One small way that businesses try to give back to those who served or are serving our country is through discounts and deals. Whether it’s 10% off apparel or a free meal, establishments around the country have put out special offers for veterans on Nov. 11.
Related: 10 Restaurants With The Best Military Discounts »
We know you don’t always want to be thanked for your service, but it’s just silly to pass up freebies. So here are 14 places with special Veterans Day deals.
Applebee’s
Applebee’s locations around the country will offer veterans and service members a free meal on Nov. 11, for the ninth year in a row. The American-style restaurant will allows veterans to choose from seven different entree options, which will also come with a $5 coupon redeemable between Nov. 12 and 27.
Bob Evans
Bob Evans offers 10% discounts to veterans year-round. However, on Veterans Day, the restaurant is giving away free breakfasts to all veterans and active-duty service members.
California Pizza Kitchen
On Nov. 11, anyone with a military ID can get a free entree on Veterans Day. The options include your choice of pizza, salad, or a pasta dish, and with a menu as large and delicious as California Pizza Kitchen’s, you’re up for a challenge.
Chipotle
Chipotle is doing a buy-one-get-one-free deal for Veterans Day. If you purchase one burrito, bowl, salad, or three tacos, you get one additional order for free. So, if you don’t have Friday plans, don’t make any. That way, you can eat two burritos and spend the rest of your day in an epic food coma.
Friendly’s
Everyone’s childhood favorite, Friendly’s, is offering a free meal for veterans — breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We’d recommend going for their “Big-Two-Do” breakfast, which allows you to choose between two slices of brioche french toast, two buttermilk pancakes or two slices of toast. Add two strips of crispy applewood-smoked bacon or sausage links, and top it off with two eggs any style.
Golden Corral
Though it’s not quite a Veterans Day deal, Golden Corral will host a Military Appreciation Night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14. All customers with military ID get a free meal, which is a ton of food when you consider that Golden Corral is an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Great Clips
Haircuts are an integral part of the military, so this deal is one you should really take advantage of. On Veterans Day, you can either get a free haircut, or present your military ID and get a coupon for a free haircut, which can be redeemed anytime before Dec. 31, 2016. Talk about high and tight.
Hooters
Nothing says freedom like free food, and Hooters is all about it on Veterans Day. If you bring your military ID, 10-piece traditional Wings, 10-piece boneless wings, Hooters Burger, Buffalo chicken salad, or a Buffalo chicken sandwich. What’s more, if you purchase a 2017 Hooters Calendar while you’re there, you’ll help support Operation Calendar Drop, which has distributed more than 100,000 Hooters calendars to service members worldwide.
IHOP
IHOP is going patriotic this Veterans Day. Anyone with a military ID gets a free order of red, white, and blue pancakes. If you come in between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., these pancakes will be topped with strawberries (red), whipped cream (white), and blueberry compote (blue). And we bet they taste like freedom.
Meineke
Winter is coming, so you should be doing what you can to prepare your car for the harsh weather. Meineke wants to help by offering veterans a free oil change. All you need to do is bring your military ID.
National Parks
Not all national parks require an entrance fee, but for those that do, on Nov. 11, veterans get those fees waived. There are more than 400 parks to choose from across the country, and the weather right now makes this the perfect time to go.
Olive Garden
Veterans and active-duty eat free at Olive Garden on Nov. 11. They even offer a special “Thank you for your service” menu. The glorious unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks are included as an option.
Red Robin
On Veterans Day, you can get a free Red’s tavern double burger with unlimited steak fries. All you need to bring is your military ID and a hollow leg for the endless amount of fries you’re about to consume. Red Robin … yum indeed.
TGIFridays
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., anyone with a military ID can order a lunch menu item, valued up to $12, for free. Unfortunately it’s not quite enough to cover the delicious Jack Daniels ribs and shrimp entree, but you could still get the chicken.
