According to a survey commissioned in 2020 by the National Coffee Association, 62% of American adults drink at least one cup of joe every day. You’d hardly think the nation needs a special holiday to remind us to drink coffee, but Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day. To commemorate the date, several coffee emporia around town are offering discounts on their morning brew, and a few establishment are picking up the check altogether.
To start with the most obnoxious promotion (make that “self promotion”), Starbucks has not only co-opted the holiday, rebranding it as “National Starbucks Day,” but is offering bupkus to customers in gratitude for their patronage. The closest they come to an actual giveaway is to suggest you buy the drink for the person behind you.
The chain could stand to take a page out of Krispy Kreme‘s playbook. Rewards members who visit participating stores can receive a brewed coffee and any doughnut of their choice for free — no questions asked. 7-Eleven and Dunkin’ are likewise handing out free coffee to rewards (or in the case of Dunkin’ “perks”) members.
Panera Bread is attaching an appreciation-day component to its coffee giveaway, which it is limiting to parents and caregivers. No purchase is necessary so long as you let the cashier know that you’re a parent or caregiver.
Isla & Co., which has branches in Williamsburg (107 N. 12th Street) and Midtown (25 W. 38th Street), will absorb the cost of all coffee drinks listed on the check of any patron who takes a snapshot of his beverage and tags @islaandco in a post on social media.
Masseria Caffè, in Hell’s Kitchen, (891 Ninth Avenue, at 58th St.) will slash the cost of any size hot or iced filtered coffee to $2 with the purchase of one of their baked goods options such as a cornetto (a pastry along the lines of a croissant but made with less butter, yielding a softer end product) or a bigné (a cream puff filled with either gianduia cream or custard cream).
Finally, Hole In the Wall, which has locations in the Financial District (15 Cliff Street), Murray Hill (626 First Avenue), Flatiron (37 W. 24th Street), and Williamsburg (292 Bedford Avenue), will shave $2 from any of its coffee beverages with the purchase of food.
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