Just when New Yorkers were starting to accept $20 cocktails and $72 roasted chickens as the new normal, City Hall is throwing food lovers a lifeline. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has teamed up with New York City Tourism + Conventions to roll out a massive six-week dining initiative. The hook? Hundreds of bars and restaurants across the five boroughs will offer exclusive $26 deals.
The program kicks off right in time for the World Cup, running from Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, July 19. With neighboring MetLife Stadium hosting several major matches, the city expects a massive influx of soccer fans. This new initiative aims to ensure those visitors, and budget-weary locals, spend their money in New York’s diverse neighborhoods.
What are the “Five Boroughs Winners Specials”?
Unlike traditional Restaurant Week formats that stick strictly to three-course menus, these $26 deals are highly flexible. Depending on where you go, the promotion might get you a multi-course prix fixe, a curated food and drink pairing, or a specialized beverage package.
Mayor Mamdani, a well-known champion of the city’s outer-borough food scene, emphasized that the goal is economic equity. In a recent statement, the mayor noted that the program is designed to help working-class New Yorkers and tourists find affordable meals while driving foot traffic to local businesses outside the usual tourist hubs. Whether people are watching a match in Jackson Heights, the Bronx, or central Brooklyn, the city wants everyone to feel included in the World Cup excitement.
Who is Participating?
Nearly 300 venues have already signed up for the promotion. The roster spans a massive variety of cuisines and neighborhoods, including:
- Red Rooster (Harlem)
- Naro (Rockefeller Center)
- Armondo’s (Jackson Heights)
- Kills Boro Brewing Company (Staten Island)
- La Baraka (Little Neck)
- Morgan’s BBQ (Prospect Heights)
The complete directory of participating businesses will go live on the official city website right before the tournament begins. In addition to the food discounts, customers can look out for limited-edition, borough-specific World Cup cups designed by consultant Arsh Raziuddin.
How Businesses Can Sign Up
The city is still actively recruiting local spots to join the campaign. Restaurant and bar owners have until Thursday, June 11 to sign up if they want to distribute the custom World Cup cups. For the $26 dining promotional list itself, the registration deadline stays open until Wednesday, July 1.
To sweeten the deal for explorers, this food campaign integrates directly with the mayor’s new neighborhood passport program. New Yorkers can pick up a physical passport at any New York Public Library branch and collect stamps by visiting cultural sites, museums, and local businesses across the city all summer long.
