City Launches $26 Dining Specials at Hundreds of Restaurants for World Cup Season

Hundreds of New York City restaurants have agreed to offer $26 dining deals during this summer’s World Cup, marking a wide-scale push for more accessible dining. The initiative, announced this week by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arrives as menu prices continue to climb across the city. Recently, a widely discussed $72 roast chicken and $20 cocktails have become symbols of rising costs.

The $26 specials will run for six weeks, overlapping with the peak of the tournament. Participating restaurants are spread across all five boroughs, with details available on the city’s tourism website. The offer draws comparisons to the city’s biannual Restaurant Week, but organizers stress that the current program is more flexible, with fewer restrictions on menu and timing.

On Friday afternoon, diners at a bistro in Astoria reviewed the fixed-price options, which include both lunch and dinner choices. Restaurant managers expressed hope that the promotion would bring in regulars as well as soccer fans who might not otherwise dine out during the busy match schedule.

The World Cup is expected to draw crowds to bars and restaurants showing matches, especially in neighborhoods with strong soccer followings such as Jackson Heights and Bay Ridge. Some owners said the $26 deals may help offset slow periods between games, when dining rooms often empty out.

The city is monitoring participation and feedback. At a press conference, Mayor Mamdani called the program an experiment in “inclusive hospitality,” citing the need for accessible options as New Yorkers face higher prices at the start of the summer season.