The Core Offer

Yesway Inc. (Nasdaq: YSWY) is deploying a nine-week promotional campaign across its 420-plus Yesway and Allsup's stores in eight Midwest and Southwest states, running November 4, 2026 through January 5, 2027. The push layers new foodservice SKUs, loyalty-gated daily giveaways, basket-building food-and-beverage bundles, and forecourt fuel discounts into a single seasonal program.

The campaign's signature element is "Red or Green…or Christmas?" — a nod to New Mexico's storied chile-pepper debate that doubles as a sales driver. Customers pick up a new Hatch Red Chile Salsa or Hatch Green Chile Salsa for 49 cents with any hot food purchase, including the chain's signature deep-fried Allsup's Burrito, then cast a vote on a live leaderboard at Allsups.com/RedOrGreen. Buying both salsas in one transaction counts as a vote for "Team Christmas." The mechanic is a low-cost attach designed to lift hot-food attachment rates and introduce two new private-label condiment SKUs to the back-of-house lineup.

Loyalty Engine

For Yesway and Allsup's Rewards members, the season's heaviest engagement comes through two recurring free-product programs. "12 Happy HoliDAYS" runs December 13–24, dropping a different complimentary item each day — ranging from Reign Storm and Celsius energy drinks to a 1st Phorm protein bar and a Mountain Dew 16 oz. can on Christmas Eve. Redemption requires only a loyalty mobile number at checkout, keeping friction low and driving consecutive-day visit cadence — a mechanic operators increasingly use to build dispensed-beverage and packaged-drink trial.

The chain's standing "Allways Thursday" weekly free-product offer runs through December 31, featuring items like Jack Link's Jalapeño Beef Stick & Cheese, Hi-Chew, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Combined, the two programs give loyalty members up to 21 separate redemption events over the promotional window.

Fuel and Basket Mechanics

Stack & Save Fuel Rewards tie CPG purchase to per-gallon discounts at the forecourt — a structure that chains use to defend fuel volume while lifting inside-sales comps. Featured offers include 10 cents per gallon off with a Mars Share Size candy bar, 25 cpg off with three BODYARMOR 28 oz. beverages, and 15 cpg off with either two Celsius 12 oz. for $5 or three Monster 15.5/16 oz. for $8. Fuel reward redemptions cap at 30 gallons per transaction.

Food-and-beverage bundle pricing spans dayparts: a Beef & Bean Burrito with a Pepsi 20 oz. for $5, a breakfast biscuit or croissant with 16 oz. coffee for $5, and a corn dog or chimi with a Tallsup fountain drink for $4–$5. A 20 oz. fountain beverage at $1 and 16 oz. coffee at $2 round out the value board.

The Big Fill Truck Sweepstakes, running through January 5, 2027, anchors the campaign's aspirational tier. Weekly prizes include six $66 fuel cards, a "free fuel for a year" award worth $2,500, and a 2026 Ford F-150 Lariat as the grand prize — announced in early 2027. Entry is triggered by purchasing two Hershey's Standard Size bars.

"This year, we have put together a terrific lineup of promotions combining great value on the food, beverages and fuel our customers count on with some fun and unexpected rewards along the way," said Tom Trkla, Chairman, President and CEO of Yesway. The campaign reflects a broader industry pattern of operators stacking loyalty incentives, foodservice innovation, and fuel-linked rewards to maximize per-visit spend during a high-traffic holiday period.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the core mechanic driving Yesway's holiday push?

It's a nine-week program running November 4 through January 5 across 420+ Yesway and Allsup's locations that stacks new foodservice SKUs, loyalty-gated daily giveaways, fuel discounts, and the 'Red or Green…or Christmas?' salsa vote. The salsa play—49 cents with any hot food purchase—is designed to lift hot-food attachment rates while introducing two new private-label Hatch chile SKUs to your back-of-house.

How does the 'Red or Green' mechanic actually drive incremental sales?

Customers buying Hatch Red Chile Salsa or Hatch Green Chile Salsa (49 cents) with a hot food item—like Allsup's signature deep-fried burrito—vote on a live leaderboard at Allsups.com/RedOrGreen. Buying both salsas in one trip counts as a 'Team Christmas' vote, which is a direct incentive to increase basket size on already-margin-rich hot-food categories.

What loyalty mechanics are running through year-end?

'12 Happy HoliDAYS' (December 13–24) gives Rewards members a free product daily—ranging from Reign Storm and Celsius energy drinks to 1st Phorm protein bars—redeemable with just a loyalty mobile number at checkout. The recurring 'Allways Thursday' free-product offer runs through December 31 with items like Jack Link's Jalapeño Beef Stick & Cheese and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to drive consecutive-day visits.

Which states and banner names are in scope?

All 420+ Yesway and Allsup's stores across eight Midwest and Southwest states are running this campaign. The dual-banner approach lets Yesway leverage Allsup's strong regional footprint—particularly in New Mexico—where the chile-pepper angle has real cultural resonance.

What's the loyalty-member attach strategy here?

Yesway is using low-friction redemption—loyalty mobile number only at checkout—to drive consecutive-day visit cadence and trial of dispensed beverages and packaged drinks during peak holiday traffic. The daily-gift mechanic is proven to increase transaction frequency and basket size among enrolled members.