How Stonefire Grill turned top side dish into national holiday

Marketing

CEO David Youngberg reveals the strategy, operational discipline, and emotional connection that transformed a menu staple into a national cultural moment.

November 19, 2025 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

As the holiday season approaches, restaurants across the country scramble to push limited-time offers and seasonal specials, but for 25-year-old Stonefire Grill, the busiest time of the year centers on a single, humble side dish: its signature Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Building on decades of guest loyalty, the Southern California-based brand has achieved something rare: it officially established National Garlic Mashed Potatoes Day, celebrated annually on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. What started as a simple, in-store promotion — ‘Mashed Potato Wednesday’ —has transformed into an “ownable” annual brand holiday and a powerful sales engine.

Last year, the 13-unit brand sold 1 million pounds of potatoes. During Thanksgiving week alone, the side dish accounted for 8% of total sales.

“Our signature Garlic Mashed Potatoes have always been a guest favorite,” CEO David Youngberg told FastCasual. “It is our #1 side item.”

Stonefire Grill CEO David Youngberg

From promotion to purpose

Afterr realzing that the demand for potatoes was deeply seasonal, Youngberg set out to meet those holiday needs as it resonated with the brand’s core 25-year commitment to “gathering and togetherness.”

“Our promise is ‘Happy to Serve’,” Youngberg said. “We have genuine excitement knowing we play a role in making our guests’ holidays memorable.”

He said other brands should find a similar emotional anchor:

“We are not in the food business serving people, we are in the people business serving food,” he said, stressing the importance of hiring team members with a “high emotional skill” who truly believe in the art of hospitality.

For Stonefire Grill, the quality and excitement behind prepping and serving the potatoes is directly tied to the brand’s identity.

Operational excellence at scale

Selling 1 million pounds of a scratch-made item annually, with a massive spike around Thanksgiving, demands flawless execution. Stonefire Grill’s commitment to quality meant solving critical supply chain challenges.

“Number one is the quality of the potatoes and their continued supply,” Youngberg said. “Since we’re mostly from scratch our quality standards are incredibly high.”

To ensure consistency, planning is meticulous. Youngberg and his team begin preparation 4 to 6 months out, setting solid pars, reviewing recipes and taking advanced orders. This rigorous organization prevents hiccups and allows the regional chain to meet increasingly ambitious goals.

The unexpected sales engine

The success of the holiday is measured by more than just direct revenue. While mashed potatoes are a clear sales engine, the annual event fuels other key business drivers.

“We gain new guests each and every year through word of mouth,” Youngberg said. The buzz generated by the holiday and the commitment to delivering an amazing experience builds momentum and year-round loyalty.

The existence of a strong, signature side also allows for culinary innovation in other areas. The brand has used the spotlight to successfully introduce and test other sides as LTOs, such as cornbread, baked beans and a cornbread casserole.

“Innovation is a must!” he said.

Marketing a menu item into a cultural moment

Creating a “cultural moment” around a dish is a rare feat, especially for a regional brand. Stonefire Grill’s most effective non-traditional marketing tactic was the simplest: establishing the day officially.

“The fact that our marketing team researched and found that there wasn’t a ‘National Garlic Mashed Potato Day’ and that we could apply for it and be granted it, was truly incredible,” Youngberg said. “That alone, drives our teams to want to execute perfectly for our guests.”

For Youngberg, the key to making a menu item feel genuinely celebratory — versus just another discount — is tying it to the brand’s vision: “To be trusted with life’s most memorable moments, one bite at a time.”

Finding your own signature side

Stonefire Grill’s experience proves that in the crowded fast casual landscape, a simple menu item can be the key to standing out. For other concepts looking to identify their own highly craveable, scalable tradition, Youngberg offers a clear first step: Be authentic to your brand.

“Every time we decide on a menu item to be tested or added to an LTO we are always asking ‘does this menu item match our brand’,” he said.

This internal measurement, combined with “the critical ability to analyze how your guests feel about your food choices,” is what allows a brand to uphold its integrity and find the one dish that customers can’t wait to celebrate.

About Cherryh Cansler

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