: A build-your-own crowd-pleaser with chips, cheese, and various toppings

Dips and Chips: Easy finger food, with options like queso, guacamole, salsa, or hummus with various chip options

Burgers: Great for grilling or a fancier option with toppings like bacon and guacamole

Cheesy Appetizers: Crowd favorites include mozzarella sticks, cheese fries, or jalapeno poppers

Snack Mix: A customizable mix of salty and crunchy snacks like pretzels, popcorn, nuts, and Chex Mix

Sliders: Mini burgers perfect for party portions

Appetizer Sampler Platter: Offer a variety of finger foods like veggies and dip, mini quiches, or pigs in a blanket

Local or Themed Food: Show team spirit with regional favorites or dishes inspired by the teams' mascots

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

 

Domino’s Winning NCAA March Madness First Weekend with 50 Percent Off

 

Rekindling our favorite college memories, it seems every Spring the NCAA March Madness brings the country together elevating college basketball to the top-of-mind sport creating almost more social media buzz than a door blowing out/off an airplane. Ok that’s a bit much but there is quite a bit of truth to it.   According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Domino’s understand that there are a few reasons why pizza makes the perfect NCAA Basketball tournament watching food:

1.       Shareable: Pizza is a classic party food, ideal for feeding a group of friends during a watch party. It comes in various sizes, so you can easily cater to the number of people. Plus, with multiple slices, everyone can get their preferred toppings.

2.       Convenient: Ordering pizza delivery is quick and hassle-free. No need to leave the game or spend time prepping ingredients. Perfect for those intense buzzer-beaters and close finishes.

3.       Finger Food: No utensils required! Pizza is easy to grab and munch on between plays, allowing you to keep your eyes glued to the screen without missing a beat.

4.       Variety: With countless topping combinations, there's a pizza to please everyone. From classic pepperoni to veggie lovers and meat-lovers, everyone can find their favorite slice.

5.       Crowd-Pleaser: Pizza is a universally loved food. It's a safe bet that most people will enjoy it, reducing the risk of picky eaters spoiling the fun.

6.       Game-Time Compatible: You can easily eat pizza while cheering, celebrating, or commiserating over close calls.

So, with its convenience, shareability, and deliciousness, pizza reigns supreme as the perfect NCAA Basketball tournament watching food.

Now then, Domino’s is celebrating college basketball’s biggest month by offering customers 50 percent off all menu-priced pizzas ordered online today through March 24.

Christopher Thomas-Moore, Domino’s senior vice president – chief digital officer, stated, “Domino’s is making an assist to customers for a slam dunk of a deal,” ... “What’s better than enjoying delicious pizza while cheering on your favorite team? Enjoying delicious pizza when it’s half off!”

Yes, the 50 percent off deal is available on menu-priced pizzas ordered through Domino’s online ordering channels, which include www.dominos.com and Domino’s mobile app.

Fun Facts – Domino’s and Basketball

Domino’s sold more than 3 million pizzas during the men’s 2023 national semifinals and championship game nights combined – enough to give more than 45 pizzas to each person attending the final game in Arizona this year.

During the 2023 men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, Domino’s produced enough dough to match the weight of more than 22 million basketballs.

It takes 69 Domino’s pizza boxes stacked from the floor of a basketball court to reach the hoop.

It takes more than 4,500 Domino’s pizza boxes to cover a 4,600-square-foot basketball court.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Wings Over Bouncing with 'Madness Meals' Success

 

Talk about seasonal brand relevance, Wings Over is doing everything right this time a year.  Wings Over has announced that they are collaborating with over 15 of the best Men’s & Women’s NCAA Basketball athletes to create custom “Madness Meals” at Wings Over locations nationwide. According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, “the NCAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball is a great platform to reach sports fans, college students, college graduates, and yes gamblers from every walk of life.”

So, on March 10, Wings Over launched 15+ custom Madness Meals designed by NCAA Athletes themselves. Athletes customized their favorite Wings Over meals with their favorite flavors, sides, and drinks! Yes, 15 different meals will empower consumer choice for the meal, from a school or for an athlete.

I sure you figured this out, the “Madness Meals” collaborations are launching just in time for the NCAA Basketball Tournaments. For the first time ever, Wings Over was able to partner with athletes due to recent changes in regulations around College Athlete's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).

Wings Over’s Marketing Director, Connor Nolte, stated, “College athletics have always been a huge part of our Wings Over communities, so for our first major NIL Campaign, it was crucial for us to collaborate with Student-Athletes. College athletes have loved eating at Wings Over for years, so we are incredibly excited to finally give them the opportunity to share their favorite meals and flavors with their fans by creating their own custom Madness Meals,”

Nolte continued, “Our main priority was to showcase and highlight our incredible Student-Athlete Partners by creating a meal that has their name on it, and they are proud of,”

Here take, a look at the “Madness Meals” campaign is headlined by some of the top Men’s & Women’s NCAA Basketball athletes in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, including: Al Durham, Aziaha James, Christyn Williams, Chucky Hepburn, Darryl Morsell, Jacy Sheldon, Jada Boyd, Jared Bynum, Kateri Poole, Kennedy Todd-Williams, Leaky Black, Malaki Branham, Maya Dodson, Nate Watson, Noah Horchler, Ryan Cormac, Sam Brunelle, and Tyler Wahl.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Free Throw Bucket Yes 'Basketball Buckets' at Auntie Anne’s

 

Will you be stuck in the office with friends, as family gather together to watch the NCAA Tournament College Basketball Tournament.  March Madness as it is known has become a platform for restaurants to leverage the unique skill set to sell fresh full-flavored food for delivery, leveraging technology aka App’s that digital natives and Millennial’s love.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, stated, branded hand-held- food for immediate consumption is the perfect way for restaurants and all food retailers to drive top-of mind- awareness with NCAA Tournament enthusiast.

As College basketball’s biggest tournament is approaching and Auntie Anne’s is helping fans celebrate by upping their game day snacks with the return of the guest-favorite Basketball Buckets. Available for purchase in-store and via pick-up or delivery through the Auntie Anne’s mobile app from March 10 - April 6, customers can choose from: 

·         Free Throw Bucket – The limited-edition Basketball Bucket is filled with your choice of Original Pretzel Nuggets, Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Nuggets, or Mini Pretzel Dogs; and serves up to five people.

·         3-Pointer Bucket Trio – Includes three limited-edition Basketball Buckets with one bucket each of Original Pretzel Nuggets, Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Nuggets, and Mini Pretzel Dogs; and serves up to fifteen people.

 Plus, Auntie Anne’s Buckets to Buckets Sweepstakes is back! For every bucket scored during the March college basketball men and women’s tournament, Auntie Anne’s will award one free Pretzel Bucket to a Pretzel Perks Member – giving away up to 10,000 buckets. All you have to do is be a Pretzel Perks Member before the championship game ends, and you’ll be entered into the sweepstakes. 

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.