St. Patrick's Day presents a unique opportunity for U.S. consumers to access a variety of complimentary items and discounted offers from national restaurant chains and food brands. These promotions, ranging from free doughnuts and shakes to discounted meals and special menu items, are typically available for a limited time around March 17th. The following guide consolidates verified information from promotional announcements and deal blogs regarding specific freebies and deals available for the 2025 St. Patrick's Day season. The offers detailed below are based on historical data from the 2025 holiday period and may serve as a reference for understanding the types of promotions that brands typically run. Consumers should note that specific offers, participating locations, and eligibility requirements can change annually, and verification with the brand or restaurant is always recommended before visiting.
Understanding St. Patrick's Day Promotional Strategies
Restaurants and food chains often use St. Patrick's Day to launch themed menu items and limited-time offers to attract customers. These promotions are frequently tied to specific actions, such as wearing green clothing, making a purchase, or joining a loyalty program. The deals can be categorized into several types: free items with a purchase, free items for specific actions (like wearing green), discounted menu items, and special limited-edition products. Many offers are available exclusively through restaurant apps, online accounts, or by joining rewards programs, which helps brands build customer databases while providing value to consumers. The information below reflects the types of structured promotions that were available in 2025, providing a framework for what consumers might expect in future years.
Free Food and Drink Offers
Several national chains offered complimentary items to customers on or around St. Patrick's Day 2025, often with simple conditions.
- Krispy Kreme: In 2025, Krispy Kreme offered a free O'riginal Glazed Doughnut to guests who wore green clothing to participating locations on March 17th. The chain also introduced a limited-time St. Patrick's Day Collection featuring specialty doughnuts like the Pot of Gold and Over the Rainbow. Additionally, randomly selected customers in 2025 had the chance to win a "Pot of Gold Pass," which provided access to a dozen free Original Glazed Doughnuts for a year.
- Jack in the Box: On March 17th, 2025, customers could receive a free Mint Shake with any $10 purchase at participating locations.
- Firehouse Subs: For St. Patrick's Day 2025, any customer wearing green at a participating restaurant on March 17th received a free additional pickle when ordering any item from the menu.
- Bruegger’s Bagels: In previous years, Bruegger's has offered a free green bagel (or choice of flavor) with cream cheese to members of its Inner Circle Rewards Program. The chain's shamrock-green bagels were typically available for a limited time around the holiday.
Free Items with Purchase or Specific Actions
Many promotions require a customer to make a purchase or perform a specific action to receive a free item.
- Arby’s: In 2025, Arby's ran a promotion where customers could receive a free Classic Corned Beef Reuben when they made a $10 purchase. This offer was available for the week of March 10th.
- Burger King: On March 17th, 2025, Burger King offered a free order of onion rings in any size with any purchase of $1 or more. To redeem this, customers needed to activate the offer in the "offers" tab of the BK app or website after creating a Royal Perks account. The offer was not valid for delivery orders.
- Paris Baguette: Rewards members received a free pastry with any beverage purchase on March 17th, 2025. The pastry had to be of equal or lesser value than the beverage. The chain also offered 2x points on all St. Patrick’s Day product purchases on March 17th and bonus points for purchasing Nutella products from March 5th to 30th.
Discounted Menu Items and Specials
Numerous restaurants featured discounted food and beverage items, often with a St. Patrick's Day theme.
- Applebee’s: In 2025, Applebee's offered Saintly Sips cocktails starting at $6 each, including the Tipsy Leprechaun and the new Golden Goose. The chain also promoted $5 Mucho cocktails and $5 Saintly Sips, along with to-go options for their festive drinks.
- Bar Louie: On St. Patrick’s Day 2025, Bar Louie featured a $17 Burger & Draft Beer Bundle, $4 Jameson Side Car with a beer purchase, $4.50 Green Beer, and a $5 Guinness & Shakebite. The chain also served green beer and Irish whiskey on the Saturday and Sunday surrounding the holiday.
- Panera Bread: On March 16th and 17th, 2025, Panera offered a "Pot of Gold" special—a green bread bowl filled with Mac & Cheese—in limited quantities in select markets including St. Louis, New York City, Chicago, and Boston. MyPanera members received $2 off any size Mac & Cheese on those dates. The chain also ran a sweepstakes where customers could text LUCKY to #31261 to win free Mac & Cheese for a year.
- 7-Eleven: On March 17th, 2025, 7NOW Delivery App users received $17 off orders of $30 or more with a promo code. The chain also ran Dollar Days with $1 deals on select snacks and drinks through March 31st and offered a limited-edition St. Patrick’s Day Donut.
- Biggby Coffee: On March 17th, 2025, customers received 50% off any Irish Cream beverage or Mint Chip Creme Freeze.
- Dog Haus: From March 14th through St. Patrick’s Day 2025, Dog Haus served $6 Jameson Shots and $7 Pickle Back Shots, in addition to green beer.
- McAlister’s Deli: On March 17th, 2025, McAlister’s Rewards Members received 2X points on the Corned Beef Spud, Reuben Sandwich, and Leprechaun Lemonade.
- Crumbl Cookies: Through March 22nd, 2025, Crumbl offered a 6-pack of cookies for the price of a 4-pack, with no code needed (pricing varied by location).
- Marco’s Pizza: On March 17th, 2025, a large 2-topping pizza was available for $8.99 with a promo code.
- Baskin-Robbins: In 2025, Baskin-Robbins featured a Minty Green treat, such as the Mint Chocolate Chip Polar Pizza, available for delivery via DoorDash. In previous years, the chain offered the Mint Oreo Blizzard for the entire month of March.
- Kona Grill: From March 14 to 21, 2025, Kona Grill offered Corned Beef Sliders with Chips for $19 all day or $6 during happy hour. Happy hour also featured $3 beer, sake, or seltzer.
- El Pollo Loco: Between March 17 and 24, 2025, Double Pollo Fit Bowls were available for $8 (nearly half off the original price) for orders placed in-store, online, or on the app.
- Portillo's: Through March 2025, Portillo's offered a limited-time Mint Chocolate Shake for dine-in, take-out, or delivery.
- Baked by Melissa: For a limited time in 2025, Baked by Melissa offered 20% off 100-packs with a promo code at checkout.
- Dairy Queen: In previous years, Dairy Queen offered the green Mint Oreo Blizzard for the entire month of March.
- Bakers Square: The chain offered a Mint Brownie Blast pie for a limited time.
- Arby’s (Mint Shake): Arby's featured a mint chocolate shake topped with Andes candy pieces for a limited time.
Loyalty Program and App-Specific Benefits
Several offers were exclusively available to members of rewards programs or users of specific mobile applications, highlighting the importance of digital engagement for consumers seeking the best deals.
- Bruegger’s Inner Circle Rewards Program: As mentioned, this program was a prerequisite for receiving a free green bagel with cream cheese in previous years.
- MyPanera: Members received $2 off Mac & Cheese and access to the Pot of Gold Sweepstakes in 2025.
- Paris Baguette Rewards: Members received a free pastry with a beverage purchase and bonus points on specific purchases in March 2025.
- BK App / Royal Perks: Required for redeeming the free onion rings offer at Burger King in 2025.
- 7NOW Delivery App: Used to access the $17 off $30 offer at 7-Eleven in 2025.
- Gopuff FAM Membership: Members received 40% off select holiday-themed items in 2025.
- Paris Baguette App: Non-members were encouraged to download the app to join the rewards program and enjoy a free pastry with any purchase.
Important Considerations for Consumers
When seeking St. Patrick's Day freebies and deals, consumers should be aware of several key factors. First, many offers are available only at participating locations, so it is advisable to call ahead or check the restaurant's website or app to confirm availability. Second, offers often have specific time frames, such as being valid only on March 17th or during a limited window around the holiday. Third, eligibility requirements can vary; some deals are for rewards members only, while others require a minimum purchase or a specific action like wearing green. Finally, terms and conditions are subject to change, and the information provided here is based on 2025 promotions. For the most current information, consumers should refer directly to the official channels of the brands they are interested in.
Conclusion
St. Patrick's Day offers a diverse array of complimentary and discounted items from well-known food and beverage brands. The 2025 promotional landscape included free doughnuts, shakes, and pastries with simple conditions, as well as discounted meals, themed menu items, and special beverages. A common thread among many of these offers was the use of digital tools—mobile apps and loyalty programs—to deliver value to customers. While the specific promotions may vary from year to year, the types of deals described in this guide provide a reliable framework for what consumers can typically expect during the St. Patrick's Day season. To maximize savings and ensure access to freebies, consumers are encouraged to monitor brand communications, join relevant rewards programs, and verify offer details with local establishments before visiting.