The year 2018 offered a variety of promotional freebies and discounted deals for consumers during the Halloween period, primarily focused on restaurant chains and retail events. The offers, which ranged from free food items to discounted drinks and family activities, were largely available on or around 31st October. Eligibility for many of these freebies required customers to wear a Halloween costume, with some offers also being available to children or requiring the purchase of an adult meal. The following information is compiled from a series of online reports published in October 2018, which aggregated deals from multiple sources.
Restaurant Deals and Freebies
Several restaurant chains offered special promotions on Halloween day. A recurring theme was the availability of themed cocktails and desserts at discounted prices.
Applebee’s offered a $1 Zombie Rum Beverage through 31st October at select locations. This drink was described as a mixture of rum, passion fruit, pineapple, cherry, and lime, topped with a gummy brain. The same source also mentioned other cocktail specials, including the Boo Lagoon and Dracula’s Juice, which were available for $1 each. The offer for the Zombie drink was confirmed by multiple sources.
Baskin-Robbins ran a "Celebrate 31" promotion on 31st October. At participating locations, customers could purchase a regular or kids-sized scoop of ice cream for $1.50. One source specified the price as $1.31, while another stated $1.50. The offer was valid all day from 11 am to 9 pm at participating stores. Seasonal flavours like Trick Oreo Treat and Pumpkin Pie were available. The offer varied in certain cities, including Houston, TX, Fresno, CA, San Jose, CA, and Detroit, MI, where customers were advised to call their local store for details. A separate promotion for a Small Cappuccino Blast for $2.99 was also available throughout the month of October.
BurgerFi provided a free small fry or small custard to any customer who came dressed in a costume on Halloween. This offer required no purchase, but customers needed to mention the deal to redeem it. The offer was limited to one per guest, with no substitutions, and was for in-store orders only.
Krispy Kreme offered a free doughnut of the customer's choice to anyone wearing a costume on Halloween. The chain also featured Halloween-themed doughnuts, including the Trick-or-Treat Doughnut, Monster Batter Doughnut, and Jack-O-Lantern Doughnut.
Insomnia Cookies offered a free traditional cookie to customers visiting any of its more than 100 locations while wearing a costume on Halloween. The determination of whether an outfit qualified as a costume was at the sole discretion of Insomnia Cookies personnel.
DavidsTea offered a free Tea of the Day to customers who visited their local store wearing a costume on Halloween.
Bonefish Grill offered a $6 Bang Bang Shrimp and $6 martinis, including a Pumpkin Spice Martini, on 31st October only.
Burger King promoted a limited-edition The Nightmare King burger and the Frozen Fanta Scare Black Cherry drink during the month of October.
Chipotle offered a $4 burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos to customers who visited in costume between 3 p.m. and close on 31st October. This promotion was referred to as the "BOOrito."
IHOP provided a free Scary Face Pancake for all kids aged 12 and under between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Halloween.
A&W offered an Apple Crumble Sundae at participating locations through 25th November. The sundae featured vanilla soft serve topped with caramel sauce, apple crumble, whipped cream, and a cherry.
Dunkin’ Donuts featured a Spider doughnut for a limited time, frosted with orange icing and topped with a spider made of chocolate munchkin doughnut hole.
Snarf’s Sandwiches offered a free seven-inch sandwich to customers who came dressed as one of the restaurant’s mascots on Halloween.
99 Restaurant & Pub offered a "kids eat free" deal on Halloween, as part of a Boys & Girls Club Month promotion that also ran every Sunday in October.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co was mentioned as having an offer on 31st October, though specific details were not provided in the source material.
The Cheesecake Factory and DoorDash were reported to be teaming up to provide a freebie on Halloween, though the specifics of the offer were not detailed in the available source data.
Retail and Entertainment Freebies
Beyond restaurants, other retailers and venues offered free activities and items.
Bass Pro Shops hosted its annual Great Pumpkin Celebration. The event included free kids' activities such as crafts, pumpkin toss, trick-or-treating, costume parades, free photos, and cookie decorating. The event took place on Tuesday 30th October from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Halloween (Wednesday 31st October) from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Main Event Entertainment offered a free $10 arcade game play card to customers who came dressed in costume. Participating locations also held costume contests and offered other treats.
Kids' Deals and Freebies
Several restaurants offered deals specifically for children.
Beef O’ Brady’s allowed kids dressed in a Halloween costume to eat free on 31st October, with the purchase of an adult meal at participating locations.
Bass Pro Shops provided free kids' activities and photos, as detailed in the entertainment section above.
IHOP offered free Scary Face Pancakes for kids aged 12 and under, as detailed in the restaurant section.
Other Notable Promotions
Taco Bell offered a free Doritos Locos taco from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday 1st November (the day after Halloween). This promotion was tied to a specific event: Mookie Betts from the Red Sox stealing a base during the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series.
Eligibility and Conditions
The offers described were subject to various conditions. Many were limited to participating locations and were available only while supplies lasted. Costume requirements were common for freebies, with some offers specifying that the costume must be worn at the time of redemption. For example, BurgerFi and Krispy Kreme required a costume for their free items, with BurgerFi explicitly stating no purchase was necessary. Insomnia Cookies left the discretion of costume qualification to its personnel.
Some offers were available only on specific dates, primarily 31st October, while others ran for longer periods throughout October or into November. For instance, A&W's Apple Crumble Sundae was available through 25th November, and Baskin-Robbins' Cappuccino Blast deal ran all month.
It is important to note that deal availability could vary by location. For example, Baskin-Robbins' offer varied in specific cities, and the $1 Zombie drink at Applebee's was only at select locations. Customers were often advised to check with their local restaurant for details.
Conclusion
The 2018 Halloween period featured a wide array of freebies and deals, primarily concentrated in the restaurant sector. Offers ranged from discounted ice cream and themed cocktails to free food items for costume-wearing customers. Retailers like Bass Pro Shops and entertainment venues like Main Event Entertainment also provided free activities for families. The key to accessing these offers was often to wear a costume and to visit participating locations, with many deals requiring no purchase. As with all promotions, availability was subject to local participation and stock, so consumers were advised to confirm details with their nearest outlet.