Roasting coffee beans are seen at Eternity Coffee Roasters in Miami, Florida. (Getty)
National Coffee Day is here — Sept. 29 — and major coffee-serving chains are offering sweet deals, from free cups of your favorite brewed drink to free shots of espresso.
National Coffee Day was first launched in 2005 but didn’t pick up steam until 2009, when a museum in New Orleans wanted to kick-off the first New Orleans Coffee Festival, according to Mental Floss. Last year, to showcase coffees from around the world, the International Coffee Organization named Oct. 1, 2015 International Coffee Day as part of Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy.
Shepherds first found coffee in the 9th Century, some say, when their goats were chewing on coffee fruit and were acting a little crazy. According to Global Exchange, coffee is the second most valuable traded commodity in the world, only behind petroleum. While New Yorkers drink seven times more coffee than people in other U.S. cities, the annual consumption of coffee has ballooned to some 12 billion pounds.
Starbucks is not giving away free coffee today; instead, the chain will donate a coffee tree for every cup of brewed Mexico Chiapas cup of coffee in the U.S. or Mexico, according to USA Today. Caribou Coffee is doing something similar: the chain is donating a cup of coffee health care workers at hospitals when customers buy a cup of Amy’s Blend coffee to support CancerCare.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Johnny Hoops of North Hollywood poses at Dunkin’ Donuts. (Getty)
Dunkin’ Donuts is offering any medium-sized cup of hot coffee for 66 cents, to “honor its 66-year coffee heritage,” the company announced.
Dunkin’ also said 66 special fans will receive a surprise: 66 of its Twitter followers will receive Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards good for a year’s worth of free coffee. Snapchat users can use a special Dunkin’ Donuts filter today only, too.
Wawa Is Giving Away Free Coffee, Up to Medium Sizes
Mitt Romney, during his presidential campaign, stops at a Wawa in Pennsylvania. (Getty)
If you’re stopping to get a sandwich, you should probably get some coffee while you’re at it. Wawa will be giving out free coffee, up to a 24 oz. medium, all day today.
Krispy Kreme Even Has Free Donuts
It’s not national doughnut day — that’s the first Friday in June — but Krispy Kreme, the doughnut-and-coffee chain, is offering a free sugary snack with coffee today.
Krispy Kreme is offering its Original Glazed Doughnut for free, to go along with that free 12 oz. cup of coffee. Does it get much better than that?
Cumberland Farms Customers: Grab Your Phones
Customers can text “FREECOFFEE” to 64827, and will receive a mobile coupon for a free hot or iced coffee, in any size at Cumberland Farms. The offer is only good today.
Cumberland Farms is also launching its Free Coffee Fridays, beginning this week and running through the entire month of October. Every Friday, customers can receive a free cup of coffee — at any size.
Now go, and be caffeinated.