After years of anticipation, the opening ceremonies for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are set to take place on July 26th at 1:30 pm EDT. As excitement builds along the Seine River, with over 10,000 athletes from 206 nations eager to compete, restaurants can score sales gold during the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
With more than two billion fans tuning into the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, 59% of US adults plan to watch the Summer Olympics from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024.
Just like other popular sporting events like the Super Bowl and March Madness, Americans across the nation are eager to cheer on Team USA with friends and family.
Whether it's hosting events in your restaurant or offering great delivery and takeout options, The Olympic games present a once-in-an-Olympiad opportunity to boost business. And with such a wide variety of sports involved, the Olympics offer something for everyone.
Whether your customers are excited to see Joel Embiid and Seth Curry hit the court or experience the energy surrounding Simone Biles’s big comeback, there’s an event or athlete to cheer for every day of the week.
In addition to the unparalleled lineup, the time difference could also be a bonus for restaurants. With Paris time being six hours ahead of the US east coast, restaurants will be able to drive more traffic during typically slow times of the day.
With the eyes of the world on France’s capital city, the Paris 2024 games could prove to be a huge boost for restaurant sales.
Olympic Fun Facts
Team USA may be red, white and blue, but at the Olympics, it takes home plenty of gold. The United States is the winningest country in the history of the Olympic Games, taking home 2,629 Summer Olympics medals in its history (1,061 gold, 830 silver and 738 bronze).
The U.S. women won 58% of the country’s medals in Tokyo.
The United States has hosted the most Olympic games.
While the US has dominated in the pool, on the track, and throughout the Olympics as a whole, there are a handful of sports, including badminton, where no American has ever stepped on the podium.
Nauru, a small island located in the Pacific, with a population of 12,100, holds the distinction as the smallest nation (by population) to compete in the Olympics.
Bangladesh, with a population of 169,828,911 in its 2022 census, is the most populous country to never win an Olympic medal.
Monaco has competed in 21 Summer Games without earning a gold medal.
Instead of the usual four-year wait between Summer Olympics, the Paris Games will commence just three years after the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back from 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic.
Where to Watch the Games
NBC and Peacock will present live Olympic events every morning and afternoon. Coverage will also include the highly anticipated finals in track and field, gymnastics, and basketball.
NBC will air at least nine hours of daytime coverage each day during the games. It will also deliver an enhanced, three-hour primetime show each night with behind-the-scenes access, new technology and insight from marquee athletes. In addition, Peacock will be streaming every event live throughout the Games, a first for the streaming service.
USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC, E!Telemundo and Universo will also air coverage throughout the Games, so be sure to have your big screens powered-up and tuned in.
American fans can expect the events to begin at 3 a.m. ET and end around 6 p.m. EDT each day.
Star Power Drawing Viewers
As the best athletes in the world prepare to compete in the 2024 Games, many eyes will be on gymnastics star Simone Biles. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is back after a mental issue forced her to pull out of several competitions during the 2020 Games.
The stars will also be out on the basketball court. With the men’s basketball team earning four straight Olympic golds, Team USA is about to get a legendary boost in Paris as LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid are teaming up this summer. The women’s team will be chasing its eighth gold with WNBA champs A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart leading the charge.
High Performance Olympic Marketing Ideas for Restaurants
With a dash of creativity and a winning marketing strategy, running medal-worthy Olympic promotions is a great way to generate excitement throughout the Games. Here are a few ideas to set you up for gold.
1. Add a French Twist to Your Menu
You don’t have to be a fine dining establishment to put a French twist on your menu offerings. To honor the summer Olympics’ host city, serve simple classics like:
French Onion Soup
Loaded French Fries
French Bread Pizza
French Toast Sticks
French Vanilla Milkshakes
2. Host Viewing Parties
Similar to what you might do for the World Cup or World Series, viewing parties are always a crowd pleaser! If your venue has a big screen (or two), host viewing parties during the more popular events such as Men’s and Women’s basketball, gymnastics, and Track and Field. To feature the events live, you may have to host the parties at off hours due to time zone differences. This could be a helpful way to attract more customers during typically slow periods.
3. Celebrate Hometown Heros
Olympics marketing doesn’t have to be all about the events themselves. In fact, celebrating your community is the perfect way to get into the spirit of the games.
If a local athlete from your town or state is competing, throw a party on the day of their event to attract a crowd to cheer them on. Take it one step further by creating a special dish in their honor. And offer discounts to customers who show up dressed for the occasion.
4. Donate to a Local Sports Organization for Kids
Prepare for the next generation of Olympians by donating a portion of the proceeds from your restaurant sales during the Games to a local charitable organization for kids.
Be sure to promote your event on social media so guests can come out to show their support. Consider throwing a party in the organization’s honor and offering members a free appetizer and drink.
6. Olympic-Themed Craft Beer and Cocktails
Draw inspiration from iconic Olympic symbols to create a special cocktails menu. Mix up an Olympic Rings cocktail in the colors of the Games or the American flag using fresh fruit, liqueurs, and juices. Put together a beers-around-the-world selection of craft brews to honor the 206 participating nations.
7. Limited-Time Olympic Offerings
Creating limited-time takeout, delivery, or catering offerings is a great way to celebrate the 2024 Paris Games.
Here are a few ideas:
Olympic onion rings
Gold Medal Wings
Podium Platter
Champion Pizza
Olympic Torch Sundae
French Bread Pizza
French Toast Sticks
Loaded French Fries
Red, White, and Blue Butter Cake
Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Tart with Whipped Cream
8. Olympic-Sized Contests
Trying different restaurant contest ideas is a fun and effective way to get the word out. Draw customers in with an Olympic trivia contest with a $100 gift card, a free watch party of the closing ceremonies, or free desserts for a year as prizes. Prepare a set of challenging trivia questions related to the Olympic Games, covering topics like Olympic history, athletes, sports, host cities, and memorable moments.
Award your loyalty program members with podium prizes, bonus points, or exclusive rewards every time your country wins a medal.
Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Events
The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 329 medal events across 32 sports. Here is a breakdown of the events.
Men's Basketball
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 11
Medal events: 4
Aquatics
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 11
Medal events: 49 (35 swimming, 8 diving, 2 artistic swimming, 2 marathon swimming, 2 water polo)
Athletics (Track and Field)
Competition schedule: Aug. 1-Aug. 11
Medal events: 48
Modern Pentathlon
Competition schedule: Aug. 8-11
Medal events: 2
Badminton
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 5
Medal events: 5
Boxing
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4, Aug. 6-10
Medal events: 13
Breaking (Breakdancing)
Competition schedule: Aug. 9-10
Medal events: 2
Archery
Competition schedule: July 25-Aug. 4
Medal events: 5
Canoeing
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 1, Aug. 3-10
Medal events: 16 (10 sprint, 6 slalom)
Cycling
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 11
Medal events: 22 (12 track, 4 road, 2 BMX freestyle, 2 BMX racing, 2 mountain biking)
Equestrian
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 6
Medal events: 6 (2 dressage, 2 eventing, 2 jumping)
Fencing
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4
Medal events: 12
Field hockey
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 9
Medal events: 2
Golf
Competition schedule: Aug. 1-4, Aug.7-10
Medal events: 2
Gymnastics
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 5, Aug. 8-10
Medal events: 18 (14 artistic gymnastics, 2 rhythmic gymnastics, 2 trampoline)
Handball
Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-Aug. 4, Aug. 6-11
Medal events: 2
Judo
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 3
Medal events: 15
Rowing
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 3
Medal events: 14
Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-30
Medal events: 2
Competition schedule: July 28-Aug. 8
Medal events: 10
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 5
Medal events: 15
Competition schedule: July 27-28, Aug. 6-7
Medal events: 4
Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-28, July 30-31, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 5-6, Aug. 8-10
Medal events: 2
Competition schedule: Aug. 5-10
Medal events: 4
Competition schedule: July 27-30
Medal events: 2
Table tennis
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 10
Medal events: 5
Taekwondo
Competition schedule: Aug. 7-10
Medal events: 8
Tennis
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4
Medal events: 5
Triathlon
Competition schedule: July 30-31, Aug. 5
Medal events: 3
Volleyball
Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 11
Medal events: 4 (2 volleyball, 2 beach volleyball)
Weightlifting
Competition schedule: Aug. 7-11
Medal events: 10
Wrestling
Competition schedule: Aug. 5-11
Medal events: 18 (12 freestyle wrestling, 6 Greco Roman)
Take Away
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics present a unique opportunity for restaurants to boost sales by capitalizing on the Olympic buzz. With the eyes of the world focused on the events, restaurants can attract customers by offering limited-time-only menus, hosting watch parties, and creating special promotions.
By leveraging the global spirit surrounding the Olympics, restaurants can enhance the customer experience, increase foot traffic, and score olympic sales gold.
By Eileen Strauss
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