Mothers Day 2023 Complete Guide To Restaurant Deals And Free Food Offers

Mother's Day 2023 brought numerous special offers and freebies from restaurants and food establishments across the United States. On Sunday, May 14, many chains provided complimentary items, discounts, and special promotions to celebrate mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and other mother figures. These offers ranged from free desserts and beverages to bonus gift cards and discounted meals, providing various options for those looking to treat the special women in their lives without overspending.

This guide compiles the verified Mother's Day 2023 freebies and deals from multiple sources, organized by restaurant type and offer category. While some promotions required loyalty program membership or specific purchase amounts, many were available to all customers dining on Mother's Day or during the surrounding weekend.

Restaurant Dining Specials

Many restaurant chains offered special promotions for Mother's Day 2023, with both sit-down establishments and fast-food chains participating in the celebration.

Sit-Down Restaurants

Several sit-down restaurants provided complimentary gifts or special menu items for Mother's Day:

  • BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse offered every mom who dined during the special weekend a complimentary Mother's Day stemless wine glass to take home. Additionally, from May 1 through June 18, guests who purchased a $50 eGift card received an additional $10 gift card, which could be redeemed between June 19 and July 9, 2023.

  • Boston's Pizza provided free desserts, such as their Boston's Whiskey Cake, to all loyalty members who dined in on Mother's Day.

  • California Pizza Kitchen brought back its signature heart-shaped pizzas for one day only on Sunday, May 14, 2023. Guests visiting a CPK restaurant with Mom on Saturday or Sunday during Mother's Day weekend (May 13 and 14) received a $10 bonus card for every $50 spent.

  • Capital Grille opened early for Mother's Day and served the full dinner menu as well as four brunch features starting at 10 a.m., though specific details about complimentary items or discounts were not provided.

Fast-Food Chains

Fast-food establishments also joined the Mother's Day celebration with various promotions:

  • 7-Eleven offered 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members a $5 whole pizza from participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

  • Arby's provided rewards members with 50 percent off a sandwich or wrap. This offer expired on May 14, 2023, and was only available for pick-up and eat-in orders.

  • Auntie Anne's offered rewards members buy-one-get-one 50% off any pretzel item or drink, valid only on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

  • Baskin-Robbins introduced an all-new Perfect Peony Cake for Mother's Day, though specific details about pricing or promotions were not provided.

  • Chicken Salad Chick offered a free Large Quick Chick of any of its chicken salads with the purchase of a Large Quick Chick on Friday, May 12 at all locations.

  • White Castle gave away free dessert on a stick with any purchase made from Friday through Sunday.

  • Tim Hortons started Mother's Day with a buy-one-get-one deal, though specific details about the offer were not provided beyond last year's promotion of 10 free Timbits with the purchase of 10 Timbits.

Food and Beverage Freebies

Several restaurants provided complimentary food and beverages or special deals on Mother's Day 2023:

  • Auntie Anne's offered two promotions: buy-one-get-one 50% off any pretzel item or drink on Mother's Day (May 14), and a free Original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel with the purchase of an online gift card from May 14 through June 25. The free pretzel reward needed to be unlocked in the Auntie Anne's app before June 26, 2023, and would expire 28 days after being unlocked.

  • Jamba provided loyalty members with 20% off orders $25 and under from May 12-14, 2023.

  • Carvel offered $5 off any round cakes ordered on DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats from May 1 through May 14, 2023.

  • Several unspecified locations offered free frozen yogurt to moms all day on Sunday, May 14, though the specific businesses were not identified in the source material.

Gift Card Bonus Offers

Many restaurant chains enhanced their Mother's Day promotions by offering bonus gift cards with purchases:

  • Applebee's gave customers a $10 bonus card with the purchase of a $50 gift card.

  • Auntie Anne's offered a $5 Reward Code with the purchase of $25 in gift cards, though specific dates for this promotion were not provided.

  • BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse provided a $10 bonus card with the purchase of a $50 e-gift card, available from May 1 through June 18, 2023.

  • California Pizza Kitchen offered a $10 bonus card for every $50 spent on Mother's Day weekend (May 13-14).

  • Carvel gave customers a $5 reward card with the purchase of $25 in gift cards. This reward card was redeemable from June 19 through August 31, 2023.

  • Cinnabon offered customers a $5 reward card with the purchase of $25 in gift cards, redeemable from June 19 through August 31, 2023.

Dessert-Specific Treats

Several chains focused on desserts for their Mother's Day promotions:

  • Baskin-Robbins introduced an all-new Perfect Peony Cake specifically for Mother's Day.

  • Boston's Pizza offered free desserts, such as their Boston's Whiskey Cake, to loyalty members who dined in on Mother's Day.

  • White Castle provided free dessert on a stick with any purchase from Friday through Sunday of Mother's Day weekend.

  • California Pizza Kitchen featured heart-shaped pizzas on Mother's Day, which could be considered a special "dessert" item for pizza lovers.

  • Auntie Anne's offered buy-one-get-one 50% off any pretzel item or drink on Mother's Day, along with a free pretzel with online gift card purchases.

Planning and Participation Guidelines

For those looking to take advantage of Mother's Day 2023 freebies and deals, several important guidelines emerged from the source material:

  1. Loyalty Programs: Many offers required membership in restaurant loyalty programs. Customers were encouraged to sign up in advance or check their existing accounts for eligibility.

  2. Dining Options: Some offers were limited to specific dining methods. For example, Arby's promotion was only available for pick-up and eat-in orders, while California Pizza Kitchen's heart-shaped pizzas were available for dine-in only.

  3. Purchase Requirements: Several promotions required minimum purchase amounts, such as BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse's $50 e-gift card purchase to receive a $10 bonus card.

  4. Date Restrictions: Most offers were specifically tied to Mother's Day (May 14, 2023) or the surrounding weekend (May 12-14). Some promotions, like gift card bonuses, had extended validity periods.

  5. Participating Locations: Nearly all offers were subject to availability at participating locations, with many noting "while supplies last" or "participating locations only."

  6. App Requirements: Some offers required specific actions within restaurant apps, such as Auntie Anne's requirement to unlock the free pretzel reward in their app before June 26.

  7. Proof of Motherhood: While most offers were open to all customers dining with mothers, some promotions like Wienerschnitzel (mentioned in other sources but not specifically for 2023) required "proof of Mom-bership," which could include bringing children, showing photos, or other demonstrations.

Conclusion

Mother's Day 2023 offered numerous opportunities to celebrate the special women in one's life through restaurant deals and free food offers. From complimentary stemless wine glasses at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse to buy-one-get-one deals at Auntie Anne's, restaurants provided various options for different budgets and preferences.

The most common promotion types included gift card bonuses (particularly $10 extra with $50 purchases), free desserts for moms, and special menu items like heart-shaped pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen. Fast-food chains like 7-Eleven and Arby's also participated with rewards-specific deals.

For maximum savings, customers were encouraged to check loyalty program requirements, note specific date restrictions, and confirm participating locations. Many offers required advance planning, such as unlocking app rewards or purchasing gift cards during specific promotional periods.

While Mother's Day comes but once a year, the various deals and freebies offered by restaurants in 2023 demonstrated numerous ways to celebrate without overspending, making it possible for families to show their appreciation through thoughtful dining experiences rather than expensive gifts.

Sources

  1. ChewBoom.com Mother's Day Specials
  2. ChicagoFree.info Mother's Day Deals
  3. Lifehacker Mother's Day Food Deals
  4. The Freebie Guy Mother's Day Deals
  5. Living on the Cheap Mother's Day Freebies