Red Robin Becomes First National Chain to Pour Kelce-Owned Garage Beer

When a beer brand goes from "garage fridge" to nearly 500 restaurant booths in one move, operators should take note. On July 21, 2026, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) became the first national restaurant chain to serve Garage Beer—the fast-growing light lager co-owned by NFL brothers Jason and Travis Kelce—across its entire U.S. restaurant portfolio.

The rollout puts two SKUs on tap and in reach at every U.S. Red Robin location: Garage Beer Classic Light and Classic Lime. It's a deliberate pairing play, timed to a summer wing expansion and a National Chicken Wing Day promotion designed to drive traffic.

What's Actually Rolling Out

Here's the deal at a glance for operators watching how legacy casual-dining chains are refreshing their beverage and appetizer programs:

• Nationwide beer distribution: Garage Beer Classic Light and Classic Lime became available at all Red Robin locations in the United States on July 21, 2026.
• Expanded wing lineup: During Summer 2026, Red Robin grew its bone-in chicken wing offering with new 8-count, 12-count and 16-count orders, available in a variety of sauces and dry rubs.
• National Chicken Wing Day activation: To mark the July 29 holiday, Red Robin and Garage Beer launched a limited-edition Jason Kelce collaboration T-shirt. Fans who purchase the tee receive a Red Robin gift card good for a free 8-count order of bone-in wings, while supplies last.

Celebrity Beverage Brands Meet Casual Dining

Garage Beer bills itself as America's fastest-growing light beer, now sold in all 50 states—a 4% ABV lager at 95 calories and 3g of carbs. That better-for-you, "crushable" positioning is exactly what a burgers-and-wings crowd reaches for, and the celebrity co-ownership brings built-in cultural gravity.

"We're always looking for ways to bring guests exciting brands and experiences that fit the fun, social atmosphere people come to Red Robin for," said Dave Pace, CEO and President of Red Robin. "Garage Beer is the perfect match for our craveable wings and gourmet burgers. If you haven't tried our wings lately, this is your sign—we think they're some of the best in casual dining, and Garage Beer makes them even better."

For Garage Beer, landing a national chain is a distribution milestone that puts the brand in front of a captive, on-premise audience.

"Garage Beer landing in Red Robin restaurants nationwide definitely calls for a celebration," said Garage Beer CEO Andy Sauer. "We're proud to be pouring beer-flavored beer at Red Robin locations across the country, and we hope fans celebrate National Wing Day the right way, with a basket of wings and an ice-cold Garage Beer."

Why It Matters

This is a playbook worth studying for anyone running a beverage program or negotiating supplier partnerships. Red Robin didn't just add a beer—it paired a buzzy, celebrity-backed brand with a high-margin, expanded appetizer category and wrapped both inside a holiday-timed traffic driver. For operators, the takeaways are practical:

• Category fit beats celebrity hype alone. Garage Beer's low-calorie, sessionable profile aligns with what wing-and-burger guests actually order. When you evaluate a trending or founder-driven brand, start with drinkability and menu pairing, not just the name on the can.
• Bundle beverage moves with food news. New draft handles land harder when tied to a menu expansion (here, three new wing counts) and a reason to visit now (National Chicken Wing Day). The tee-unlocks-free-wings mechanic converts fandom into a data-rich, first-party traffic event.
• Exclusivity is a marketing asset. Being the "first national restaurant chain" to serve a hot brand is earned media that a beverage supplier and operator can both leverage—useful leverage in your own procurement conversations.

The broader signal: as celebrity- and athlete-backed beverage brands multiply, foodservice buyers who move early on the right ones can capture on-premise trial and social momentum before competitors catch up.

The Bottom Line for Operators

Red Robin operates nearly 500 locations across the United States and Canada, including franchised units, and continues to lean into the burgers-and-brews identity that's defined the chain since 1969. Layering a nationally recognized light beer onto an expanded wing menu is a low-friction way to freshen perception and reasons to visit without overhauling the kitchen.

Watching how celebrity beverage brands are reshaping on-premise programs? See our take on how hospitality operators are reengineering beverage programs for scale, and how star-powered campaigns like Aperol's Lucky Me Tour are driving beverage engagement.

Is your bar or restaurant chasing the celebrity-beverage wave—or holding out for proven category fit? Tell us how you're evaluating these partnerships in the comments.

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 founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.