Summer experiences stay with us forever – the smell of fried foods, the crack of a bat, images on the big screen. Tap into those feelings of nostalgia, while offering guests new flavors and presentations this summer. And watch that bottom line heat up.

The great thing about summer is that whether you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart, outdoor activities tend to be at the center of attention. There are summer fests, baseball games, camps, and water parks. And when it gets too hot out there, many families head inside to cool down at the movies or in a restaurant.

With all of the options out there, make sure that your place is where friends and families gather. One way to do that is by providing creative menus rooted in these classic summer experiences. Check out 5 fun concepts to drive summer crowds:

Festive Foods

Even though fair season arrives in the fall, the summer is always packed with summer festivals. Bring a taste of fair food to your menu with a focus on fried comfort items. Shareable trends are heating up, and there are more easy-prep, frozen French fry options on the market than ever.

Go big with a variety of dippable fry selections, like funnel cake fries. Mold the classic fair dough into fry shapes and pair with a range of sweet and savory sauces, or even sprinkle powdered sugar directly on straight-cut, crinkle-cut, or sweet potato fries as an alternative.

Other experiments include deep-frying peanut butter and jelly slices and alternating with slabs of crispy bacon on a festive kabob. If you are more of a turkey leg fan, consider adding sauced and seasoned lamb pops to your menu. These tender, juicy handhelds are a bit more manageable than the behemoth fair versions, and you can set them at a more premium price point.

Blockbuster Nights

Outdoor dining has exploded in popularity as consumers emerge from being cooped up over the past few years. If you happen to have patio space, a deck, even a parking lot, you can transform an outdoor oasis into a makeshift theater for movie night. Project a movie on a wall, or play it on a big TV, mixing genres and themes depending on the night.

Create a fun specials menu for your movie experience that twists traditional theater snacks. In lieu of candy, whip up your own housemade fruit snacks, caramelizing them in a pan or on the grill and drizzling with chocolate sauces or sweet dressings. Instead of classic popcorn, serve a loaded elote street corn bowl, with buttery fixins and tots or crispy wonton strips to add some crunch. Expand on the typical cheesy nacho plate by adding birria or other on-trend BBQ meat options on top. Contigo®has a range of authentic Hispanic-style ingredients, perfect for a shareable plate.

Summer Camp

Among my favorite memories is sitting down for meals at summer camp: biscuits and grits for breakfast, bug juice at lunch, fried chicken dinners. Offer guests a reminder of their own camp experiences with plates like a skillet breakfast – ingredient versatility and creativity being a huge selling point. You can pile on potatoes, eggs, peppers, meats; whatever best fits your brand.

For a shareable, consider a pull-apart grilled cheese loaf. Mix in bacon and cheese between buttery slices of bread and be sure to offer guests dippable jam and sauce choices. Juice up your beverage menu with camp-themed cocktails and kids’ drinks, playing off the nostalgia of juice boxes, pouches, and powdered drink mixes.

Dip in the Pool

Okay, you probably don’t have a pool option on premises, but it would be a lot of fun to create a snack bar-inspired specials menu. With just a few ingredients, you can craft delicious personal pizzas using easy-prep frozen products. Get wild with slider burger selections, featuring chicken, turkey, even plant-based handhelds from Green Origin®.

Any pool snack bar worth its salt is going to have plenty of sweet treats. Ready-to-serve ice cream cups provide a tremendous value. Mix in fresh fruit, nuts, or cheese, and dessert is served. Or, and this is a personal favorite, offer your own version of “fun” dip. Create a flight of spices, sauces, and dips, using a churro or a pretzel stick as a delivery device.

Take ‘Em Out to the Ballgame

All of these summer activities have some food items in common, but baseball games might take the cake. They seem to have just about any summer snack you can imagine.

I tend to go more savory at a ballgame, so something like a seasoned hot dog, battered or breaded, and served on a stick with some dippers sounds amazing. Continue the dipping theme with beer cheese pretzel nuggets or tater kegs. Ballparks love to serve items in a helmet, so how fun would it be to offer guests a jalapeno poutine bowl in mini helmets representing your local team? Fried potatoes, drizzled with hearty gravy, sprinkled with cheese, and the crunchy heat of jalapenos – it’s a home run.

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