C-store Retailers Brew Up Promos for National Coffee Day

NATIONAL REPORT — National Coffee Day is a coffee lover's dream, and convenience store retailers are serving up deals to celebrate the day.

Love's Travel Stops is pairing the coffee celebration with serving the community. The Oklahoma City-based retailer is donating $1 of every 24-ounce coffee or cappuccino sold at more than 390 locations to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital in that community. 

The promotion begins on National Coffee Day, Sept. 29, and lasts through Sept. 30. The cost of a 24-ounce coffee or cappuccino is $1.89.

"Love's Travel Stops has supported Children's Miracle Network Hospitals for 18 years and every year our store teams do an outstanding job raising funds for this noble cause," said Jenny Love Meyer, vice president of communications for Love's. "On average, we sell more than 57,000 cups of coffee per day. Giving a portion of the proceeds from two days' worth of coffee sales is another way we, and our customers, can contribute more dollars to hospitals that perform life-saving miracles daily."

Pennsylvania-based Wawa Inc. will offer customers free coffee of any size all day its more than 730 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. 

Throughout the day, Wawa expects to give away more than 2 million free cups of coffee to customers across all of its stores. Customers can come in multiple times and can get any size of free coffee.

Customers at Stewart's Shops stores can also enjoy a free hot or iced coffee from noon to closing. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based retailer said the deal includes any size coffee in any flavor, including French vanilla, hazelnut, richer roast, and its seasonal pumpkin spice coffee.

Staying on the east coast, Cumberland Farms, based in Framingham, Mass., will be giving away a free hot or iced coffee to customers who text "FREECOFFEE" to 64827. 

The free coffee continues for at Cumberland Farms throughout October when the brand brings back "Free Coffee Fridays." Beginning on Oct. 7, and continuing every Friday throughout the month, customers can enjoy a free cup of Cumberland Farms coffee (no coupon required), hot or iced, in any size.

"National Coffee Day is one of our favorite days of the year, and there is no better way to celebrate than by offering our customers a free hot or iced coffee with our mobile coupon," said Greg Lorance, dispensed beverage category manager and in-house coffee expert at Cumberland Farms. "We truly value our customers here at Cumberland Farms, which is why we offer great coffee at a great price of 99 cents, any size. We are proud to say that we haven't increased the price of a cup of coffee since 2008. I'm not sure how many other coffee retailers, if any, have kept their prices the same for eight years."

To celebrate Free Coffee Fridays in October, Cumberland Farms will also conduct a random draw to give away five prize packs and $25 gift cards to customers who upload coffee images on Instagram and Twitter with #GotMyCumbys and #Entry on every Friday throughout the month.

Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J is treating guests to a free small cup of Pilot Coffee — or another hot beverage of their choice, including tea and cappuccino — redeemable when displaying an online coupon available from the company's Facebook page at the time of purchase in-store.

The National Coffee Day promotion at Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers is valid for customers in the U.S. and Canada from 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m. EDT on Sept. 29.

COMPETITIVE WATCH

In addition, McDonald's Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region along with Covenant House Pennsylvania and Covenant House New Jersey will kick off their partnership on National Coffee Day, with fast-food retailer's restaurants across Southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey donating 100 percent of all McCafé drip coffee proceeds to Covenant House. 

Dunkin' Donuts will use National Coffee Day to celebrate the Canton, Mass.-based company's 66-year history. On Sept. 29, the customers can buy any medium-sized cup of the brand's signature hot coffee for the 66 cents at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide.

In the days leading up to National Coffee Days, Dunkin' Donuts is serving up a special surprise for select members of the brand's social community. From Sept. 26 through Sept. 29, the company will surprise a total of 66 of its Twitter followers with Dunkin' Donuts cards good for a year's worth of free coffee. 

Dunkin' Donuts is also helping fans both show and share their love of coffee by offering a one-day-only Snapchat Geofilter on National Coffee Day. The design celebrates the day, and can be unlocked at any of Dunkin' Donuts' U.S. locations on Sept. 29 only.

Starbucks Coffee Co. will donate a coffee tree to farmers for every cup of Mexico Chiapas coffee sold on National Coffee Day in the United States and Mexico. The move supports the Seattle-based company's One Tree for Every Bag initiative ensures that a coffee tree is planted for every bag of coffee purchased in a participating U.S. store.

The company is expanding its One Tree for Every Bag Commitment to brewed coffee for one day in the U.S. to reach a donation goal of 20 million coffee trees by the end of the year. Mexico Chiapas brewed coffee is offered at more than 13,500 stores.

Also getting in on the celebration is Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Any guest who visits a participating shop in the U.S. and Canada on National Coffee Day will receive a free small coffee and a free Original Glazed doughnut.

No purchase is necessary for guests to take part in National Coffee Day, the company added.

Also on Sept. 29, Malden, Mass.-based New England Coffee, a division of Reily Foods, will host a celebration in Boston's South Station/Dewey Square area as part of its 100th anniversary "Extraordinary People Campaign" honoring those who drink and serve their coffee.

New England Coffee'’s Brand Ambassadors and their "Mug Mobile"” will be on hand from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to give away commemorative items and samples of coffee to hundreds of commuters and passersby. People will also have the opportunity to enter the NewEnglandCoffee100.com sweepstakes, a digital instant-win game awarding $100 Visa gift cards throughout the day, as well as daily $100 prizes online Sept. 30 through Oct. 21. No purchase necessary to participate or win.