The Story Behind Corned Beef and Cabbage and How to Make It Your Biggest St. Patrick's Day Seller

Every March, restaurants across Colorado and Wyoming see the same thing happen: guests walk in looking for corned beef. They want the classic plate with cabbage and potatoes. They want Reubens piled high on rye. They want something green in their glass and something hearty on their fork.

St. Patrick's Day is one of the most reliable seasonal traffic drivers in the restaurant business. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent a record $7.2 billion on St. Patrick's Day celebrations in 2024, and more than 60% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate the holiday each year. Of those, roughly one in three plans to make or order a special dinner, and about one in five heads to a restaurant or bar.

For restaurant operators, that's not a holiday. It's an opportunity.

But here's the part most people don't know: the dish at the center of it all, corned beef and cabbage, isn't actually Irish. Its real origin story involves immigrant survival, unlikely cultural exchange, and one of the most fascinating food adaptations in American history. Understanding that story doesn't just make for good conversation. It gives you a better way to talk about it on your menu, on your socials, and with your guests.

Where Corned Beef Actually Comes From

The word "corned" has nothing to do with corn. It refers to the large-grained rock salt, called "corns," historically used to cure and preserve beef. The British coined the term in the 17th century, and Ireland became a major hub for salted beef production thanks to favorable salt taxes and access to cattle.

Here's the catch: the Irish people rarely ate it themselves. In Gaelic Ireland, cattle were symbols of wealth, valued for milk and field labor far more than for meat. Beef was a luxury reserved for the Anglo-Irish upper class and English landlords. The average Irish family's protein came from pork, specifically salted bacon, which was cheap and widely available.

According to the Smithsonian, the Cattle Acts of 1663 and 1664 banned the export of live cattle from Ireland to England, which actually fueled a massive Irish corned beef trade. Ireland exported enormous quantities of salt-cured beef to England, France, and the American colonies for over a century. But by the late 1700s, that demand had faded as North American producers caught up.

Then came the Great Famine.

The Famine, the Migration, and a New York Deli Counter

Starting in 1845, a potato blight devastated Ireland's primary food source. Within a decade, roughly one million people died and another million emigrated, many on overcrowded "coffin ships" bound for the United States. To this day, Ireland's population has never fully recovered to pre-famine levels.

Most Irish immigrants landed in New York City, settling in densely packed neighborhoods like Manhattan's Lower East Side. They were poor, often discriminated against, and desperate for affordable food that felt like home.

Back in Ireland, the traditional comfort meal was bacon and cabbage. But in New York, the familiar Irish bacon was hard to come by. What was readily available and affordable? Corned beef brisket, sold at the kosher butcher shops run by their Jewish neighbors.

This is where the story gets interesting. Jewish and Irish immigrant communities lived side by side in some of the poorest neighborhoods of 19th-century New York. According to the Smithsonian, these two groups shared striking cultural parallels: both had been scattered by oppression, both carried deep attachments to a homeland left behind, and both faced discrimination in America. That shared understanding fostered a natural bond.

The Jewish butchers made their corned beef from brisket, a kosher cut from the front of the cow. The salting and slow-cooking process turned this tough, affordable cut into something remarkably tender and flavorful. Irish immigrants recognized a kinship between this cured brisket and the salted bacon of their homeland. They started buying it from the same delis, tossing it into a pot with cabbage and potatoes (two ingredients that were both cheap and plentiful) and a new American tradition was born.

As Smithsonian Magazine notes: "What we think of today as Irish corned beef is actually Jewish corned beef thrown into a pot with cabbage and potatoes."

How It Became the St. Patrick's Day Meal

Irish Americans didn't just adopt corned beef and cabbage as everyday food. They made it ceremonial. As Irish-American communities grew and organized, St. Patrick's Day evolved from a quiet religious observance into a public celebration of heritage and identity. The parade became a statement. The meal became a ritual.

Corned beef and cabbage was the natural centerpiece: it was affordable, it fed a crowd, it could be cooked in a single pot, and it carried emotional weight as a dish born from the immigrant experience. Bars in early 20th-century New York reportedly offered free corned beef and cabbage dinners to draw in Irish workers after long days on construction sites. The workers just had to buy a few drinks first.

Over time, the dish became inseparable from the holiday itself. And while people in Ireland still eat bacon and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day (if they eat a special meal at all), in America, corned beef took on a life of its own.

Today, Denver hosts one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades west of the Mississippi, drawing more than 200,000 spectators each year. Across Colorado and Wyoming, restaurants from downtown Denver to Cheyenne see a reliable surge in traffic around March 17. For operators who plan ahead, the week surrounding St. Patrick's Day can be one of the strongest of the first quarter.

Why This Matters for Your Restaurant

If you run a bar and grill, a breakfast spot, an Italian kitchen, or just about any other type of restaurant in Colorado or Wyoming, St. Patrick's Day is a chance to drive traffic during what's typically a slower period between Valentine's Day and spring. The key is treating it like the business opportunity it is, not just tossing a corned beef special on a chalkboard the morning of March 17.

Here's what the most successful operators do differently.

Plan Your Menu at Least Two to Three Weeks Out

Corned beef brisket needs to be ordered well in advance of the holiday. If you're running a special, you need to know your volume, your cut preference, and your supplier timeline. Flat-cut brisket is the standard for corned beef. It's leaner, slices cleanly, and holds up well for plated presentations. Point-cut brisket is fattier and more flavorful, making it ideal for shredded applications like Reuben sandwiches, egg rolls, or sliders.

West Creek® Corned Beef, available through Performance Foodservice Denver, provides the kind of consistency operators depend on for high-volume specials. West Creek® is Performance Foodservice's largest and most diverse exclusive brand, built on partnerships with established suppliers who meet rigorous food safety and performance standards. Their fully cooked and fresh beef options give you flexibility depending on your prep capacity and kitchen setup.

Go Beyond the Classic Plate

The traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner will always have a place on your St. Patrick's Day menu. But operators who expand beyond the classic plate tend to see higher ticket averages and more repeat orders through the week.

Consider adding some of these to your lineup:

Reuben Sandwiches and Sliders: Thinly sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Reubens are one of the most recognized sandwiches in American dining, and St. Patrick's Day gives you a natural reason to feature them. Sliders work well as a shareable appetizer for bar and grill menus.

Corned Beef Egg Rolls: Shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and fried until golden. Serve with Thousand Island dressing for dipping. This has become a popular bar appetizer that travels well for takeout orders.

Corned Beef Hash: Diced corned beef with potatoes, peppers, and onions, crisped in a skillet and topped with a fried egg. Ideal for breakfast and brunch-focused operators looking to extend the St. Patrick's Day theme across dayparts.

Corned Beef Nachos (Irish Nachos): Thick-cut fries or potato slices loaded with shredded corned beef, cheddar, jalapeños, and a drizzle of mustard sauce. This is a strong fit for sports bars and casual dining spots.

Corned Beef Tacos or Quesadillas: Shredded corned beef with cabbage slaw and spicy mustard in a flour tortilla. A creative crossover that works especially well for operators who serve both American and Mexican menus, and it gives you a reason to feature your existing tortilla and cheese inventory in a new way.

Reuben Pizza: Spread Russian dressing as the base, top with corned beef, sauerkraut, mozzarella, and Swiss. Finish with a caraway seed garnish. For pizza operators, this is a limited-time offering that practically markets itself.

Build a Complete St. Patrick's Day Plate From One Supplier

One of the advantages of working with a wholesale restaurant meat supplier like Performance Foodservice Denver is that you can source your entire St. Patrick's Day menu from a single order. Beyond West Creek® Corned Beef, consider how the rest of the plate comes together:

Produce: Cabbage, carrots, and potatoes are the backbone of the classic dinner. Good Roots Produce® and Peak Fresh Produce® deliver quality fresh produce throughout Colorado and Wyoming, or go with Bountiful Harvest® for frozen and canned options that reduce prep time and waste.

Bakery: Irish soda bread rounds out the plate. Heritage Ovens® offers a selection of par-baked and finished breads, buns, and rolls that keep your kitchen moving during high-volume service.

Condiments and Sauces: Stone-ground mustard, horseradish cream, and Thousand Island dressing are essential for corned beef applications. Culinary Secrets® covers dressings, sauces, condiments, and spices, the pantry essentials you need to execute your specials without scrambling.

Cheese: Reubens need Swiss. Nachos need cheddar. Quesadillas need a good melt. West Creek® also offers a quality line of natural and processed cheeses, and Northland Star® provides block, shredded, sliced, and diced options across multiple varieties.

Appetizers: If you don't want to make egg rolls from scratch, Intros® offers a range of crowd-pleasing appetizers that save labor without sacrificing quality.

When everything comes from one distributor, you streamline your ordering, your receiving, and your food cost tracking, which matters when you're running limited-time specials at volume.

Market It Early and With a Story

Now you know the real history of corned beef and cabbage. Use it. Post about it on your socials a week or two before St. Patrick's Day. Put a one-liner on your menu: "This dish isn't Irish. It's Irish-American, born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1800s." Guests love a good story, and it gives your servers something interesting to share at the table.

Promote your St. Patrick's Day specials on Google Business Profile, Instagram, and any local event listings. If you're near the Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade route, which draws over 200,000 people, make sure your hours, specials, and reservation availability are updated well before parade weekend (March 14, 2026).

For operators in Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Cheyenne, or any of the mountain communities, St. Patrick's Day foot traffic may be smaller than Denver's, but the guests are just as hungry for a seasonal experience. A well-promoted corned beef special can pull in diners who might not otherwise visit on a Tuesday in March.

Start Planning Your St. Patrick's Day Menu Now

Corned beef and cabbage has survived for nearly 200 years as an American tradition, not because it's fancy, but because it's honest, satisfying, and deeply connected to the stories people tell about who they are and where they come from. That's exactly the kind of food that builds restaurant loyalty.

Whether you're planning a single-day special or a week-long St. Patrick's Day menu, the foundation starts with quality ingredients and a supplier who can deliver them on time. Performance Foodservice Denver serves restaurant operators across Colorado and Wyoming with the products, brands, and support to make seasonal specials work, from West Creek® Corned Beef to every side, sauce, and bread on the plate.

Talk to your Performance Foodservice Denver sales representative today to lock in your St. Patrick's Day order and explore the full West Creek® product line. Because the best St. Patrick's Day specials aren't thrown together last minute. They're planned, sourced, and ready to sell.

Performance Foodservice Denver is a wholesale food distributor serving restaurant operators throughout Colorado and Wyoming from our 350,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility. We offer an extensive family of exclusive brands, including West Creek®, Braveheart Black Angus Beef®, Heritage Ovens®, and more, designed to help your business succeed.