Life
Among the infinite ranks of national culinary holidays and their subsequent celebrations, one rises above the rest as their undisputed king. I'm referring to your quest of figuring out where to find free coffee on National Coffee Day, of course, when free caffeine flows freely from behind the counters of coffee shops across the United States. Now, I'm not saying I would turn down any of the other free foods doled out on their respective national holidays. Donuts and chocolate chip cookies are delicious in the first place, and they only taste better when they cost nothing. But are they that sweet, jittery elixir we call coffee? No, they are not. I rest my case.
If you're one of the 83 percent of Americans who drinks coffee, you probably agree — and you'll be ecstatic to hear that National Coffee Day is just around the corner. In 2017, the holiday falls on Friday, Sep. 29, which means you only have a few more days to figure out where to get free coffee. The good news is that you don't have to pick just one cafe. You can plot out an entire route for the day if you want, stopping by a different coffee shop before work, during your lunch break, and on your way back home. Just prepare to need a gallon of chamomile tea to sleep that night.
Unfortunately, not all coffee shops are handing out free, no-strings-attached coffee. Some coffee chains are offering buy one, get one free deals, while others are sticking to discounts. You'll still be spending less than usual, though, so it's worth a shot (of espresso). Here are 11 places where you can get free or discounted coffee on National Coffee Day.
Krispy Kreme
This year, donut behemoth Krispy Kreme is going all out. Rather than National Coffee Day, it's celebrating National Coffee Weekend. From Friday, Sep. 29, to Sunday, Oct. 1, you can waltz into a participating Krispy Kreme and order any size hot or iced brewed coffee, no purchase necessary.
Dunkin Donuts
The tweet above explains it all. On Friday, Dunkin Donuts is giving away free medium hot coffees when you buy a medium or larger. Technically, it's not free, but if you're buy coffee anyway, it's not a bad deal.
Tim Horton's
According to the Balance, you can get a free hot or iced coffee of any size with a coupon available in the Tim Horton's mobile app. The best part? The offer extends from Friday, Sep. 26, to Oct. 6.
7-Eleven
If you're part of the 7-Eleven rewards program, you can swing by the convenience store for a free coffee of any size. According to Pop Sugar, this begins on Friday and ends Sunday.
Pilot Flying J
With this online coupon, you can walk into a Pilot Flying J on Friday and walk out with a free small coffee, hot tea, or cappuccino.
McDonald's
It's not quite free, but it's close. On Friday, McDonald's will offer small caramel macchiatos, cappuccinos, or Americanos at a discounted price ($2 each).
Peet's Coffee
The chain gave out free coffee last year, but this year, there's a catch. With the purchase of any bag of blended beans, which will be offered at 25 percent off, you'll receive a free medium coffee or tea.
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is keeping it simple this year. On Friday, you can get a free 12-ounce coffee all day.
Starbucks
I'll leave you with a word of warning. Although Starbucks springs to mind when most Americans think of coffee, the coffee giant won't give out free coffee this year. According to Extra Crispy, Starbucks will instead replace all the menu boards with "signs describing Starbucks' ethical sourcing commitments and coffee farmer support." So... no freebies. Sorry.
