National Burrito Day
Line up some meat, beans and cheese on a large flour tortilla. Fold in the sides, fold up the bottom and then roll on, my friend, roll on!
Drive foot traffic and online orders to QSR and casual dining chains by promoting limited-time burrito deals and DIY burrito-bar kits on the first Thursday in April.
- Host a burrito-bar party: tag us in your DIY burrito spreads for a chance to win free burritos
- First Thursday in April = burrito day specials—check your favorite local Mexican spot for exclusive deals
- Build your perfect burrito: vote on your top topping combo and we'll feature the winner
- Burrito history 101: from 1895 Mexico to your plate—celebrate the evolution of this iconic dish
Campaign ideas8
- Gamified loyalty unlock: Create a code-breaking game (like Chipotle's Burrito Vault) where rewards members solve puzzles to win BOGO codes—drives app downloads and engagement.
- Multi-day promotion window: Extend the day into a 3-day 'Burrito Block Party' (Fri-Sun) with tiered offers—Instagram codes on day 1, BOGO on day 2, free delivery day 3—to smooth midweek dips.
- Limited-time mass giveaway: Give away 10,000+ free burritos via social media codes (rotate across TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook) to drive app installs and viral reach.
- Rewards-exclusive activation: Offer BOGO or free add-ons (guac, cheese, sides) ONLY to rewards members; use the day to drive enrollment with urgency and exclusivity.
- User-generated content contest: Ask customers to name/build their own burrito creation, share it on social with a branded hashtag, and enter to win free burritos for a year.
- Out-of-office workplace angle: Target lunch breaks with shareable calendar blocks, email templates, and messaging that encourages employees to take a real lunch—position your burrito as the excuse.
- Breakfast burrito angle: If you serve breakfast, push breakfast burritos as a limited-time focus or cross-category bundle (burrito + coffee combo deal).
- Paid social flash deal: Run hourly or 3-hour flash deals on Instagram/TikTok Stories with time-limited promo codes—create urgency and track which time windows drive most traffic.
Social angles6
- 'Block the Burrito Hour' – Challenge your followers to step away from their desks, take a real lunch break, and share their burrito moment. #NationalBurritoDay #BurritoBreak #BlockTheBurritoHour
- Behind-the-scenes burrito build: Show your kitchen staff rolling, stuffing, and wrapping burritos in real-time. Raw, authentic, mouth-watering. #MadeToOrder #BurritoArtistry #NationalBurritoDay
- Burrito customization stories: Post polls/quizzes – 'Rice or no rice?' 'Beans inside or on the side?' Let followers debate and vote. #BurritoDivisive #NationalBurritoDay #TeamRice
- Free burrito code race: 'First 100 people to text CODE to 31996 get a free burrito.' Real-time urgency. #FreeFood #NationalBurritoDay #MoveFast
- Customer spotlight UGC: Repost customer photos of their burrito hauls, reactions, burrito creations with captions like 'This is how you do National Burrito Day.' #UserGenerated #Repost #BurritoCommunity
- Comparison humor: 'Your burrito vs. our burrito' side-by-side visual. Keep it playful, not mean. #BurritoRealness #NationalBurritoDay #YourMove
Ad copy starters5
“'Crack the code. Win a year of free burritos.' – Playful, benefit-driven, calls to action. (Chipotle Burrito Vault style)”
“'Free delivery on your burrito. No minimum. One day only.' – Clean, offer-first, deadline.”
“'BOGO burritos today. Because lunch deserves more.' – Lifestyle angle, values-driven.”
“'Text BURRITO to get $5 off. Right now.' – Urgency, mobile-first, immediate action.”
“'10,000 free burritos are being given away. Your move.' – Scarcity + peer pressure. (Pancheros style)”
Tips4
- DO lock your best offers behind rewards program enrollment or purchase requirement—National Burrito Day is prime loyalty-building day. Chipotle and QDOBA drive millions of app installs this way.
- DON'T over-complicate the mechanic. Chipotle's 2023 Twitter success came from simplicity (just text a code). Avoid multi-step sign-ups or confusing redemption rules; friction kills conversions.
- DO plan for social media volume—expect 1M+ SMS messages and 150K+ social mentions. Have response team ready, especially on real-time channels like Twitter/TikTok. Engagement is earned media.
- DON'T gate all deals behind membership if you're an emerging or smaller brand—offer at least one single-use discount code on social media (like Pancheros' 10K free burritos) to build awareness; use it as a trial funnel to move non-members into rewards.
The history of the burrito is couched in mystery because the concept of meats and cheeses rolled in tortillas is hard to trace! A variety of different types of foods that originate from Mexico include the tortilla with meat and cheese, such as the taco and the enchilada, taquitos, chimichangas or even quesadillas. But the burrito is a bit unique because it is larger than others and its history has grown out of the culture of Mexico but made its way into the southwestern portions of the United States where it became even more popular.
Burritos can be traced back at least to the 19th century, when these recipes were developed. In fact, one of the oldest mentions of the word “burrito” came in 1895 when it was mentioned in a book called the “Dictionary of Mexicanisms”.
Originally created with simple meat and cheese inside of a tortilla, and then probably sold by street food vendors, the burrito evolved into something more as the years went on. Sometimes called mission-style burritos the idea came for adding beans and rice as fillers, and then guacamole and sour cream for toppings. It was after this that the burrito developed into something more akin to what it is today, with some restaurants like Chipotle offering a huge range of options for preferred ways to fill a burrito.
In any case, the burrito is a hearty and delicious meal that is certainly worth celebrating! And that’s where the tradition of National Burrito Day, whether old or new, finds its place in the world.
Try Making Burritos at Home
One super delicious way to celebrate National Burrito Day is to hang out with family or invite a group of friends over for a burrito bar. In fact, burritos are some of the easiest foods to serve when hosting a crowd! Those who have a quick cooking instant pot may choose to cook some pork or chicken with seasonings in just about an hour. A slow cooker or roasting in the oven are viable options as well. Friends can be invited to bring the fixings such as large flour tortillas, black or red beans, rice with cilantro, guacamole, cheese sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, jalapenos, hot sauces, and so many other yummy toppings! Line everything up and let each guest make their own burrito by piling on everything they love. It’s a fun way to serve a great meal without a lot of fuss.
Go Out for Burritos
One superb way to celebrate National Burrito Day might be to grab a friend or family member, head on over to a restaurant that serves burritos and order a delicious plate full. Perhaps this would be a locally owned and operated Mexican restaurant that serves up beef, chicken or bean burritos on a bed of rice. Or maybe it would be a quick lunch at a fast and fresh food burrito restaurant. Don’t forget to ask if that favorite Mexican kitchen is offering any special deals or discounts in celebration of National Burrito Day! Try out one of these Mexican restaurant chains that serves burritos: QDOBA Mexican Eats. With more than 700 locations in the United States, it’s easy to find a delicious burrito nearby. Try the specialty chicken burrito that is customizable to each individual’s desired tastes and preferences. Chipotle. One of the largest and most accessible burrito joints, this chain boasts almost 3,000 locations not only in the US, but also in Canada, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Moe’s Southwest Grill. This one is perhaps not quite as well known, but Moe’s is still a viable option that has up to 700 locations throughout the US. Taco Bell. Sure, it gets a bad rap (or wrap?!) sometimes, but there’s no arguing with the fact that 7000 locations worldwide is nothing to overlook. And it’s probably the quickest service for burritos and other Mexican fast food around.
Enjoy a Tex-Mex Themed Day
Whether at work or at school, National Burrito Day brings with it many opportunities to enjoy and show appreciation for the culture behind this delicious food. In addition to eating burritos, don’t forget to stay connected through fun aspects such as festive music, delightful decorations, cultural dress and even some fun games. One fun activity might be to grab a blindfold and play Pin the Tail on the Donkey. After all, the word for “burrito” really translates to mean “little donkey” in the Spanish language. Another fun game for a National Burrito Day party might be to have a cute pinata filled with candy and treats.
Create a Burrito Themed Playlist
Have tons of fun creating a festive playlist of songs celebrating the home culture of the burrito. Get started with some of these fun ideas for songs that give a nod to National Burrito Day: How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song) by Hoku (2000). The songwriter penned this one in honor of a boy she liked who worked at a burrito stand. Sure, it’s a little silly, but it’s also rather fun. Burrito by Pete Yorn (2003). Known for his ability to play the bulk of the instruments on his albums, Pete Yorn sings this song where he offers the listener a bite of his burrito. O Burrito by Fernando Corriera Marques (2009). This tribute is sung as it should be – in Spanish! The Burrito Song by Creed Fisher (2022). A strange but compelling song by Creed Fisher, this one is more of a kids’ song but certainly shows its love for burritos too. National Burrito Day FAQsHow to fold a burrito?Fold a warm tortilla by folding in on the sides, folding the bottom up, and then rolling up.[1]Are burritos from Mexico?Burritos may have gotten their start in the northern regions of Mexico, but they crossed the border to become “Tex-Mex”.[1]Can burritos be healthy?Burritos made with low fat meat, beans, rice, and a small amount of cheese can be healthy.[1]Do burritos have rice?Though original burritos would not have included rice, many people make them with rice now.[1]Are burrito bowls healthier than burritos?People who choose burrito bowls instead of wraps can save on calories, carbohydrates and also be gluten free.[1]