Chipotle Teacher Appreciation Week 2025: Guide to Free Burrito Giveaways and Educator Deals

Teacher Appreciation Week 2025, observed from May 5 through May 9, features a significant promotional effort from Chipotle aimed at recognizing educators. The restaurant chain is conducting a large-scale giveaway in collaboration with National Nurses Week, offering free burritos to verified teachers and healthcare professionals. This initiative is part of a broader landscape of deals available during the week, which includes discounts and free items from various national chains such as Whataburger, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic Drive-In. To access these offers, educators typically need to provide proof of employment, such as a valid school ID, or complete verification through third-party services like ID.me. The Chipotle promotion specifically requires online entry and subsequent verification for a chance to win a free entrée e-card.

Chipotle Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes Details

Chipotle is hosting a sweepstakes to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, which overlaps with National Nurses Week in 2025. The promotion is open to teachers and healthcare professionals who wish to enter for a chance to win a free burrito, bowl, salad, or tacos.

Eligibility and Entry Process

Eligibility for the Chipotle giveaway is restricted to teachers and healthcare professionals. To participate, individuals must sign up through the official Chipotle microsites dedicated to these groups. The entry window remains open until the end of the day on May 12. Participants are required to provide their name and email address to enter the sweepstakes.

Verification and Winner Selection

At the conclusion of the promotional period, Chipotle plans to randomly select 100,000 teachers and 100,000 healthcare workers from the pool of entrants. Selected winners will receive an email notification prompting them to verify their employment status. This verification process is conducted via ID.me, a third-party identity verification service. Winners must complete the verification step within 48 hours of receiving the email. Upon successful verification, a free entrée e-card is issued.

Prize Details

The total value of the giveaway is estimated at over $2 million. Each winner receives an e-card equivalent to the cost of one Chipotle entrée. According to the company, this promotion is part of an ongoing commitment to support educators and medical professionals, with over $16 million in free food distributed since 2016.

Other National Restaurant Deals for Educators

Several other restaurant chains are offering promotions during Teacher Appreciation Week 2025. These deals generally require proof of employment and are valid during specific dates within the week of May 5–9.

Whataburger

Whataburger is offering a free breakfast entree to teachers and school staff. The offer is valid from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. daily from Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9. This deal is available for in-restaurant dining only and requires the presentation of a valid school ID.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is providing a discount of 20% off the total bill for teachers and school staff. This promotion is valid for both dine-in and takeout orders from May 2 through May 6. A valid school ID is required to redeem the discount.

Insomnia Cookies

Insomnia Cookies is offering a free classic cookie to teachers (and nurses) from May 6 through May 13. Proof of employment is required to redeem this offer. According to one source, this specific deal does not require a purchase.

Burger King

Burger King is offering free fries with any purchase to teachers who present a valid school ID.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Freddy’s is offering a free mini sundae to teachers who show a valid school ID.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

Potbelly is offering a free cookie or regular-sized soft drink with the purchase of an entrée from May 5 through May 11. Identification must be presented to redeem the free item.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack is offering a free hand-spun shake to teachers who show their work ID badge during the week.

Sonic Drive-In

Sonic Drive-In offers exclusive rewards to members of its "Teachers’ Circle" rewards program. For Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9), members can access three specific deals: * A free Sonic Snack or side with purchase. * Buy one Sonic Blast, get one free. * A $1.99 Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger.

Local and Regional Promotions

In addition to national chains, some local businesses offer specific deals for educators. For example, Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona is reportedly offering free pizza to teachers from May 1 through May 5. Mane Attraction Salon, also located in Arizona, is offering 50% off haircuts on May 9. Harkins Theaters is offering a free medium popcorn with every $25 purchase during Teacher Appreciation Week. These localized deals often have specific geographic restrictions and may require verification at the point of sale.

Hilton and Embassy Suites Summer Deals

Hilton and Embassy Suites by Hilton are offering deals for teachers at six specific properties in Florida for the summer season. To access these discounts, teachers must use specific booking codes depending on the location: * Miami: Code PK5 * Miami Beach: Code P1 * Deerfield Beach: Code PL5 * Fort Lauderdale: Code PL5 * Tampa: Code TEAP * Tampa (Convention Center): Code TEP

General Guidelines for Redeeming Teacher Offers

Most promotions during Teacher Appreciation Week require specific steps to ensure eligibility. The following guidelines are common across the various offers:

Proof of Employment: The most common requirement is a valid school ID. Some businesses may accept other forms of identification or employment verification, but a school ID is the standard.
Loyalty Program Enrollment: Some deals, such as those from Sonic and Tim Hortons, are exclusively available to members of their respective rewards programs. Teachers interested in these offers should ensure they are registered prior to attempting to redeem the deal.
Online Verification: The Chipotle sweepstakes utilizes an online entry system and relies on ID.me for digital verification of employment status. This is distinct from in-store ID checks.
Expiration Dates: Offers are strictly time-bound. For example, the Chipotle entry deadline is May 12, while the Whataburger breakfast deal is valid only during the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. from May 5 to May 9.
Geographic Restrictions: While many deals are national, some are location-specific. Local deals, such as those in Arizona or Florida, require checking with the specific location for participation.

Conclusion

Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 presents a variety of opportunities for educators to receive free food and discounts. The Chipotle sweepstakes stands out as the largest single promotion, offering 100,000 free entrées to verified teachers. Other national chains, including Whataburger, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic, provide additional value through discounts and free items. To successfully redeem these offers, teachers should prepare valid identification, check specific dates and times, and, for programs like Sonic's, ensure enrollment in loyalty programs prior to the event.