Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, restaurants often sell 75 percent of the calendar year’s gift cards. They’re a no-lose deal for restaurants for several reasons:
1. Gift cards present an opportunity for a restaurant to pick up new customers, because recipients are often first-timers.
2. They represent an injection of straight revenue, plus the payout is slow and spread out.
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3. A sizable percentage of gift cards are never redeemed (20 to 30 percent by some estimates), so the issuer can afford to be generous with deals and bounce-back offers.
4. Restaurants that offer cards redeemable at multiple locations or restaurants often introduce the recipient to a new concept or location.
5. Gift cards to ancillary providers, such as third-party delivery companies such as Grubhub and Uber Eats, indirectly benefit the restaurants that they service through increased exposure.
At this time of year, restaurants should do all in their power to facilitate gift card sales and make it easy for gift card purchasers to obtain one. Not doing so just passes that income along to someone else.
Restaurants should therefore give customers a deal they can’t refuse, and many do, offering a “buy one, get more” type of deal—as in spend $100, and get a card worth an additional $10, $15, or $20.
Here are a few places that offer such deals. Note that most include restrictions and expiration dates. Use the links below to check specific terms.
Local restaurant groups/chains:
801 Restaurant Group (801 Chop, 801 Fish, 801 Local): Purchase a $100 gift card, receive a $20 bonus card. Valid at all 801 Restaurant Group locations
Bristol Seafood Grill: Buy $100 in gift cards, get $40 free.
Clementine’s: Buy $50 in gift cards, receive a $10 promo card that must be redeemed from January 1 through January 31, 2026.
Crazy Bowls & Wraps: Buy a $25 gift card online, receive a $5 e-card for free.
City Foundry STL: No discounts, but cards are good throughout the Food Hall.
Crushed Red: 25% off gift card purchases on Black Friday weekend (Nov. 28-30)
Drunken Fish: For every $50 in gift card purchases, receive a bonus $15 gift card free.
Fleming’s: Purchase a $100 gift card, receive a $20 bonus card.
Flight Club: Get a $100 gift card for $80 when you purchase by January 2 using promo code HOLIDAY.
Flower Child: Purchase a $50 gift card, receive a $10 bonus card.
Frida’s (Diego’s Cantina, Station No. 3): December Gift Card Special (December 12 – 11:59 p.m. on December 25): Purchase a $50 card, and get a $10 e-card for yourself. Available and redeemable at all three restaurants.
Gianino’s Family Restaurants: Purchase a $100 gift card, receive a $20 card free; purchase $500 in cards, receive $120 free. Redeemable at all eight Gianino’s Family Restaurants.
J. Gilbert’s: Buy a $100 gift card, receive 2, $20 bonus gift cards. Must purchase through December 5.
Katie’s: Buy $50 in gift cards, get 1 free pound of fresh pasta. Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card + 1 frozen pizza or 1 jar of sauce + 1 pound of fresh pasta. Gift cards may be purchased at any Katie’s restaurant.
Kimchi Guys: For every $20 in gift card purchases, receive a bonus $5 gift card free.
Lion’s Choice: Guests purchasing $50 in Lion’s Choice gift cards during December will receive a free original sandwich each week in January.
Niche Food Group: For every $100 gift card purchased, receive a $15 bonus card (redeemable at Brasserie by Niche, Bowood by Niche, Expat BBQ, Fordo’s Killer Pizza–UCBC Grove, Pastaria, and Pastaria Deli & Wine).
Pan D’Olive: Buy a $100 gift card, receive a $20 bonus gift card free
The Post Sports Bar & Grill: Buy $100 in gift cards, get $20 in Post Bucks.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Downtown and Chesterfield): Purchase $300 or more in gift cards and receive a 10% bonus card.
Session Taco: Through December 31, guests receive $10 off the dine-in bill when they purchase a $50 gift card, or $20 off with a $100 gift card at any Session Taco location.
Sugarfire Smoke House: Purchase $100 worth of gift cards and receive a $20 bonus gift card plus a free bottle of St. Louie Sweet BBQ sauce. Available only by in-house purchase at corporate stores (St. Charles, Olivette, Downtown, Florissant). May be redeemed at any Sugarfire location.
Take Root Hospitality (Bistro La Floraison, Vicia, and Winslow’s Table): Receive $10 in gift cards for every $100 spent. Gift cards are redeemable at all TRH locations.
Three Kings Public House (Tres Reyes): Receive a $10 bonus card for each $50 card purchased. Available in-store only and redeemable at both restaurants.
Trattoria Marcella (Marcella’s Mia Sorella): Receive an extra $25 gift card with an online purchase of $200 in gift cards. Available and redeemable at both restaurants. Available beginning Dec. 1
Independent operators:
Helen Fitzgerald’s: Buy a $100 card, receive a $10 bonus card. Purchase must be made in person.
Herbie’s: Buy a $100 card, receive a $20 bonus card
Michael’s: Buy a $100 card, receive a $25 bonus card
Peno: Buy a $100 gift card, get $150 value; buy $1,000, get $1,500 value.
SqWire’s Restaurant & Market: Receive a $20 card for every $100 in gift cards; $50 card for every $200 spent; $100 card for every $300 spent.
Editor’s note: This list is not comprehensive. Please send any updates or additions to [email protected], and we’ll incorporate them into the article.
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