Change doesn’t always come easy.
Last year, the fast-food chain Checkers & Rally’s initiated a petition to make National French Fry Day fall on what it considered the most appropriate day of the week ... Friday, the Deseret News reported. At that point, the holiday had always been celebrated on July 13 — which was a Wednesday last year and falls on a Thursday this year.
The call to action garnered more than 36,000 signatures and proved to be a success: Marlo Anderson, founder of the National Day Calendar, officially moved the holiday to the second Friday in July, starting in 2023.
“I, in good conscience, cannot ignore the voice of the people, who simply want to ‘fry-ght’ a wrong that’s been in place for far too long,” Anderson said in a statement last year announcing the change. “National Fry Day, you are and will forevermore be on a Friday.”
Although Checkers & Rally’s was successful in officially moving the holiday (which this year would be July 14), not everyone seems to have gotten on board with the change. A number of chains — like McDonald’s and Smashburger — are still recognizing July 13 as the day to celebrate fries. Others, like Burger King, appear to be with the times.
And a number of other restaurants, perhaps confused by the date change, have fry deals running for a few days.
Here’s a list of places offering free (or at least heavily discounted) fries over the next few days.
Note: This list is not all-inclusive and will be updated as more deals come in. It’s always recommended to check in with your specific location to make sure the deal is being honored.
National French Fry Day 2023: What are the best deals?
Burger King
On Friday, Burger King rewards members can get a free order of fries — any size — with any purchase through the app or online at BK.com, USA Today reported.
Carl’s Jr.
Customers who buy french fries on Thursday through the Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s app or website will receive an in-app offer for a free small order of fries every day for the rest of the year — with a minimum $1 purchase, according to USA Today.
Charleys Philly Steaks
Charleys Rewards App members will get offers for free fries all throughout the month of July, according to information sent to the Deseret News. Additionally, customers can get an order of original fries for $1 at Charleys on July 13.
Checkers and Rally’s
Checkers & Rally’s is moving forward with the new date: From July 14 through July 16, the chain will offer a free Fry Lover’s XL on its rewards app, according to information the company sent to the Deseret News.
And that’s not all. Through participating locations and the Checkers & Rally’s rewards app, customers can get any size order of fries for $1 from July 24 through Aug. 6, according to a news release.
Del Taco
Del Taco is offering free medium fries with a $3 purchase through July 16, according to its website. The deal is valid online or through the app.
Fatburger
Fatburger is offering customers a free order of Fat or Skinny Fries from July 13 through July 16 — with any purchase made in-store or online, according to information the company sent to the Deseret News. To access the deal, customers must mention the promotion in-store or use the code “FrenchFryDay23” online.
Heinz/UberEats collaboration
The Heinz brand has teamed up with UberEats to offer $5.70 off any order that includes fries on July 13. Customers can find participating restaurants through the offer banner on the UberEats homepage, through the email UberEats will send out to all users, or by looking at your favorite restaurants’ pages to see if they are participating, according to information the Kraft Heinz Company sent to the Deseret News.
McDonald’s
Customers with the McDonald’s app can get a free order of fries on July 13, CNBC reported. The deal does not require a purchase, and customers can select any size order of fries.
The app also offers users a $1 deal on any size order of fries every day, although the order has to be made through Mobile Order and Pay. Additionally, through the app, Utah customers can get a free order of large fries with any purchase when Real Salt Lake wins.
Smashburger
On Thursday, Smashburger is giving customers a free order of Smash fries, French fries or sweet potato fries — with any purchase made in-store or through the website or app, USA Today reported. For online orders, use the code “FRIES.”
Wendy’s
Wendy’s is giving customers a free order of fries with any in-app purchase from July 13 through July 16, according to information sent to the Deseret News. Customers can apply the offer to their mobile order or scan in-restaurant or at the drive-thru to access the deal. The promotion also applies to the chain’s seasoned potatoes that are offered during the breakfast hours.
Additionally, Wendy’s has teamed up with Grubhub to offer customers a free small Frosty with the purchase of a small order of fries from July 13 (National Fry Day) through July 16 (National Ice Cream Day). The deal is available through Grubhub/Seamless.
White Castle
White Castle has a coupon for customers to get a buy one, get one free small order of fries on July 13.