Father's Day 2019 Restaurant and Retail Freebies and Deals

Father's Day 2019 offered a wide array of freebies and deals for families looking to celebrate the dads in their lives. The promotions spanned various industries, with a significant focus on restaurants providing complimentary meals, discounted entrees, and special beverages. Other offers included gift-with-purchase incentives, bonus rewards cards, and even free admission to museums. These deals were generally valid on or around Sunday, June 16, 2019, though specific dates and requirements varied by participating location. Consumers were advised to verify participation with local outlets before visiting, as availability was often limited to specific franchises or regions.

Restaurant and Dining Promotions

The majority of the freebies and deals centered on dining establishments, ranging from fast-casual chains to sit-down restaurants. Many offers required the purchase of another item, while some provided complimentary items for fathers without additional conditions.

Burger and Sandwich Chains

Several burger and sandwich shops offered promotions specifically for Father's Day. B.GOOD provided dads with a free entrée with the purchase of a kid’s meal. This offer was valid in-store at participating U.S. locations over the weekend, specifically from June 14 through June 16, 2019. The free entrée options included burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and green and grain bowls.

Carolina Ale House locations offered free burgers to dads on Father's Day. A minimum purchase of $10 was required to redeem this offer. In the Knoxville area, the specific location was at 9045 Kingston Pike.

PDQ offered a free meal and beverage with the purchase of any meal, salad, or bowl. The free meal for dads included a choice of one free meal, one free salad with a 20 oz. beverage, or one free bowl with a 20 oz. beverage. This was valid with the purchase of any meal, salad, or bowl of equal or lesser value.

Penn Station East Coast Subs offered a free 6-inch sub with the purchase of any sub of equal or greater value. This coupon was valid only on June 16, 2019, with a limit of one coupon per person per order.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop provided a free shake with any purchase from June 10 through June 16, 2019. Customers simply had to inform the cashier that it was for Father's Day.

Firehouse Subs offered a free medium sub on Father's Day (June 16) with the purchase of a regular-priced medium or large sub, chips, and drinks. A coupon was required to redeem this offer.

Boston Market offered a free sandwich when a customer purchased a sandwich and a drink. This deal was valid through Sunday, June 16, 2019, and required a coupon available on their website. The offer was limited to one per person per visit and could not be combined with other offers.

Birdcall, a Colorado-based chain, offered a free Original Chicken Sandwich with the purchase of any sandwich for everyone from June 13 to June 15, 2025. (Note: While the source lists 2025, the context of the query suggests this may be a typo for 2019 or a projection; however, based strictly on the provided text, the date is 2025). This was valid at 10 locations in Colorado, excluding the Red Rocks location.

Sit-Down Restaurants and Casual Dining

Sit-down restaurants also participated with special deals. P.F. Chang’s gave dads a free Sapporo bottle opener with a reservation on Father's Day, June 16, 2019. The bottle opener was subject to availability and limited to one per guest over the age of 21. Additionally, customers could receive two $10 E-Bonus Reward Cards when purchasing a $50 E-Card from June 14 through June 16, 2019.

Carrabba’s offered a take-home entrée special on Father's Day, allowing customers to celebrate at home the following day.

Olive Garden had a take-home deal available during this period.

Another Broken Egg Café offered a promotion where customers dining in for brunch on Sunday received $10 Brunch Bucks valid for redemption between June 17 and July 14. They also offered a "dine-in" special where customers could order a regular-priced entrée and take home select meals with soup or salad for $10.

Brazeiros Churrascaria in Knoxville featured a Father's Day special where every dad received a gift card to be used at a future date.

Specialty and Dessert Shops

Bruegger's Bagels offered a free breakfast or lunch sandwich with the purchase of a breakfast or lunch sandwich of equal or lesser value on June 16, 2019. This offer was loaded to Bruegger's Bagels Inner Circle Rewards accounts. It was not valid at specific locations in Raleigh (3300 Duraleigh Rd and 10750 Wakefield Commons Drive).

TCBY offered dads the first 6 ounces of frozen yogurt for free at participating locations, with no coupon required.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop also included free shakes with any purchase from June 10-16.

Retail and Service Sector Offers

While dining dominated the landscape, there were also offers in the retail and service sectors, particularly regarding gift cards.

Red Lobster provided a purchase incentive: buying a $75 gift card resulted in two coupons for $10 off two adult entrees or one free appetizer.

Burger King offered a buy-one-get-one-free Whopper deal on June 15, 2025 (again, noted as 2025 in the source text), but this was restricted to Royal Perks members.

Activity and Experience-Based Deals

Some promotions extended beyond food to include activities and experiences.

Tampa Bay History Center offered a free souvenir History Center pint glass with paid adult admission on Sunday, June 16. Local favorite Coppertail Brewing provided tastings of Free Dive IPA from noon until 2 p.m.

Old Cowtown Museum allowed dads to enter for free on Sunday. Additionally, the museum was free for everyone on Sundays.

Chicken N Pickle teamed up with Botanica for Father's Day in 2019, offering special games, activities, and giveaways. North Shore provided shaved ice for the event.

Important Considerations for Consumers

Consumers looking to utilize these offers needed to be aware of several key restrictions and conditions that applied to the Father's Day 2019 promotions.

Participation and Availability

The most critical factor across all offers was that they were valid only at participating locations. Large chains often have franchisees who make independent decisions about participating in national promotions. For example, specific Bruegger's Bagels locations in Raleigh were excluded from the sandwich deal. Similarly, the Birdcall promotion excluded the Red Rocks location. Consumers were strongly advised to call their local establishment to confirm participation before making travel plans.

Timing and Validity

While Father's Day was officially Sunday, June 16, 2019, several offers extended beyond that single day. B.GOOD honored their deal over a three-day weekend (June 14-16), and Potbelly ran their shake promotion for a full week (June 10-16). The Another Broken Egg Café Brunch Bucks were valid for nearly a month after Father's Day (June 17-July 14). Consumers needed to check specific start and end dates for each promotion.

Purchase Requirements

Many "free" items were actually contingent on a purchase. * Purchase Necessary: B.GOOD (kid's meal), PDQ (meal/salad/bowl), Penn Station (sub), Boston Market (sandwich and drink), Firehouse Subs (sub, chips, and drinks), and Potbelly (any purchase). * No Purchase Necessary: TCBY (first 6 oz free), Old Cowtown Museum (free admission on Sundays), and potentially the Carolina Ale House burger (though the source mentions a minimum purchase of $10, which implies a transaction).

Limits and Identification

Limits were strictly enforced. Boston Market limited the offer to one per person per visit. P.F. Chang’s limited the bottle opener to one per guest and required the guest to be over 21. PDQ's terms specified "Limit 1 per dad with the barcode offer." Some offers, like the Bruegger's deal, required being a member of their Inner Circle Rewards program and having the offer loaded to the account.

Coupon and App Requirements

Certain deals required physical or digital coupons. Boston Market required a coupon from their website. Firehouse Subs required a coupon. PDQ required seeing details on their website or app. Penn Station required a coupon available on their website. Failing to bring the necessary coupon would likely result in the full price being charged.

Geographic Variations

The availability of deals varied significantly by region.

National Chains: Offers from B.GOOD, Boston Market, Bruegger's Bagels, PDQ, Penn Station, P.F. Chang’s, Potbelly, TCBY, Firehouse Subs, and Burger King were generally intended for national participation, though local exceptions applied.
Knoxville Area: Specific local reports highlighted Carolina Ale House (9045 Kingston Pike) and Brazeiros Churrascaria (6901 Kingston Pike) as participating locations with specific offers.
Denver/Mile High Area: Birdcall (10 Colorado locations) and Burger King (Royal Perks members) were highlighted in this region.
Tampa Bay: The Tampa Bay History Center offered specific pint glass and tasting events.
Wichita Area: Chicken N Pickle and Old Cowtown Museum were noted for local events.

Conclusion

Father's Day 2019 provided numerous opportunities for families to treat fathers to meals and experiences at little to no cost. The landscape of freebies was dominated by restaurant chains offering "buy one, get one free" or "free with purchase" deals. While many of these offers were national in scope, the necessity of verifying participation at specific local branches cannot be overstated. Consumers were also required to navigate various conditions, including purchase requirements, coupon retrieval, and reward program memberships. By planning ahead and checking the specific terms of each offer, families could effectively maximize value while celebrating Father's Day.