National Chicken Finger Day 2025: A Guide to Freebies and Deals from Raising Cane's, Huey Magoo's, and More

National Chicken Finger Day, observed annually on July 27, serves as a significant promotional event for fast-casual and quick-service restaurant chains across the United States. In 2025, the holiday generated a variety of freebies and deals, primarily focused on chicken tenders and fingers. The event was largely popularized by Raising Cane’s, which claims to have started the holiday 16 years ago and officially trademarked "National Chicken Tender Day" in 2019. However, the 2025 celebrations saw participation from several other brands, including Huey Magoo’s, PDQ, and Popeyes, alongside competitive maneuvering from Wingstop. This article details the specific offers available during the 2025 National Chicken Tender Day window, the eligibility requirements for consumers, the redemption methods, and the distinct branding strategies employed by the participating chains.

Raising Cane’s National Chicken Finger Day Offer

Raising Cane’s remains the primary driver of the July 27 holiday, which it refers to as National Chicken Finger Day. For the 2025 event, the chain offered a straightforward promotion designed to drive traffic and increase transaction size.

The core offer for 2025 was a "buy one, get one" style promotion. Customers who purchased a Box Combo meal received a free order of chicken fingers. The Box Combo consists of four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, buttery toast, and Cane’s signature sauce. The company emphasized that this deal was available to all customers, not just members of its Caniac Club loyalty program, marking a first for the event. The promotion required no code or coupon, and there was no limit on the number of free chicken fingers a customer could earn; the more Box Combos purchased, the more free chicken fingers were awarded.

The deal was valid on July 27, 2025, at participating locations. Raising Cane’s reported having over 900 locations across more than 40 states at the time, with plans to open over 100 new restaurants in new markets during 2025. The chain also noted that it had given away more than 150,000 chicken fingers on the holiday in previous years. To promote the 2025 event, Raising Cane’s partnered with rap legend Snoop Dogg, who made a surprise appearance behind the counter at a Las Vegas location. Snoop Dogg served chicken fingers and promoted his new song, "Iz It A Crime?" as part of the marketing campaign.

Huey Magoo’s National Chicken Tender Day Offer

Huey Magoo’s, a fast-casual chicken tender chain with over 75 locations, participated in the July 27 holiday with a distinct offer and branding strategy. The company’s promotion was structured as a "buy one, get one" deal, but with a specific product focus.

The deal offered customers five free "Tender Bites" with the purchase of any three-piece or larger Tender Meal. The promotion was valid only on Sunday, July 27, 2025, and was subject to supply availability. Huey Magoo’s distinguishes its product from chicken fingers, emphasizing that it serves "chicken tenders, never fingers." Andy Howard, the company’s CEO and president, stated in a press release, "Let’s be honest, chickens don’t have fingers. What we serve is the tenderloin, the most tender, premium 3% of the chicken." The brand markets its product as the "Filet Mignon of Chicken," utilizing the premium tenderloin cut. The promotion specifically included "Tender Bites," which are bite-sized pieces of their hand-breaded or grilled tenderloins.

In addition to the National Chicken Tender Day promotion, Huey Magoo’s also offered a deal for National Chicken Wing Day on July 29, 2025, providing a free five-count Tender Bites with the purchase of any three-piece or larger Tender Meal in-store or online.

PDQ’s Menu Launch for the Holiday

PDQ Chicken, an East Coast chain known for its chicken tenders, utilized the July 27 holiday to launch a new menu item rather than offering a traditional free sample or discount. The company introduced "Honey Butter Tenders" to its menu just in time for National Chicken Finger Day. These are crispy, hand-breaded buttermilk tenders glazed in sweet honey butter. While not a free item, the launch was strategically timed to coincide with the increased holiday traffic. The Honey Butter Tenders were marketed as a limited-time offer (LTO), meaning they would not be on the menu indefinitely.

Popeyes and National Chicken Wing Day

While Popeyes is a major player in the chicken space, its July 2025 promotions were primarily focused on National Chicken Wing Day, which falls on July 29, just two days after National Chicken Finger Day. Popeyes offered a deal valid through August 3, 2025, where in-store guests could receive free six-piece bone-in wings with the purchase of any bone-in wings order. This promotion was separate from the July 27 tender-focused events but represents a related chicken-centric promotional period for consumers.

Competitive Trademark Activity: Wingstop’s "National Chicken Tender Day" Filing

In a notable competitive maneuver, Wingstop filed a trademark application for the phrase "National Chicken Tender Day" on July 24, 2025, just days before the July 27 holiday. Wingstop’s Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Christenson, stated that while some consider chicken fingers, strips, and tenders to be the same, Wingstop "isn’t buying it." The trademark filing aimed to stake a claim on "distinctive crispy tenders" and was viewed as a direct jab at Raising Cane’s, which holds a trademark on "National Chicken Tender Day." Wingstop noted that "National Chicken Tender Day" is on July 27, the same date as Raising Cane’s event, highlighting the direct competition between the brands over the holiday and product terminology.

Other Related Chicken Promotions (July 29 and November)

While the primary focus of the provided data is the July 27 holiday, several sources included data regarding National Chicken Wing Day (July 29) and National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day (November 9), which offer additional context for consumers seeking chicken freebies.

For National Chicken Wing Day on July 29, 2025: - 7-Eleven offered BOGO deals for members of 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards. These included buy eight boneless wings get eight free, or buy five bone-in wings get five free. Participating locations included 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores. There was also a promotion to get five bone-in wings for free when buying two Red Bull drinks. - Applebee’s offered a BOGO Mix & Match of 10-piece bone-in wings and nine-piece bone-in wings.

National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day is observed on November 9, but specific 2025 promotions for this holiday were not detailed in the provided source material.

Conclusion

The 2025 National Chicken Finger Day on July 27 featured targeted promotions from several major restaurant chains. Raising Cane’s led with a widely accessible offer of a free chicken finger with the purchase of a Box Combo, available to all customers without loyalty program requirements. Huey Magoo’s provided a similar "buy one, get one" structure with its Tender Bites, while PDQ timed a new menu item launch to the holiday. The event also highlighted competitive branding, with Wingstop filing a trademark for "National Chicken Tender Day" in direct opposition to Raising Cane’s. Consumers seeking free chicken items during this period could access these deals by making specific purchases at participating locations on the designated date, with no additional codes or coupons typically required. The promotional landscape extended beyond July 27, with related offers for National Chicken Wing Day on July 29 from chains like 7-Eleven and Applebee’s.