Teacher Appreciation Week in 2018 offered a variety of freebies and discounts for educators in the Dallas area, coinciding with National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 8. These promotions were provided by local and national businesses to honor teachers' contributions. Offers typically required a valid school ID or faculty verification, and availability varied by location. The following information details specific deals reported for Dallas during that period, based on available sources.
Food and Restaurant Deals
Several restaurants in Dallas and surrounding areas participated in Teacher Appreciation Week 2018 with free food items or discounts. Applebee’s offered educators and school faculty either a 10% discount or a free main course during Teacher Appreciation Week, though exact offers varied by franchise location. This deal was available to those with valid identification.
Buffalo Wild Wings provided teachers with a 20% discount on orders. Similarly, Golden Corral extended a 20% discount on one adult buffet purchase from May 6 to 10, 2018. Insomnia Cookies gave teachers a free classic cookie from May 6 to 12, 2018, likely requiring proof of educator status.
McAlister’s Deli offered free tea to teachers, while RaceTrac provided free medium coffee from May 6 to 10, 2018. Raising Cane’s had a notable promotion where 10 teachers could win an all-expenses-paid summer vacation, though details on entry or selection were not specified in the sources. MOD Pizza ran a buy-one-get-one-free offer on MOD size pizzas or salads for teachers and nurses from May 6 to 9, 2018.
Additional local Dallas options included Bloom Cafe Dallas, which gave teachers and nurses 15% off entire orders from May 6 to 10, 2018. Gator Pit BBQ offered special meal pricing from $8 to $10 Tuesday through Friday of that week. Lubellas Patisserie featured a special $15 box with three mini tarts, a cake truffle, and a coupon for a free coffee. Krispy Kreme allowed teachers who joined the Krispy Kreme Rewards program by May 11, 2018, to get a free dozen donuts for the staff room. McDonald’s deals varied by location and were not specified further.
Other national chains with Dallas participation included Bruegger’s Bagels, which celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6 to 10, 2018, by giving teachers a free medium drip or iced coffee with any purchase and valid ID at participating bakeries. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen offered teachers a free appetizer with the purchase of an adult entrée from May 6 to 10, 2018, with no coupon needed for dine-in. Duffy’s Sports Grill loaded a $10 MVP Bonus directly onto teachers' MVP accounts during the week (May 6-10) when they showed their faculty ID badge; sign-up for the MVP program was required at www.duffysmvp.com/mvp.
Giordano’s provided 20% off any order with code 656-263-214 from May 6 to 9, 2018, for dine-in and online orders, applicable to both nurses and teachers. The Greene Turtle gave teachers a free $14 meal on Tuesday with a valid school ID, dine-in only. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria offered a 15% discount on dine-in and takeout orders from May 6 to 10, 2018, with ID, but this was not valid in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (implying broader U.S. availability including Dallas). Grimaldi’s also allowed nominations for a teacher to win a pizza party at www.grimaldispizzeria.com/teachers through May 10.
In the broader Dallas-Fort Worth area, as reported for 2018, Chipotle offered buy-one-get-one-free burritos, bowls, salads, or tacos on Teacher Appreciation Day (May 8) from 3 p.m. to closing with a faculty ID. Cici’s Pizza provided a free pizza buffet on May 8, 2018, with valid school ID at participating locations. Mod Pizza gave 50% off a pizza or salad on Tuesday (May 8) with teacher ID. Potbelly Sandwich Shop offered a free fountain drink or cookie with a sandwich or salad purchase on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.
Einstein’s Bagels provided 20% off any purchase all week using promo code 9053. Barnes & Noble offered educators, librarians, and homeschoolers enrolled in the educator discount program 25% discounts off publisher list price on teacher appreciation days. Books-A-Million gave coupons upon signing up for an educator’s discount card.
Other 2018 deals in the Dallas region included Sedona Taphouse offering free flatbread from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday; Chick-fil-A providing a free sandwich; Carrabba’s giving 10% off the bill; and Adobe offering 60% off Creative Cloud purchase. Food Lion provided 5% off the total purchase price, and Einstein Bagels offered 20% off catering through May 11, 2018. Cinnabon gave a free classic cinnamon roll, MiniBon, or four-piece BonBites all week. Applebee’s also had $2 Dos Equis throughout May 2018.
Non-Food and Retail Deals
Beyond restaurants, some retail and service businesses offered discounts. Galleria Dallas provided complimentary skating during public skating hours for teachers. Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million had educator discount programs active during the appreciation period.
Eligibility and Verification Requirements
Most deals required a valid school ID or faculty verification. For example, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Golden Corral, Insomnia Cookies, McAlister’s Deli, RaceTrac, MOD Pizza, Bloom Cafe Dallas, Gator Pit BBQ, Krispy Kreme, Bruegger’s, Cheddar’s, Duffy’s, Giordano’s, The Greene Turtle, Grimaldi’s, Chipotle, Cici’s, Mod Pizza, Potbelly, Einstein’s, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Sedona Taphouse, Chick-fil-A, Carrabba’s, Adobe, Food Lion, and Cinnabon all explicitly or implicitly required some form of educator identification. Specific sign-ups were needed for Duffy’s MVP program and Krispy Kreme Rewards. Promotional codes applied to Giordano’s and Einstein’s offers.
Offers varied by location, as noted for Applebee’s and McDonald’s. Some promotions, like Raising Cane’s summer vacation giveaway, had limited availability (10 teachers). Dates for many offers aligned with May 6-10, 2018, centered on May 8 as National Teacher Appreciation Day.
Conclusion
Teacher Appreciation Week 2018 in Dallas featured a wide array of freebies and discounts from restaurants, retailers, and service providers, emphasizing food-related offers like free meals, cookies, coffee, and buffet discounts. Educators needed to present valid school identification to access these deals, which were available throughout the week but peaked on May 8. While many national chains participated, local Dallas businesses also contributed, providing opportunities for teachers to enjoy meals, treats, and minor retail perks as a gesture of community appreciation.