National Cold Cuts Day – March 3, 2027

Expected National Cold Cuts Day Deals

While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that National Cold Cuts Day often brings tasty deals from major sandwich chains and grocery delis. Look for buy-one-get-one offers on subs at Subway and Jimmy John’s, or discounted deli meat pounds at Kroger and Publix. Specialty delis like Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop may feature unique cold cut combinations. Expect brands like Boar’s Head and Oscar Mayer to highlight their product lines with in-store promotions. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as March 3 approaches.

History of National Cold Cuts Day

Stack ‘em up or eat them slice by slice; put them in your sandwiches or cut and add them to your pasta dish. However you choose to eat cold cuts, there is no denying its popularity. According to various websites, Americans alone consume around $2 billion worth of cold cuts per year, with Bologna being the most popular type of meat eaten. 

While we are still searching for the founders of this day, let’s look at how this type of meat preparation came to be.

In the early ages, back when refrigerators were a part of science fiction tales, people still wanted to enjoy meat. Unfortunately, it would spoil too quickly before people could relax and enjoy the giant animal they were planning to eat. So they began sun-drying meats. This process originated in the Paleolithic age, say historians, and went on for quite a while. The cold cut made an appearance much later, around 500 B.C. The Ancient Romans and Etruscan population would salt and smoke meat to keep it around — and edible — for longer. Romans regularly feasted on ham and prosciutto. These cold cuts often were a part of their main courses and even became street food. Gradually, as the empires spread, the curing and processing of meat took on aspects of the region. The ways of conserving meat changed from region to region. 

By the Renaissance, special cured meat recipes abounded, and the seasoning was as different as the people and countries making them. The deli meat that is so popular today has been attributed to the Earl of Sandwich, who popularized these, along with his famous creation (the sandwich) in the 1700s. In turn, meats like pastrami, corned beef, among others, are the invention of Jewish delis from Eastern Europe. Their emigration to the U.S. and other places led to the deli meat craze in other parts of the world. 

By the 1800s, cold cuts were an everyday item. Specialized stores that sold such meats populated places in the U.S., Italy, and other regions. To this, we add the ancient (and immensely popular) art of ‘charcuterie’. Derived from French, this describes the preservation of meat through curing, smoking, and salting. It has been around for more than 6000 years, and the ancient Romans are likely the very first people who tried to regulate the trade of charcuterie (they wrote laws regulating the ‘right’ production of pork joints). The French contributed greatly to charcuterie production, even building guilds, and regulating the production of such meats. The classic culinary reference book, Larousse Gastronomique, also contains references to charcuterie.

Today, cold cuts are extremely common all over the world, and the industry shows no signs of stopping its upward march.