National Donut Day will bring a fresh round of freebies and discounts on June 5, with Krispy Kreme, Dunkin', Tim Hortons and other chains lining up promotions for customers who want a free doughnut or a bargain with a drink purchase.
Krispy Kreme is offering one free doughnut of choice on June 5 with no purchase necessary, but the deal is limited to one per guest and is available in-shop and through the drive-thru. The company is also selling a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for $2 with the purchase of any dozen at regular price. Dunkin' is giving away one free donut on Friday, June 5, with the purchase of any beverage, extending a National Donut Day tradition it has marked for 16 consecutive years. Tim Hortons is taking its offer a step further, giving customers a free donut with the purchase of a small, medium or large beverage through June 7, redeemable once a day in the app.
7-Eleven, Inc. is also joining in, treating 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members to unlimited classic glazed donuts. Dunkin' is pairing the food promotion with a limited-edition collaboration with Stoney Clover Lane that starts Friday at 10 a.m. ET and will be sold online and at select retail locations. Dunkin' also handed out a limited-edition tote bag on June 1 with the purchase of a half dozen or more donuts.
The holiday falls on the first Friday in June and dates to 1938, when The Salvation Army created National Donut Day to honor its Donut Lassies and Donut Girls. Those women traveled to France during World War I to serve donuts and other snacks to soldiers, and The Salvation Army says they worked in makeshift huts offering emotional and spiritual care, essential supplies and freshly fried donuts. The group is set to distribute donuts to veterans in several U.S. cities and has scheduled the National Donut Day World Donut Eating Championship in Washington, DC.
The open question for customers is not whether there will be deals, but how widely they will apply. The offers are tied to specific dates, app rules, one-per-guest limits and beverage or purchase requirements, so anyone planning to claim a free doughnut on June 5 will need to check the terms before heading out. The biggest nationally usable giveaway appears to be Krispy Kreme's no-purchase offer, while some of the other promotions rely on app redemption or a qualifying drink purchase.
