The Secret to Free Kids Meals

Psst…I’ve got a secret.

I’ve found out the best way to get a free kid’s meal just about any day of the year. True – no more blocking off an inconvenient weekday night in order to take advantage of Kids Eat Free Monday or Kids Eat Free Tuesday!

I remember the few times my mom took all FOUR of us kids out for dinner was often one of those designated weekday nights. The restaurant was a madhouse with lots of kids running around, broken crayons littering the floor, and a scary clown making balloon animals. It wasn’t the sort of thing I’d commit to as a parent now, but my mom’s resources were limited and her ability to take us out for a restaurant meal was a major treat, so we always looked forward to it.

I like going out to eat just as much as JT does and let’s be real – kid’s meals aren’t that expensive anyway, but if I can get it for free, sign me up! And that’s how I learned how to get free kids’ meals…and appetizers, and entrees – it’s as quick and easy as signing up for a restaurant’s loyalty program.

What are the best restaurants for free kids meals?

COVID-19 has created an unexpected reality that restaurants have never been more eager to get guests in their seats or placing orders to go! Simply signing your email up for a rewards or loyalty program before even visiting a restaurant is a great way to save a little bit of money. There are plenty of restaurants with loyalty programs! Here’s a small list of some of my faves:
– Applebee’s
– Chili’s
– Blaze Pizza
– California Pizza Kitchen
– Olive Garden
– Chick-fil-a
– Starbucks

One of our favorite restaurant loyalty programs is My Chili’s Rewards program where each of our visits to Chili’s earns points toward future freebies. They also send emails several times a month with promotional offers for the specialty $5 margarita of the month, free appetizer, or a free kid’s meal on a holiday. The best part is that we get free chips and salsa with every visit, even the to-go orders we’ve been placing since quarantine shut things down back in March. JT’s favorite item on the kids menu is the pepperoni pizza with a side of mandarin oranges as he sips on the Blue Lagoon kiddie cocktail.

Restaurant Loyalty Program Details

The loyalty programs for Applebee’s and Olive Garden operate much like Chili’s, which isn’t a surprise considering they are large corporate entities with chains across every part of the country. I receive quite a few emails from them each month but I don’t mind because when I do feel like eating there, I check my emails ahead of time to see if there’s a deal in my inbox just waiting for me to take advantage of it.

Blaze Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, Chick-fil-a, and Starbucks rewards programs all operate on rewarding loyalty, meaning that the more visits you make, the more offers you qualify for. It’s kind of like how things work in my casino marketing career. Take my word for it, share your email address and sign up for all the offers you can get. Kids aren’t cheap but a life hack like this means you can skip cooking dinner yourself every once in a while!