The year 2017 provided a wide variety of promotional freebies and no-cost offers across the food and beverage sector, driven largely by seasonal events, national holidays, and specific marketing campaigns. These offers ranged from complimentary coffee and cookies to full free meals and discounted pizza deals. Access to these promotions typically required consumers to visit participating locations, adhere to specific dates, or present proof of eligibility, particularly for military appreciation events. The availability of these offers was often limited to specific geographic regions or participating franchises, requiring consumers to verify terms and conditions before attempting to redeem them.
National Coffee Day Freebies
On September 29, 2017, numerous brands participated in National Coffee Day by offering free or discounted coffee products. These promotions were available at various national chains and regional retailers, often requiring specific redemption methods.
- Cinnabon: Provided a free 12 oz coffee to all customers on September 29.
- Chick-fil-A: In Garner, the brand offered a free small hot or iced coffee, limited to one per person.
- Dunkin' Donuts: Offered a free Medium Hot Coffee with the purchase of a Medium or Larger Hot Coffee at participating locations.
Tax Day 2017 Deals and Freebies
Tax Day 2017, which fell on April 18, saw various restaurants and retailers offering free food items and discounts to consumers to alleviate the stress of tax filing. These offers were generally valid on or around the deadline.
- Cinnabon: Offered two free Classic Bites without the need for a coupon at select locations.
- Great American Cookies: Provided a free Birthday Cake Cookie to all customers on April 18.
- Hot Dog on a Stick: Offered one free Original Turkey Dog to all customers.
- Arby's: Customers could get free curly fries at select locations on April 18.
- Bob Evans: Offered 30 percent off a dine-in or carryout purchase.
- Kona Ice: Gave away free tropical shaved ice.
- Arby's: Offered an order of curly fries free of purchase.
- Bruegger’s Bagels: Offered a baker’s dozen and two tubs of cream cheese for $10.40.
- Bertucci’s: Small pizzas were available for $4.18.
- Boston Market: Featured a $10.40 meal special.
- Cheese’s: Offered two large 1-topping pizzas for $22.
- Hungry Howie’s: Offered a medium one-topping pizza for 18 cents with the purchase of a large one-topping pizza at regular menu price.
Veterans Day 2017 Free Meals and Offers
Veterans Day 2017 on November 11 featured a significant number of free meal offers and discounts for military personnel and veterans. These offers typically required proof of military service.
- Applebee's: Provided a free meal.
- CiCi's Pizza: Offered a free pizza buffet.
- Hooters: Provided a free meal with the purchase of a beverage.
- Little Caesars Pizza: Offered a free $5 Hot n Ready lunch combo.
- Outback Steakhouse: Provided a free Bloomin' Onion and drink, and also offered 20% off the check from November 12-16.
- Red Robin: Offered a free Red's Tavern Double Burger and Bottomless Steak Fries.
- Texas Roadhouse: Provided a free lunch, beverage, and sides.
- Bonefish Grill: Offered free Bang-Bang Shrimp.
- Wife Saver: Provided a free dine-in only meal from 11 am - 9 pm.
- Dunkin' Donuts: Offered a free Donut.
- Menchie's Frozen Yogurt: Offered a free 6-oz. frozen yogurt.
- Red Lobster: Provided a free appetizer or dessert with dinner purchase.
- Starbucks: Offered a free tall brewed coffee.
- Target: Offered 10% off for all military personnel, veterans, and their families.
- Chipotle: Offered a buy-one-get-one-free offer on Tuesday, November 7.
- Knott’s Berry Farms: Offered free admission in southern California (worth up to $75), starting on November 1.
- Harley-Davidson Museum: Offered free admission extending beyond Veterans Day itself.
Other Restaurant and Food Offers
Additional food-related freebies were available throughout the year, often linked to specific promotional events or digital engagement.
- Hard Rock Cafe: Offered a free legendary burger to customers willing to sing their favourite song on stage.
- Dunkin' Donuts: In addition to Veterans Day offers, the brand provided free donuts and coffee throughout the year as part of various promotions.
Audio and Digital Freebies
While primarily focused on food, the 2017 promotional landscape also included digital offerings.
- Mindful-Audio: In December 2017, released a free library of field recordings for users who had purchased libraries from them previously. This library, available until January 31st, included new nature, wildlife, vehicle, and aircraft recordings collected from various locations including England, Romania, Sweden, Wales, Scotland, and Senegal.
- Strictly Nuskool Blog: Released a March 2017 playlist titled "March 2017 Freebies" on SoundCloud. This playlist contained 14 tracks and was available for listening on the platform.
Conclusion
The promotional landscape of 2017 provided significant opportunities for consumers to access free food and beverage products and services across various national holidays and events. Successful acquisition of these offers relied heavily on adhering to specific timeframes, such as National Coffee Day, Tax Day, and Veterans Day, and following redemption instructions. While specific offers varied by brand and location, the consistent availability of such promotions highlights the value of monitoring brand announcements and event-specific guides for no-cost opportunities.