How This Oregon City Invented The Early Bird Special

The early bird special is a good restaurant deal for people who are watching their wallets. Diners get a full meal for less money as long as they're okay with having dinner in the late afternoon. The cost-saving meals have long been thought of as the domain of seniors and families with children, but that's not how the "early bird special" concept got its start. Instead, the chirpy term for an early purchase discount actually began with (of all things) an underwear sale.

An ad in the Morning Oregonian newspaper on July 12, 1904 touted an "early bird special" sale on men's underwear between 8 a.m. and noon at Olds, Wortman & King department store in Portland. The phrase came from the adage "the early bird catches the worm" which dates back to the 17th century. Others picked up the term for sales and it began showing up in restaurants in the 1920s, with some businesses using it for early breakfast discounts. By the 1950s, it became more common for eateries to have early bird specials in the afternoon. 

Prohibition had a hand in the spread of early bird specials. Restaurants were seeing their businesses suffer because they couldn't serve alcohol to patrons. They turned to early bird specials as a way to draw in new customers, appealing to families and seniors by offering the dinner discount during a slower time of the day.

Early bird specials eventually became most associated with seniors, particularly retirees who flocked to Florida. But as Baby Boomers aged, they wanted a different kind of retirement. (Hooters is eyeing seniors in Florida, for example.) The early bird special has a cheap image for boomers. Many of them view at it as something their parents did. They also enjoy new foods. Something simple like early bird dinners don't have the excitement they're looking for. This has led to the decline of early bird specials. Some restaurants still offer late afternoon deals, but more often under names like sunset menu or twilight menu – or as an expanded happy hour. There was a comeback after the Great Recession as younger people went to early bird special dinners to save money. But it didn't last.

The pandemic upended things once again. When people started going out again after months of isolating at home, they were having dinner earlier. Many people's jobs stayed remote or became hybrid, so younger workers in particular who finish work at 5 p.m. and now don't have a commute would more regularly go out right away and do things, including have dinner.

The revival of earlier dining doesn't necessarily mean meals are cheaper, though. Since customers are coming either way, the restaurant has no need for an early bird discount to get them in the door. However, seniors in search of a dinner price break can still score a discount at many popular restaurants, including early bird specials that are one of Texas Roadhouse's ordering hacks.