Whether you take them jelly-filled, chocolate coated or just plain glazed, doughnuts are an important part of America’s food pyramid. They’re the go-to snack for cops, the nightmare of dieticians and the breakfast food most of us can agree upon.
Every year, the first Friday of June marks the celebration of this most wonderful of pastries. Started in 1938 by The Salvation Army, National Doughnut Day started as a fundraiser to help the needy and to honor the women who served doughnuts to the soldiers during World War I. Today, it’s a great excuse to find some free food – and wear your loose pants.
There are plenty of freebies and other celebrations to be found this year. If you’re on the hunt for a snack, here are some of the best places to head:
Krispy Kreme – Just walk into any store (except those in Connecticut) and you can pick up a powdered, glazed or filled doughnut of any variety. The chain’s not limiting the giveaway to U.S. locations, either. It’s also handing out freebies in Australia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Turkey and other countries.
Dunkin Donuts (DNKN)– You’ll need to buy a beverage here in order to get your free doughnut, but what’s a doughnut without coffee or milk? The chain is also leveraging social media to raise awareness of the day, including (but not limited to) special Snapchat filters.
Randy’s Donuts – The iconic Los Angeles doughnut house will offer free donut holes from 6am-12pm. It’s also planning a raffle for patrons.
Entenmann’s – While you’ll likely find a few locations giving away these grocery store staples, the big draw is the company’s sweepstakes, which will award 10 winners free doughnuts for a year.
Duck Donuts – This chain, with 30 locations along the east coast (mostly in Virginia and North Carolina), is offering patrons a free sugar doughnut in observance of the holiday. Head to the Facebook page, via the link above, and claim the offer, which will send a coupon to your email. Show that at the store to claim your treat.
Shipley Do-Nuts – Fans of this chain, located largely in the South and Midwest, can claim a free glazed doughnut any time between 5am and noon. A portion of all sales will be dedicated to the Salvation Army.
Voodoo Doughnut – Sadly, this iconic chain does not appear, at present, to be offering any free food this year. It will, however, unveil a new type of doughnut – and given that it’s the company that created iconic munchies like the Bacon Maple Bar doughnut and the Captain my Captain (topped with Cap’n Crunch cereal), that’s still something to get excited about.