Today Is National Doughnut Day: Here’s Where to Get Yer Free Donuts

By Paul Riegler on 7 June 2019
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Today, June 7, is National Doughnut Day, also known as National Donut Day, in the United States and Canada. The holiday was established in 1938 to honor the “lassies” of the Salvation Army who served doughnuts to soldiers during the First World War and it takes place on the first Friday in June.

To celebrate, many U.S. doughnut shops offer their customers free samples.

The doughnut itself – a fried dough confection – comes in many shapes and sizes, although the two most common are the ring donut and the filled donut.

Doughnuts trace their origins back to the olykoek that Dutch settlers brought with them to New Amsterdam before it became New York. The first cookbook to mention them was published in 1803.

Research from Canadian coffee and doughnut purveyor Tim Hortons revealed that Canada is the number one consumer of the confection in the world, with one billion consumed annually, while anecdotal research conducted by watch police television shows found that police departments across North America are the greatest consumer of donuts by industry.

Doughnut are not of course limited to North America.  They are available as beignets in France, Krapfen in Germany, lángos in Hungary, fritole in Italy, and lokma in Turkey.

Meanwhile, here’s where to get your free doughnuts today:

Cumberland Farms is giving away a free doughnut with any dispensed beverage.

Duck Donuts, with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Florida, will offer customers a free bare, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar coated doughnut.

Dunkin’ Donuts will give customers a free classic doughnut with any beverage purchase.

Entenmann’s is holding a contest where entrants create a new doughnut flavor that will be produced later this year.  The winner will receive $5,000 and a year’s worth of doughnuts.

Krispy Kreme will give each customer a free doughnut, and no purchase is required. If the chain manages to give away one million doughnuts or more, it will launch a second free donut offering that will take place later in June.

Tim Hortons is offering customers at five unspecified locations in Buffalo, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan the opportunity to win free donut holes for an entire year and a box of honey-dipped 24k gold-covered Timbits. The first person to ask for “Gold TImbits” at each store wins the prize.

At LaMar’s Donuts, all customers will get a free doughnut, no purchase required.

Finally, Wawa will give Wawa Rewards members a free bonus doughnut with the purchase of a specialty beverage.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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