Many food chains choose to honor the occasion by offering a free sample of their sweet treats.
The holiday that is almost certainly the favorite of Homer Simpson is fast approaching, which means its time to start planning where you will celebrate the big day.
Perhaps the strangest thing about National Donut Day isn’t that there is one. It’s that there are two.
The second takes place on November 5th, and has unclear historical roots.
But the more widely known national donut day is traditionally held on the first Friday in June of each year. This year it will be June 3rd.
National Donut Day been held since 1938, when the Salvation Army launched the idea as a way to raise money and awareness.
The Salvation Army had dispatched more than 250 women to France during the first world war to prepare food for soldiers on the front lines in France. The “doughnut lassies” found that that battle-tested helmets were perfect for frying up to seven doughnuts at a time.
Fast casual chains that serve donuts very often give away free donuts on the day. So even if donuts aren’t really part of your regular diet — after all, they’re loaded with sugar, are nutritionally suspect and not very filling — they’re nice as an occasional treat, so why not get a free one?
Dunkin
Dunkin’
If you want to feel old, think about the fact that there’s an entire generation of people who don’t know that KFC once stood for Kentucky Fried Chicken (YUM) – Get Yum! Brands, Inc. Report.
Similarly, Dunkin’ Donuts became just plain old Dunkin’ in 2019 (DNKN) – Get Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. Report, in an effort by the company to rebrand itself as a beverage company and compete more directly with coffee chains such as Starbucks.
But Dunkin’ hasn’t forgotten where it came from, and on June 3rd, customers can get one free donut of their choice with every beverage purchase.
Lamar’s Donuts And Coffee
The Kansas City chain Lamar’s Donuts And Coffee celebrated National Donut Day all week last year, and it confirmed on its Facebook page that the company will be back in action this year.
Duck Donuts
The Pennsylvania-based donut chain is feeling generous, announcing via Twitter that it will give away “A free bare, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar donut for each guest who visits us in-store. No purchase necessary!.”
Cumberland Farms
The convenience store will give away one free donut with every beverage purchased.
Walmart
Some Walmart (WMT) – Get Walmart Inc. Report locations will give away a free donut, but it’s not a company-wide policy.
Shipley Do-Nuts
The Southern coffee and donut chain will give away a free glazed donut with any beverage purchase.
But Will Krispy Kreme Give Away Free Donuts?
The generosity of Krispy Kreme knows few bounds. Last year it made news for giving away free donuts to anyone who got a vaccine, and it recently announced that it was giving away free donuts to people who graduated in 2022.
Krispy Kreme traditionally participates in Free Donut Day, but so far the company has been promoting its graduation gift and hasn’t made any announcements about Free Donut Day.
But two years ago, during the onset of covid lockdowns, it extended the holiday to national donut week. So the odds are pretty good you can get a free donut from Krispy Kreme this year on the big day if you keep your eyes out for the details.
