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Many sports teams partner with restaurants that give fans the chance to score some free food if their squad is able to trigger a promotion. People who cheer for the Royals have been literally eating good at a chain called Hawaiian Bros this season thanks to the club’s offensive prowess, and the brand had to backtrack over what ended up being a very costly offer.
A poet in Ancient Rome is credited with coining the term “bread and circuses” to refer to the practice of people in power appeasing the masses by offering them free food and entertainment as a form of de facto bribery to boost their popularity and attempt to distract them from issues like corruption and societal decline.
That approach was effective because it managed to appeal to basic needs and impulses that have united humans around the world across millennia, and the spirit of that strategy is still alive and well to this day at sporting events that boast promotions that give fans the opportunity to score some complimentary grub.
Chick-fil-A has partnered with a number of basketball teams to give away free nuggets or sandwiches if an opposing player misses back-to-back free throws, and last month, we were treated to an electric scene when an ABS review led to people at a Reds game scoring free pizza because the team struck out more than 10 batters.
Royals fans have repeatedly been able to take advantage of a promo that a Missouri-based chain rolled out for the 2026 season, but it had to roll back the offer after things got a bit out of hand.
Hawaiian Bros had to overhaul a promo for Royals fans because the team kept scoring too many runs
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain inspired by the cuisine of those islands that was founded by two brothers in Missouri in 2018 and currently boasts close to 80 locations across 14 different states.
This season, the company teamed up with the Royals for a promotion where fans enrolled in its rewards program could visit stores located in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Iowa to score a free lunch plate (which normally sells for $12) if Kansas City scored at least six runs during a home game.
The Royals checked that box on 17 occasions last season, but they are currently on pace to double that total after triggering the promo eight times in their first 37 games (which included five in a row between April 21st and 26th).
According to Eric Graves of KMBC, Hawaiian Bros had given away more than 41,000 free meals as of April 28th, and if we assume the cost of food and labor is half of what they charge for the plates, that would have amounted to a loss of close to $250,000.
Now, Fox4KC reports the promo has been altered going forward, as the chain released a statement to inform customers they will now have to settle for a buy-one, get-one-free offer when the Royals score six or more runs at Kauffman Stadium.
Soooo Hawaiian Bros now says the 6 run deal with the #Royals is only Buy one get one. Lame… pic.twitter.com/Sl3a6k2065
— Alex Gold (@AlexGold) May 6, 2026
The change was instituted a couple of days after the company’s CEO insisted he was “loving” the scoring spree, and many fans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure with the switch and even call for a boycott.
The Royals also lost their first game after the update was rolled out, so this could also be a curse waiting to happen if things start trending in the wrong direction.