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Veterans Day freebies and deals are a small token of appreciation to honor the bravery of our nation’s veterans. Many national chains are really stepping up to say “thank you.” These acts of generosity include free meals, free haircuts, and more freebie perks. As a food holiday, Veteran’s Day is one of the best for our military members.
Every year we honor our military veterans on Nov. 11. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was established to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of World War I’s end. In 1954, the holiday’s name officially changed to Veterans Day, but the date remained the same. And that concludes our brief history lesson; now onto the Veterans Day freebies.
This list was compiled because we at Krazy Coupon Lady thank you for your service, too. Our hope is you get a chance to take advantage of as many of these freebie offers as you can! We expect all of these deals from 2022 to return this year. Bookmark this page and we’ll update the offers as they become available.
And of course, we’re here for you year-round with money-saving opportunities. Make sure to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app for deals sent straight to your phone.
Veterans Day is always on Nov. 11
Veterans Day is Nov. 11 every year. In 2023, Veterans Day will be on Saturday, Nov. 11. The day marks the end fighting during World War I (often regarded as the war to end all wars) on the eleventh hour of the eleventh month in 1918. In 1938, the day became a national holiday. And, in 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming the holiday would be known as Veterans Day. The holiday is marked with national ceremonies, plus local parades, tributes, and more for those who serve.
When and where can I find Veterans Day freebies?
Each year the list of businesses offering free items or services to veterans and active military on Veterans Day grows. Typically these freebies are only offered on actual Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. However, occasionally you’ll find a deal that extends the offer through a weekend. It’s important to pay attention to the hours a deal is being offered. For example, if it’s a restaurant, it may include a free breakfast. But if they only serve breakfast from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m., you’ll need to snag the freebie within that window.
Restaurant Specials and Food Deals for Veterans Day
Grab some grub with these Veterans Day restaurant free meals across the country. Here are 44 eateries that offered free or discounted food and beverages for veterans and active-duty military in 2022. Unless stated otherwise, these promotions were for Nov. 11 only and required a military ID.
Restaurants: A – C
54th Street Grill honored veterans and active military with a free meal up to $14 (dine in only).
Applebee’s offered a free meal to any veteran or active-duty military (dine in only), plus $5 towards your next meal. Simply show proof of military service.
Bar Louie served a free craft burger or flatbread to all military service members, active or retired (dine in only).
BJ’s Restaurant gave away a free meal from a select menu and beverage.
Bob Evans honored veterans and active military with a free select breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market offered military personnel and their families a 15% discount on Veterans Day.
Buffalo Wild Wings offered a free order of six boneless wings.
California Pizza Kitchen honored veterans and active-duty military by giving away a free entree. All Veterans who dined with CPK in 2022, also received a buy-one-get-one free voucher, redeemable for any pizza, pasta or salad from Nov. 12-21. Additionally, for the fourth consecutive year, CPK donated 20% of all sales from Nov. 7-9 to Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Charley’s offered gourmet fries. No purchase necessary. Plus, any customer could get free fries with an entree on Veterans Day.
Chili’s Veterans Day offering was a free meal from a select menu.
Cici’s Pizza offered active and retired military personnel a free adult buffet on Nov. 11 (dine in only).
Country Kitchen had a free Country Scramble (two pancakes, scrambled eggs with ham and cheese) any time on Nov. 11.
Cracker Barrel thanked veterans with a piece of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.
Crooked Pint Ale House offered a free meal to veterans and active military on Nov. 11. They also offer military 10% off year-round.
Restaurants: D – J
Denny’s had a free Build Your Own Grand Slam breakfast from 5 a.m. to noon on Nov. 11 (dine in only).
Dunkin’ Donuts gave away a free donut to veterans and active-duty military.
Famous Dave’s offered all former and current military a free Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich and side all day for dine-in and carryout orders.
Farmer Boys thanked all military, past and present, with a free Big Cheese cheeseburger from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET on Nov. 11.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers gave out free combo meal comp cards to veterans and current military that could be used between Nov. 11 – 30.
Friendly’s offered veterans and active military an All-American Cheeseburger and soda on Nov. 11.
Golden Corral gave away free “thank you” meals Nov. 14 from 5 p.m. to close (dine in only).
Green Mill offered a free menu item for lunch or dinner. Valid for dine in only.
Hooters offered 10 free wings with the purchase of 10 wings.
Hy-Vee served free dine-in or curbside pickup breakfast from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. to veterans and active-duty military at all of their stores.
Joe’s Crab Shack had a 20% discount for veterans and active-duty military (dine in only).
Restaurants: K – 0
Krispy Kreme offered veterans and active-duty military a free doughnut with small coffee on Nov. 11.
LaMar’s Donuts offered a free donut and 12-ounce coffee on Nov. 11.
Little Caesars Pizza had a free Hot-n-Ready lunch combo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (in stores only)
Max & Erma’s gave free cheeseburgers, endless fries, a fountain drink, and a chocolate chip cookie.
Menchie’s offered the first six ounces of frozen yogurt free.
Mission BBQ served a free sandwich to all military, past and present, on Veterans Day.
O’Charley’s offers veterans a 10% discount year-round. But on Nov. 11, 2022 they offered veterans and active-duty military a free dine-in-only meal.
Olive Garden honored active military and veterans with a free meal on Nov. 11. The meal included an entree from a special menu, unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks.
On the Border offered all active and retired military a free Pick-2 combo meal on Nov. 11 (dine in only).
Restaurants: R – W
Red Lobster had a free appetizer or dessert (dine in only).
Red Mango offered $2 off any item.
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery has a active military and veterans a 10% discount year-round.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill thanked military members with a free Mom’s Ricotta Meatballs and Spaghetti entree. Valid for dine in or carryout.
Schlotzsky’s offered free drinks and a small drink with the purchase of an entree. Offer was not valid online and you had to show your military ID.
Shari’s offered a free meal. Valid for dine in or carryout.
Shoney’s had a free all-you-care-to-eat breakfast from 6 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Smoothie King offered veterans and active-duty military a free 20-ounce smoothie on Nov. 11.
Starbucks gave away free tall (12-ounce) brewed coffees to current/retired members of the military and their spouses.
Texas Roadhouse honored veterans and active-duty military with a free meal voucher from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Voucher was valid until June 2023.
Twin Peaks offered a free Veterans Day meal from a select menu for all active and retired military members.
White Castle gave out a free Combo meal #1 – #6 to active military and veterans on Nov. 11.
Wienerschnitzel offered veterans and active military a free chili dog with small fries and a small Pepsi on Nov. 11.
Related: Top 8 Stores With the Best Couponing Policies
More Veterans Day Savings
Free Haircuts For Veterans Day
In 2022, you could get a trim on Nov. 11 at these locations offering free services to veterans.
- Sports Clips, offered active-duty U.S. service members and veterans a free haircut at participating locations with proof of service. They also donated $2 from every haircut to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). This was part of their Help a Hero Campaign.
- Great Clips gave free haircuts (or a free haircut card valid through Dec. 10, 2022) to veterans and current military members on Nov. 11. If you were nonmilitary you could purchase a service at Great Clips on Veterans Day (free haircut card) to give to a veteran you know. There was a limit one card per customer.
Related: Find Out Where to Find Cheap Haircuts
Retail Savings For Veterans Day
Last year, veterans and active duty military could find savings at select stores on and around Nov. 11.
- Academy Sports + Outdoors gave both active-duty military and veterans 10% off their purchases. This can be used both online and in store from now through Nov. 13.
- Fitbit had Veterans Day deals on some devices through Nov. 25, 2022. These included: 35% off Fitbit Sense 2, Versa 4, Charge 5, Inspire 3; 40% off Fitbit Luxe. The offer was valid on up to two devices. Veterans, active military and military spouses with military IDs and ID.me accounts were eligible. To redeem, users had to verify their eligibility via the ID.me to receive a promo code. Users could then shop and redeem on the FHS Veterans Storefront.
- Kohl’s offers veterans, active and former military, plus their immediate families 30% off in-store purchases from Nov. 11 – 13. Furthermore, the retailer holds Military Mondays all year long. This includes a 15% in-store discount for the aforementioned groups. But it may only be applied in store. Show a military ID to receive the discount.
- The Vitamin Shoppe, gave a 25% discount on their entire purchase when shopping in store from Nov. 10 – 13.
- Qalo Rings gave away rings to veterans and military personnel when they validated their ID from Nov. 1 – 11.
Miscellaneous Veterans Day Freebies
From complimentary U.S. National Park entry to free car washes, there were so many more deals to be had for Veterans Day 2022.
- U.S. National Parks let military veterans and Gold Star families enjoy the parks’ beauty for free. Congressional legislation passed last year that offered a free lifetime pass to national parks and other federal recreation areas. These lifetime passes were available in late 2022.
- Grace for Vets offered a free car wash when you visited one of their partners on Veterans Day. Car wash companies in four different countries partnered with Grace for Vets to give veterans a free car wash. There were 4,360 participating locations last year.
- Publix offered veterans, active military members, and their families could save 10% on groceries at Publix on Nov. 11, 2022.
- Take 5 Car Wash offered Veterans a Pro5 car wash ($25 value) for free when they showed their ID.
- True REST Float Spa — the world’s largest float therapy brand with 40 locations in 22 states — closed all spas to the public on Nov. 11 and offered their flotation therapy experience complimentary to active-duty military members, reservists, and/or veterans . Each flotation therapy session was 60 minutes to help encourage rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
- Walgreens thanked veterans, active military members, and their families with a 20% discount at Walgreens from Nov. 11 – 14 with a myWalgreens card and proof of service.
- World of Beer gave vets $5 off their bill at participating locations on Veterans Day.
- Veterans could enjoy a free night at participating bed and breakfast inns.
- With military ID, active military and veterans could play free round of Veterans Day golf in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Nov. 11. Electric golf cart was not included.
But Wait, There’s More
Search locally for free or discounted Veterans Day offerings at MilitaryBenefits.info. The site provides great resources for local meals, parks, and museums for U.S. Armed Forces members and military families.
