National Coffee Day 2021: Where To Find The Best Freebies And Deals

Have you ever thought to yourself that every food imaginable seems to have its own national day? Well, as it so happens, you're at least partially right. While there's no National Balut Day, nor a Cream of Wheat Day, food blogger Scott Roberts compiled a list showing that just about every day of the year does indeed have at least one food to celebrate. Some of these are oddly specific — like Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day on April 21, for example — while others are quite broad, such as National Beverage Day on May 6. Some of the most popular food holidays, of course, are dedicated to beloved dishes like pizza (February 9), chocolate chip cookies (August 4), and cheeseburgers (September 18).

Well, here's another hot one (literally) for you: National Coffee Day, coming up on September 29. (This is also National Mocha Day, so feel free to observe the occasion with a flavored coffee drink.) Fittingly, there will be several opportunities for you to score deeply discounted or even free coffee on this special occasion. To get your java jive on the cheap, check out these National Coffee Day deals.

These chains are offering free coffee for everyone

Shoutout to Mapco: This convenience store chain is offering free 16-ounce coffees to anyone who walks into one of their locations in the southeastern U.S. on National Coffee Day, Parade reports. There will be no purchase required, no app to download, and no loyalty program to join. Just grab your cup, fill it up, and it will cost you $0

Circle K convenience stores are also offering free coffee, but in order to get it you'll need to text the word "FREE" to 31310 to receive a digital coupon that can be redeemed for your bonus beverage, according to CStore Decisions.

If you go to any Pilot Flying J travel center, your coffee will also be free on the 29th, but you'll need to join their myRewards Plus program and download their app since the coffee freebie comes in the form of an in-app coupon, a press release explains. 

These freebies come with conditions

As we all know, there's no such thing as a free lunch. In many cases, there's no free coffee, either — even on National Coffee Day. While Dunkin', 7-Eleven, and Barnes & Noble are all offering free coffee on September 29, it's actually only free if you make a purchase, USA Today reports. 7-Eleven and Barnes & Noble further specify that you must buy baked goods, and Dunkin' allows you to choose anything from the menu. (Dunkin' does, however, require membership in its DD Perks program to redeem the deal).

A couple of chains are taking a different route with their free coffee conditions. Starbucks will fill you up for free with Pike Place Roast brewed coffee as long as you bring in your own reusable (and clean) cup on National Coffee Day. Wawa will give you free coffee through Thursday if you're a teacher or school administrator, while Panera will keep the free coffee coming all day Wednesday as long as you're a parent or caregiver. (They did not say if "pet parent" counts, but we doubt they're going to require birth certificates, so it's worth a try even if your babies are the non-human kind.)

These coffees come at a discount

While not every chain is offering National Coffee Day freebies, many will celebrate the holiday by offering some sort of discount. Now through Wednesday, for example, all beans, K-Cups, and espresso capsules offered for sale on the Peet's Coffee website are 25% off. Coffee brand BLK & Bold is offering 30% off sitewide (no promo code necessary) as well as a free lapel pin with every order, according to a press release sent to Mashed.

If you're looking for discounted coffee that you won't have to prepare in your own coffee maker, you can always head for Au Bon Pain. The café chain has priced its coffee at just a buck. For that money, they ask, why not consider picking up another cup or two to share with a friend? As befits a chain with a French name, the deal runs from National Coffee Day through International Coffee Day on October 1.