Leap Year occurs once every four years, adding an extra day to February and creating a unique occasion for brands to offer special promotions. In 2024, numerous restaurants and food brands released limited-time offers available on February 29. These promotions generally fall into two categories: exclusive perks for individuals born on February 29 (often referred to as "Leaplings") and general discounts or free items available to all customers. While many of these specific deals were time-sensitive to the 2024 calendar date, they serve as a model for the types of promotions consumers can expect during future Leap Years, with the next occurrence scheduled for 2028.
The following guide details the specific food and beverage freebies and deals documented for the February 29, 2024, Leap Day celebrations.
Major Restaurant Chains Offering Leap Day Promotions
Several national restaurant chains participated in Leap Day festivities with offers ranging from free desserts to significant percentage discounts on orders.
Chipotle
Chipotle offered a promotion specifically for members of their rewards program. The brand provided free guacamole on digital orders placed on February 29, 2024. To redeem this offer, customers were required to place their order through the Chipotle app or website and enter the promo code EXTRA24 at checkout. This offer was strictly limited to Chipotle Rewards members and was not available for in-store or third-party delivery orders without the digital code.
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme provided distinct offers based on the customer's birthday: * For Leap Day Babies: Individuals born on February 29 received a free dozen original glazed doughnuts with no purchase necessary. Proof of birth date was required. * For All Customers: Customers without a Leap Day birthday could purchase a dozen original glazed doughnuts for $2.29 when they bought a regularly priced dozen. This promotional pricing was valid only on February 29.
Wendy's
Wendy's offered a free food item during breakfast hours on Leap Day. Customers could receive a free Cinnabon Pull-Apart by visiting a participating Wendy's location between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on February 29, 2024. The offer was available while supplies last and was limited to one per vehicle or dining room transaction. It was not valid on third-party delivery platforms.
Papa Murphy's
Papa Murphy's offered a discount on online orders placed on Thursday, February 29. Customers who used the code LEAP24 at checkout received 29% off their entire order.
Jersey Mike's
Jersey Mike's promoted a free sub offer for Leap Day. According to the documentation, February 29 was the final day to claim a free sub from the chain, though specific redemption instructions were not detailed in the source material.
Exclusives for Leap Day Birthdays (Leaplings)
Many brands restrict their most generous offers to individuals actually born on February 29. These "Leaplings" typically need to present valid identification proving their birth date to claim these rewards.
Milk Bar
The bakery chain Milk Bar offered a free full-sized signature Milk Bar Birthday Cake to anyone born on Leap Day. Valid ID was required to claim the cake. For customers without a Leap Day birthday, Milk Bar offered a discounted Cereal Milk Soft Serve for $2.29 (regularly $7) at participating locations, excluding Nordstrom locations in New York City and Bellevue, Washington.
Insomnia Cookies
Insomnia Cookies celebrated Leap Day birthdays by giving away a free 6-pack of cookies to anyone with a February 29 birth date.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden provided a dessert-centric reward for Leaplings, giving out four free Dolicinis desserts to customers with a February 29 birthday.
Main Event
Main Event offered a free party fun sundae to Leap Day babies. This sundae featured four different gelato flavors topped with chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate syrup, doughnut holes, whipped cream, sprinkles, and candy. Proof of a Feb. 29 birthday was required.
Lay's Potato Chips
Lay's ran a social media promotion where individuals born on February 29 could comment on the brand's Leap Year post to identify themselves as Leap babies. These participants had a chance to win a free bag of Lay's potato chips.
Travel and Lifestyle Promotions
While the primary focus of Leap Day 2024 was food, some brands in other sectors offered unique deals.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com ran a contest specifically for Leap Day babies. The brand selected 29 people with February 29 birthdays to win a discount code worth $290. To enter, participants were required to tweet at @hotelsdotcom on February 29 and share their birthday struggles.
Future Leap Year Expectations
Documentation indicates that Leap Year deals are a recurring phenomenon, though specific offers change annually. The next Leap Day is projected to occur on Wednesday, February 29, 2028. Consumers interested in these types of promotions should anticipate similar BOGO offers, discount pricing (often centered around the number 29, such as $2.29 or 29% off), and exclusive freebies for Leaplings in four-year intervals.
Conclusion
Leap Day 2024 provided a variety of free and discounted food items, ranging from digital-only guacamole offers at Chipotle to free dozen doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. The most valuable offers were generally reserved for the small demographic of consumers born on February 29, requiring valid identification for redemption. For the general public, the most common promotions involved percentage-based discounts or low-cost add-on items. While these specific 2024 offers have expired, the pattern of celebration suggests that consumers can look forward to similar opportunities when the calendar next reaches February 29 in 2028.