Restaurants like Krispy Kreme, Golden Corral, and Chick-fil-A are offering grads free doughnuts, chicken sandwiches, desserts, and buffet meals.
Many graduation freebies are local promotions, so checking restaurant apps, Facebook pages, or calling ahead can pay off.
Some grads are also mailing graduation announcements to popular brands and getting free merch, coupons, or gift cards back.
You’ve put in the hard work and made it to graduation day.
Congrats!
Now it’s time to go get some free food and even some free merchandise from many popular brands.
From free doughnuts, to free swag, to free buffet meals, here are some of the best grad deals happening right now.
Krispy Kreme
Only on May 21, grads wearing a cap, gown, or any Class of 2026 gear can score a free three-pack of original glazed doughnuts, with no purchase necessary.
May 21 seems to be the day of consensus, but it appears some locations are running the promotion on different days in May, so calling ahead is smart before driving over.
Golden Corral
Some participating locations are offering graduates a free buffet meal and beverage when they show up in cap and gown on graduation night.
Keep in mind that the offer does vary by franchise, so it’s best to ask at your local Golden Corral what they’re offering. The offer is valid through June 30, which is generous.
Pro tip: I’ve noticed that smaller-town Golden Corral locations often participate more aggressively in local graduation promotions than busy metro stores.
Pluckers Wing Bar
Graduates can get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entree on graduation day with proof of graduation. Accepted proof may include a diploma, graduation program, or a Student ID.
TGI Fridays
Graduates can receive a free appetizer or dessert with an entree purchase through mid-June with a student ID.
This is one of the longer-running graduation offers available right now.
Brio Italian Grille
If you’re hosting a grad party, you might want to consider Brio as you can score a free tray of cannoli when placing a catering order of $100 or more. Just place your order online and use promo code GRAD2026 during checkout. The offer expires on June 30.
This works especially well for larger family gatherings where catering costs can get expensive quickly. You get a free dessert which is pretty sweet.
Buca di Beppo
Graduates dining-in at Buca di Beppo can get a free cannoli during graduation celebrations.
Catering customers spending at least $100 can also receive a half tray of cannoli for parties and family gatherings.
Chick-fil-A
Several locations around the country are offering graduates free chicken sandwiches, nuggets, or meals with graduation gear or proof of graduation.
For example:
- One location is offering grads a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich for wearing cap and gown.
- Another offered a free meal for graduating seniors with proof of graduation.
- Some locations are giving away free nuggets instead.
Many local franchises are offering cool grad promotions, so your best bet is to check your local Chick-fil-a’s Facebook page, as most are promoting there.
Many brands will mail grads something, too
One trend getting a lot of attention right now is grads mailing graduation announcements to brands and companies. Surprisingly, many have actually responded with some pretty cool free stuff.
Graduates have reported hearing back from companies with things like gift cards, coupons, stickers, cool merch, free food vouchers, and even small gifts.
Here are the main brands that grads have been writing to and getting “Congratulations Graduate!” gifts:
- Lego: Small random Lego set and a congrats card.
- Chick-fil-A: They’ll often send you a plush cow, branded hat, and even a possible sweatshirt.
- Raising Cane's: Branded hat, congrats card, and even the occasional gift card.
- SunBum: Sunscreen, lip balm, stickers, and sometimes branded merchandise.
- Crumbl Cookies: Gift card, stickers, and a hand-written note.
- Takis: Congrats letter, bag of their new chips, and even some branded swag.
There is obviously no guarantee companies will respond, but many grads are trying it because it costs almost nothing besides postage and a little effort. Just do a quick Google search for their corporate address (or PR department), and mail them one of your graduation cards.
Pro tip: The grads getting the best responses usually include a short personal note instead of simply asking for free stuff. It’s no surprise that funny or heartfelt messages tend to stand out more than generic graduation announcements.