PHILADELPHIA & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 3, 2026--
Gopuff, the leading instant commerce platform, today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Polymarket, the world's largest prediction market, to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday with a $1,000,000 gold giveaway. Today through July 19, every $25 or more purchase on Gopuff will serve as an entry for the chance to win one of 250 gold bars.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260703609080/en/
In total, 250 winners will share in $1,000,000 worth of gold in celebration of America250, including 250g gold bars. Prizes include two tiers of Gopuff x Polymarket co-branded gold bars:
To enter, customers can make a qualifying purchase of $25 or more on Gopuff between July 3-19. Customers can earn up to 20 entries (no purchase necessary to enter; full terms and conditions available here ).
"America’s 250th only happens once, and we wanted to celebrate it the way Gopuff does everything: fast, big, and a little unexpected,” said Tyler Stewart, Head of Marketing at Gopuff. “The best partnerships make bold ideas even bolder, and together with Polymarket we’re celebrating America’s 250th by putting a million dollars in gold into the hands of our customers, creating the kind of unforgettable experience only this partnership could bring to life.”
"Polymarket is where the world comes to find out what people really believe is going to happen — and this summer, that includes who's walking away with a gold bar," said Josh Tucker, Head of Growth at Polymarket. "Teaming up with Gopuff lets us bring that same energy to millions of customers in a fun, tangible way."
ABOUT GOPUFF
Gopuff, the leader in instant commerce, offers more than 5,000 products delivered in as fast as 15 minutes. Founded in 2013 by Yakir Gola and Rafael Ilishayev, the company operates its own micro-fulfillment centers, leveraging proprietary technology and a hyper-local logistics network to offer speed, reliability, and affordability to millions of customers across the U.S. and U.K.
To learn more, visit www.gopuff.com or follow Gopuff on Facebook, X or Instagram. Download the Gopuff app on iOS and Android.
ABOUT POLYMARKET
Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market platform, where participants trade on the outcomes of real-world events. By harnessing the wisdom of the crowd and the efficiency of markets, Polymarket generates real-time probability estimates that have proven to be among the most accurate forecasting tools available. Polymarket's markets span global politics, economics, science, technology, sports, culture, and more, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide. Polymarket US operates as a CFTC-regulated designated contract market under the Commodity Exchange Act. For more information, visit polymarket.com.
To celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, Gopuff and Polymarket are giving away 250 gold bars, worth a total of $1 million.
World Cup fans came from overseas for the cheering. But they’re also doing a lot of chewing, delighting their hosts with rave reviews of North American cuisine.
"It’s greasy, it’s disgusting, but it’s absolutely glorious," Jack Goodwin, a soccer enthusiast from London, said about the American food he has tried in Dallas, Boston, New York and Atlanta.
“I don’t want to say this because it’s a little bit harsh, but the portions are a little bit larger — a lot more tastier — so I can understand the, um, obesity here. I don’t want to be harsh, but yes, the food is fantastic here.”
Many fans are making a point to try regional specialties or chains they can’t find where they live, like In-N-Out Burger or Buc-ees convenience stores. Erling Haaland, a striker for Norway's World Cup team, posted a photo on X of himself outside Katz's Delicatessen in New York.
Harrison Murphy, who was traveling from London with his brother for the knockout rounds, had breakfast at a Chick-fil-a in Atlanta this week.
“Have you had Chick-fil-A? It was fantastic and so cheap. The sauces are free! It was remarkable,” Murphy said. "I said, ‘This is my first time, what should I try?’ The woman said, 'You’ve got to try the Chick-fil-A sauce. My God, was it fantastic.”
Gary Bishop had never heard of poutine — often considered Canada's national dish — until he arrived in Toronto for the World Cup. But the Glasgow, Scotland, resident proclaimed it “absolutely delicious.”
“It was like chips with gravy, cheese. But it was a really thick gravy. Different from back home. Vinegar, there was lots of vinegar through it,” said Bishop, who was sporting a Scotland jersey on a recent stroll through Toronto’s FIFA Fan Festival. “Really nice.”
Others are looking for a taste of home. Texas beer distributor Andrews Distributing welcomed a bus full of Dutch fans to its Dallas warehouse for Heinekens and dancing.
It’s a thrill for restaurant owners, from Cuban spots in Miami to barbecue joints in Kansas City and taco trucks in Mexico City.
“I have not seen anything like this ever in my life,” said Paul Barker, the principal and founder of Pauli’s, a Boston restaurant known for generously filled sandwiches and comfort foods. Fans from Scotland, Brazil, England and elsewhere have lined up for his famous lobster rolls and taken photos with staff members, Barker said.
“Food becomes a natural conversation starter,” he said. “It’s just been incredible for us to be part of this.”
Some chains are leaning into the World Cup. Waffle House, the all-day breakfast chain with 2,000 restaurants across the South, opened a pop-up shop in downtown Atlanta to sell branded soccer balls, jerseys and patriotic gear. In a statement, the chain said it was “honored by the enthusiasm and curiosity" shown by visiting fans.
For other restaurants, World Cup fever has been a delightful surprise. Whataburger, a Texas-based chain with 1,100 locations, found itself in the spotlight after fans from Japan and elsewhere posted on social media about their visits.
“The attention has been completely organic and honestly pretty entertaining,” Whataburger President and CEO Debbie Stroud said. “We knew the World Cup would bring the world to Texas and our footprint across 17 states. We just didn’t realize so many visitors would leave talking about a patty melt.”
Terry Black’s Barbecue, a small Texas chain, figured authentic barbecue would be on many fans’ must-try lists. It started sourcing extra meat more than a month ago for its locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, which are each about 20 minutes from the stadium where World Cup matches are played.
It takes Terry Black’s four days to season and prepare its beef brisket and 12 hours to barbecue it. The chain also smokes turkey, pork and sausages on its pits, which run 24 hours a day.
The crush of World Cup fans has meant a lot of extra planning, said Darien Kapture, the chain’s senior vice president of food and beverage operations. But it's also meant a lot of excitement, like the night Argentina supporters packed Terry Black's Dallas location to celebrate the team's victory over Austria, Kapture said.
“They were hooting and hollering and praising the brisket,” Kapture said. “It’s great to see that these folks are coming to America and getting to experience what we experience every day.”
Goodwin, the visitor from London who said he “blew his mortgage” on a U.S. World Cup tour with his dad, deemed Terry Black's barbecue “the most gorgeous food ever.”
“The best food we’ve had here is in Dallas," Goodwin said. “Texas barbecue. Unbelievable.”
Not every review has been positive. Some fans have complained about the high price of food in World Cup stadiums, for example. A British fan told the BBC that the breakfast tea he bought from Dunkin' was “not great.”
But for the most part, there have been more thumbs up than thumbs down. So many World Cup visitors expressed love for ranch dressing, for example, that the Transportation Security Administration issued a light-hearted reminder that tourists should pack bottles of dressing in their checked bags.
AP Sports Writer Maura Carey contributed from Atlanta. AP Video Journalist Mike Householder contributed from Toronto.
FILE - Belgium fans prepare for the start of the World Cup Group G soccer match between New Zealand and Belgium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Kaleb Tatum, File)
FILE - Fans wearing Argentina national team jerseys look at a menu of drinks at Cafe Corazon, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Kristin M. Hall, File)
Gary Bishop of Glasgow, Scotland, center right, watches a screen showing the World Cup Group B soccer match between Switzerland and Canada during the FIFA Fan Festival on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
A man picks up a sandwich delivery at Pauli's sandwich shop in the North End of Boston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Principal Paul Barker serves lobster rolls to World Cup tourists at Pauli's sandwich shop in the North End of Boston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
People wearing World Cup shirts taste sandwiches at Pauli's sandwich shop in the North End of Boston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
