The Promotion

McAlister's Deli is turning National Potato Month into a four-week traffic driver with "Spud-tember," a campaign centered on the chain's oversized baked potatoes — a menu staple since the brand's founding in 1989. The promotion runs through September and pairs a new limited-time offering with a loyalty reward structured to pull customers back the following month.

The LTO at the heart of the campaign is the Spicy Green Chili Aioli Pork Spud, available only during September. The build layers a green chili-flavored creamy aioli over the brand's signature hand-fluffed baked potato, adding a heat-forward option to a lineup that has historically leaned toward classic comfort toppings.

The Loyalty Mechanic

For operators and franchise partners, the more notable element may be the loyalty play. McAlister's Rewards members who purchase any Spud in September will receive a free Spud reward redeemable in October — effectively a BOGO spread across two billing periods. The structure is a textbook approach to using a limited-time promotion to generate measurable return visits, a tactic fast-casual loyalty programs have increasingly leaned on to demonstrate program ROI beyond simple discounting.

Jessica Osborne, Vice President of Marketing at McAlister's Deli, framed the campaign as a natural brand fit. "National Potato Month is a natural fit for McAlister's because Spuds have been part of our story since the very beginning," she said. "Spud-tember gives us the opportunity to celebrate the menu item that has become synonymous with our brand while introducing guests to a new flavor experience with Spicy Green Chili Aioli."

Brand Context

As of June 28, 2026, McAlister's operates more than 570 restaurants across 31 states. The brand — known for its sandwiches, soups, salads, and Famous Sweet Tea — has long positioned the Giant Spud as a centerpiece meal rather than a side item, a differentiation that gives the potato unusual menu real estate in the fast-casual segment. Seasonal LTOs tied to calendar moments are a standard tool across the fast-casual restaurant category, but anchoring one to a menu signature rather than a trend ingredient keeps the promotion brand-reinforcing rather than purely novelty-driven.

The BOGO reward carries standard loyalty program terms: the free Spud reward posts to accounts within 24–48 hours of a qualifying September purchase, is redeemable October 1–31 at participating locations, and is limited to two rewards per member during the promotional window. Third-party delivery and catering orders are excluded.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.