Restaurant
Restaurant
Welcome to the PeakNIL Deal Playbook for Restaurants — a quick guide to creating your first NIL partnership with confidence.
Whether you’re a local restaurant or a growing brand, these examples show how easy it is to work with a student-athlete through PeakNIL. Use these examples as simple starting points for building an NIL deal that fits your restaurant’s goals.
What It Is
You invite a college athlete into your restaurant to try your most popular or signature menu items. The athlete records short-form content (Instagram Reels, TikTok, Stories, or X posts) sharing their honest reaction and experience.
How to Execute It
Choose 3–5 menu items you want to highlight (best sellers or high-margin items)
Schedule a 30–60 minute visit during a slower business hour
Film vertical video of the athlete tasting food, reacting, and talking casually
Have the athlete post at least:
1 short-form video (Reel/TikTok)
1–3 story posts tagging your restaurant
What You’re Paying For
Athlete appearance and content rights
Social media posts on the athlete’s personal accounts
Optional: rights to repost the content on your own pages
Why It Works
Athletes already have trust with their audience. A casual, authentic food review feels like a recommendation from a friend, not an ad. This is one of the lowest-cost, highest-return NIL activations for restaurants.
What It Is
A short, in-person event where fans can meet the athlete at your restaurant, take photos, and order the athlete’s favorite menu item.
How to Execute It
Set a 60-minute window (example: 6–7 PM)
Promote the event 5–7 days in advance on:
Your restaurant’s social media
The athlete’s social media
Offer a simple incentive (photo opportunity, autograph, or discount)
Have signage in-store promoting the athlete’s favorite item
What You’re Paying For
Athlete appearance fee
Promotion posts (before and day-of)
Optional: photo usage rights
Why It Works
This drives immediate foot traffic and creates urgency. Fans want face-to-face experiences, and restaurants benefit from packed dining rooms and increased average order size.
What It Is
The athlete goes behind the scenes—into the kitchen, prep area, or chef’s station—to learn how food is made and create engaging video content.
How to Execute It
Film the athlete:
Talking with the chef
Learning how a dish is made
Sampling ingredients or plating food
Capture multiple short clips instead of one long video
Use the content for:
Athlete social media
Your restaurant’s marketing
What You’re Paying For
Athlete’s time and content creation
Social posting requirements
Optional: usage rights for ads or website
Why It Works
Behind-the-scenes content feels exclusive and personal. It humanizes your brand and gives customers a reason to care about how your food is made.
What It Is
You create a limited-time menu item named after the athlete, designed around their tastes or personality.
How to Execute It
Collaborate with the athlete on the ingredients or flavor profile
Name the item after them (example: “The [Athlete Name] Burger”)
Promote the item through:
In-store signage
Social media posts
A launch announcement from the athlete
What You’re Paying For
Athlete licensing fee (name + promotion)
Promotional posts during the menu run
Why It Works
Fans want to support athletes they follow. A named menu item creates novelty, social sharing, and repeat visits while positioning your restaurant as athlete-friendly.
What It Is
A performance-based promotion where customers receive a discount or deal after the athlete or their team wins a game.
How to Execute It
Choose a simple offer (example: 10–20% off the next day)
Have the athlete announce the deal immediately after the win
Post the promotion across your own channels
Run the deal for one day to create urgency
What You’re Paying For
Athlete promotional posts tied to wins
No appearance required
Why It Works
This connects your restaurant directly to team success and game-day excitement. It encourages next-day traffic and keeps your brand top of mind throughout the season.
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