It’s time to celebrate another year and it is the best time to treat yourself and get a bit spoilt. Well… did you know that restaurants and some retailers can spoil you, too?

You could be getting free food, goodies, and discounts for turning a year older.

YES, most of them give out some freebies for your birthday to their customers in their rewards program or email club and you’ll receive a coupon on your birthday.

Many restaurants will offer a meal on your birthday or free dessert or free ice cream. Be sure to take advantage of that along with your Birthday Cake!

If you are signed up to their email list, they might want you to download their app to receive your treat.

Most places allow you to sign up for birthday freebies when you’re 13, so if you have kids, you can also use that to get birthday freebies for them as well.

Check out the end of the post where we have even more tips for you to max out those freebies.

51 Local Restaurants offering Free Food on your Birthday

Auntie Anne’s Pretzel – Get a FREE Auntie Anne’s birthday pretzel
Abuelo’s – Enjoy Abuelo’s Mexican cuisine with a special gift on your birthday and anniversary. Sign up for Mi Abuelo’s Rewards program to receive offers.
Applebee’s – FREE Birthday Dessert or FREE Birthday Entree
Au Bon Pain – FREE birthday lunch by signing up for the eClub
Barnes & Noble – Barnes & Noble Kids’ Club members get a free cupcake on their birthdays from the cafe.
Baskin-Robbins – Create a Baskin-Robbins account and get a free ice cream scoop on your birthday.
Benihana – Register for Chef’s Table email program and receive a $30 discount certificate during your birthday month.
Buca di Beppo Birthday Club – Free Brownie!
California Pizza Kitchen – FREE CPKids meal during your birthday month if you are age 12 or under. Children receive a coupon for a free birthday CPKids meal by joining the CPKids Birthday Club. Club members who celebrate their birthday at a California Pizza Kitchen receive up to 10 free meal certificates to give guests at their party and a free meal for themselves at the party. Even kids who aren’t members of the CPKids Birthday Club get a free sundae on their birthday.
Captain D’s. Kids 12 and younger get a free kids meal on their birthday if they sign up for the Kid’s Birthday Club.
Cold Stone Creamery. Join Cold Stone’s My Cold Stone Club to receive a buy-one-get-one-free creation coupon for your birthday.
Corner Bakery — FREE sweet treat.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Birthday Club = Free Birthday Dessert!
Captain D’s Birthday Club – Free Meal!
Cattlemen’s Birthday Club – Complimentary Cowpie Brownie Sundae! When you are a member of the VIP club you will receive Birthday & Annual Loyalty Coupons
Chick Fil A – Every member receives a birthday reward.
Cold Stone Creamery Birthday Club – BOGO Ice Cream Coupon!
Corner Bakery Birthday Club – Free Birthday Sweet!
Dairy Queen – Join the Blizzard Fan Club to receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for Blizzard desserts on your big day.
Dave & Busters – $10 free gameplay!
Del Taco – Indulge with free premium vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry shake on your birthday. Register for the Raving Fan eClub to receive the freebie.
Denny’s – Denny’s treats you to a hearty Grand Slam breakfast on your birthday.
Dippin’ Dots – FREE Dippin’ Dots ice cream snack after signing up for the Dot Crazy email club.
Dunkin’ Donuts – DD Perks members will receive a free, any-size beverage to enjoy during the month of their birthday.
Firehouse Subs – Firehouse Rewards members can celebrate with a free medium-sized sub. Add your kids to your account to get an offer for their birthdays, too.
Godiva – a FREE piece of chocolate every month in participating GODIVA boutiques. Birthday offer every year on your birthday.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria – When you sign up, you’ll receive a free pizza on your birthday.
Grub Burger Bar – FREE SHAKE on your birthday!
IHOP – Birthday meal is a FREE full stack of Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity
Jamba Juice – FREE smoothie.
Jakes Burgers – Complimentary Granny Jakes Mello Cake!
Jersey Mike’s Subs – Register for Jersey Mike’s email club to get a free sub and drink coupon.
Kona Grill – Get a $15 Off Coupon on your Birthday.
Mooyah – FREE fries.
Nothing Bundt Cakes – FREE Bundtlet.
Olive Garden – Olive Garden guests can receive a FREE dessert coupon as a special birthday gift!
Original Pancake House- FREE Breakfast Meal on your birthday!
Panera Bread – FREE sweet treat on your birthday!
Pinkberry – Register for a Pinkcard to receive a complimentary Pinkberry yogurt on your birthday
RA Sushi – Score a $20 RA gift certificate during the month of your Half Birthday by signing up for the preferred customer email program, The Hook Up. In addition to the sweet gift certificate you’ll be the first to hear about food and drink specials, parties, events and all other happenings in the RA.
Red Robin. Chow down on a free birthday burger from Red Robin by joining its Royalty rewards program.
Sprinkles – FREE cupcake on your birthday! Upon registration, you will be automatically enrolled in Vanilla Level. The more you visit, the more you earn!
Starbucks – FREE drink
Susie Cakes – They’ll give you a box of TWO FREE CUPCAKES just for signing up and you’ll get a slice of your favorite cake on your birthday!
Season’s 52 – If you dine with them on your birthday they will offer you a FREE mini indulgence dessert.
Texas Roadhouse – Join the mailing list to get FREE appetizer on your birthday.
Toulouse – Tell them you are celebrating someone’s birthday and they gladly give a free dessert.
True Food Kitchen – free dessert
Wingstop – Sign up for Wingstop’s email club to receive a free birthday gift.
Zaxby’s – Receive a FREE Sandwich Meal just for joining Zax Mail Club. Then, on your birthday, you will receive a FREE Nibbler!
Zoe’s Kitchen – Create a Zoës Kitchen account to reap all the benefits of being a member including ZK rewards, birthday rewards, surprises and more!

More: Ideas for Food Freebies

Some of our Favorite Freebies for your Birthday

American Eagle – AEO Connected Rewards program members will get 15% off at American Eagle or Aerie during your birthday month.
Bebe – Join the rewards club to earn a special birthday offer.
Brooks Brothers – When you sign up for a Brooks Brothers Credit Card, you’ll receive a $20 reward for your birthday.
DSW – DSW rewards members will receive a complimentary $5 certificate.
J. Crew Factory – Subscribe to J. Crew’s Factory First newsletter and get 20% off your purchase and free shipping on your birthday.
Journeys Kidz – Sign up for the Journeys Kidz Birthday Club and receive an offer every year for your child’s birthday.
Kendra Scott – You receive 50% off one item during your birthday month.
Macy’s – The primary cardholder on an account and Non-Cardholders will receive a birthday surprise during their birthday month.
Madewell – Madewell Insiders receive a birthday gift, free shipping, and handling, free returns, free leather and denim personalization, and more.
Nike – $20 off a purchase of $100 or more
Old Navy – Receive a 15% off everything.
Tory Burch – $50 off any purchase of $100 or more.
Victoria’s Secret – Victoria’s Secret Angel Card members will get a birthday gift on the mail.
World Market – Members will get a surprise offer during the birthday month

Beauty and Personal Care Freebies for your Birthday

Aveda – Join the Pure Privilege Rewards Program and enjoy a birthday gift valued at $23. Plus, receive a certificate for double points on your next Aveda product purchase
Bare Minerals – Join the FAB Friends and benefits to get FAB Birthday Gifts
Benefit Cosmetics. FREE Benefit brow arch service will be provided during the US calendar week (Sun-Sat) which includes legal birth date, except at Ulta Beauty Benefit BrowBar beauty lounge locations. All customers (or minor customer’s parent or legal guardian) must sign the consent and waiver form prior to receiving the service. A valid government issued photo identification required. No substitutions and non-transferable.
Sephora – Sephora’s Beauty Insider program members will get a complimentary birthday gift.
Smashbox – The cosmetics retailer will send middle- and top-tier members of its loyalty program a birthday gift.
Spavia – complimentary cupcake and island escape add-on
The Body Shop – Receive a coupon for $10 off your purchase through the Love Your Body Program.
Ulta – Ultimate Rewards program members will get a free gift and earn double points on purchases made throughout their birthday month.

Lastly, if you are celebrating in a hotel or a resort, inform them that it is your birthday and they normally give a birthday surprise!

Create An Extra Email Or A Junk Folder

A lot of places on this list will send you a birthday freebie coupon or email with a barcode. You can just present it to them on your phone.

In order to send the coupon or birthday freebie code to you, they’ll need an email usually. The best thing to do is to create another email account to sign up for birthday freebies and just search “birthday” when you are ready to get my birthday freebies (just don’t forget your login details!)

They’ll also send you your coupon or birthday freebie days or weeks before your birthday, and it’s so much easier to just search for the word “birthday” or “bday” in your email inbox to find the emails with the actual coupons or freebies.

When Do You Need To Sign Up To Receive A Birthday Freebie?

Try to sign up for birthday freebies at least a month before your birthday. It looks like databases at some companies take a while to update. If you sign up last minute for a birthday freebie, the email with your birthday freebie might not arrive on time!

When Can You Redeem Your Birthday Freebie?

Some companies let you redeem your birthday freebie in the month or week of your birthday, giving you more time to get your freebie and spread out your free stuff redemption during your birthday freebie month. If it doesn’t say when you can redeem your birthday freebie, it usually means the day of.

What Do You Need To Redeem Your Birthday Freebie?

If you get it in the mail, bring it with you or just pull it up on your smartphone — no need to actually print it out if it’s online or in an email.

Local Freebies for Your Birthday

Most national chains have some cool birthday freebies, but local stores and restaurants might have birthday freebie offers as well. You can always ask them!

They may not be good at advertising it, so make sure to mention it on your next visit to plan ahead for the upcoming birthday.

To get some ideas to help you plan your next Kids’ Birthday we have ideas for Birthday Party Places and our Plano Moms Birthday Party Guide