Reporting by Mike Snider, USA TODAY / Network
Labor Day weekend is a time of travel for some, while others may gather with family or friends closer to home.
Observed annually on the first Monday of September, Labor Day was founded to commemorate the contributions of the labor movement. Some places, including post offices and banks are closed, but many stores and restaurants remain open (it doesn’t hurt to call ahead, should you want to go to one).
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) say they plan to stay close to home over Labor Day, according to research firm Numerator’s survey of more than 1,000 consumers in August. While many plan to cook out (57%), others may go out to eat (13%) or at least gather with friends for drinks (10%), the survey found.
Whatever your Labor Day weekend plans, there’s likely a deal for you. Here’s a roundup of deals and specials, most good through the Labor Day holiday, Monday, Sept. 1.
Food deals, discounts over Labor Day weekend
- 7-Eleven: Need an energy boost over Labor Day weekend? You can get two cans of Phorm Energy drinks for $5 – an offer good through the end of the year.
- Arby’s: Members of the Arby’s Rewards loyalty program get a BOGO Sandwich deal in the app every weekend through the end of September.
- Baked By Melissa: Through Labor Day, get 20% off all 50 ($56 discounted price) and 100 ($108) packs of mini cupcakes when you order on the website (use code BYESUMMER). The packs include three limited-edition flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Eclair, & Cookie Sandwich.
- Baskin-Robbins: Get a deal on a Cappuccino Blast – $5 for a small, $6 for a medium and $7 for a large (available nationwide for a limited time only).
- Black Rifle Coffee Company: Get 25% off select products from Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Gathering to watch sports – or just devour some wings? The Pick 6 deal, starting at $19.99, gets you a choice of two entrées, two sides and two fountain drinks. Entrée options include 10 Boneless Wings, the All-American Cheeseburger or 3 Crispy Chicken Dippers, and the new Spicy Chicken Dippers.
- Checkers & Rally’s: Through the Labor Day weekend, you can get the limited-time $4 Unbeatable Meal Deal, a collaboration with Grammy-nominated hip-hop star GloRilla (who at one time worked at a Checkers in Memphis, the company says). You get to choose either the Cheese Double burger, Spicy Chicken Sandwich or GloRilla’s limited-time BBQ Jacked Burger; plus fries, a drink, and an apple pie.
- The Cheesecake Factory: Through Labor Day, members of the Cheesecake Rewards loyalty program can get a $10 dining credit for every $50 in gift cards purchased. That deal and others can be found on the RetailMeNot site. The credit can be redeemed from Sept. 2 to 30.
- City Barbeque: Enjoy free delivery all week through Labor Day (use code HOT). Members of the City Rewards loyalty program also get 50 bonus points with any Party Pack purchase.
- The Coffee Bean: Members of the chain’s Rewards loyalty program can get any large drink for $5 from Friday, Aug. 29 to Monday, Sept. 1.
- Dog Haus: Members of the Haus Rewards loyalty program get 2X on Labor Day when they order through the app. Need to feed a crew? The fast-casual hot dog and burger chain now has Party Packs, catering-sized slider packs, available at participating locations through the app.
- Dunkin’: Members of the Dunkin’ Rewards loyalty program can get a $1 Braided Apple Pie (offer good Monday, Sept. 1 to Sept. 15) and get 100 bonus points when they order ahead on Mondays (offer good through Oct. 27). You can also order from the fall menu, which includes including new items like a cereal milk latte and the latest Sabrina Carpenter-inspired drink.
- Eight O’Clock Coffee. Get 15% your order on the website through Tuesday, Sept. 2 (use code SOLONG15).
- Eddie Merlot’s: Get $25 off your online order of $75 or more Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1 (use code LABORDAY). Offer is available for online order only; exclusions may apply – check your local Eddie Merlot’s for more details.
- Fazoli’s: From Friday, Aug. 29, through Tuesday, Sept. 2, the restaurant chain offers a $15.99 Fresh-Tossed Family Meal, which comes with a family-sized serving of Fettuccine Alfredo and Spaghetti with Marinara or Meat Sauce (serves 4, comes with 8 Garlic Breadsticks); use code FAMILY1599. Or buy one, get one free order of Fettuccine Alfredo (use code LABORDAY25).
- Goldbergs Fine Foods: Get $5 off your first order of $20 or more when you download the Goldbergs app.
- Holiday Inn Express: On Aug. 30, to celebrate the beginning of the college football season, you can get a free cup of Costa Coffee at Holiday Inn Express hotels within 10 miles of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools (no reservation required).
- Hormbles Chormbles: Get 15% off sitewide and free shipping on orders over $20 through the end of August on the company’s high-protein, zero-sugar chocolate-flavored candy bars.
- Huddle House: You can use the Huddle Rewards loyalty app to get a Buy One, Get One Hashbrown Casserole deal on Labor Day.
- KFC: The restaurant chain has two Labor Day weekend specials – a $3.99 KFC Chicken Sandwich and a $20 Wings & Wedges Fan Favorites Box deal, which comes with 10 Hot & Spicy Wings, 12 KFC Chicken Nuggets, Potato Wedges, four biscuits and four dipping sauces. (Prices and participation may vary, while supplies last.)
- KIND Snacks: The maker of healthy snacks has several deals on Amazon that run through Monday, Sept. 1 including KIND Minis (30% off), KIND Protein MAX (15% off), KIND Chewy (15% off) and KIND Breakfast Protein (15% off).
- Kona Grill: The restaurant chain’s all-day happy hour on Labor Day includes $9 cocktails and select wines and food specials from $3-to-$6.
- Krispy Kreme: This Labor Day weekend (Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1), when you buy a dozen doughnuts, you can get an Original Glazed dozen for just $2. Your choices currently include the Harry Potter Houses of Hogwarts x Krispy Kreme Collection, with a quartet of doughnuts representing the four Hogwarts houses. Also available, but sold separately, is the Sorting Hat Doughnut, featuring a colored filling that reveals which house you belong to.
- Krispy Krunchy Chicken: On Labor Day, get a $5.99 Your Choice Meal Deal – comes with 3-piece bone-in jumbo tenders, 6-piece nuggets, or Cajun Chicken Sandwich, with crispy potato wedges. Participating locations will be open from 10:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., but times may vary by location.
- Logan’s Roadhouse: Over the Labor Day weekend (Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1), get 25% off Party Packs. Members of the Logan’s Rewards loyalty program can redeem the deal in the Logan’s Rewards App (good at participating locations).
- Maggiano’s: For a limited time, get the Italian restaurant chain’s new $20 Big Deal, which lets you pair a fresh salad – options include a Chef’s Caesar or Maggiano’s Salad – with a signature entrée such as Fettuccine Alfredo or Rigatoni alla Vodka. For $5, add a dessert; for an additional cost, you can also upgrade your entrée to Chicken Parmesan or other premium dishes. Prefer carryout? Get free delivery over Labor Day weekend when you order via the website. Or opt for the limited-time Double Your Portion carryout deal, which gets you double the dish size at a reduced price.
- Main Event: On Labor Day at the entertainment centers, there’s a $14.99 All You Can Play + Free $10 Fun Card offer; good for purchase before 12 p.m., with play until 5 p.m. (Price and participation vary by location; hours 10 a.m. to midnight.)
- Mountain Mike’s Pizza: On Labor Day, get 15% off on all pizzas (use code 15OFFYES).
- Omaha Steaks: Get 50% off on the website through Labor Day and free shipping on orders of $149 or more.
- Perkins: The restaurants have a limited-time Burger, Fries and Pie for $9.99 offer. (Participating locations open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; check your local restaurant for more details.)
- Pure Leaf Iced Tea: On Labor Day, spend $4 or more on a Pure Leaf Iced Tea and a Frito-Lay snack and get $2 back via Venmo or PayPal. Get the details here.
- Red Lobster: The seafood restaurant chain has a Labor Day special of a Maine lobster tail paired with Garlic Shrimp Scampi, plus a side, for just $19.99. (Prices may be higher in select states and locations.)
- Round Table Pizza: Get 15% off your order from Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1. Offer good at participating locations for dine-in, carryout, or delivery; use code RTP978.
- Shake Shack: Through Labor Day, with any $10 purchase, you can get a free BBQ Sandwich (choices include the Smoky Classic BBQ Burger, Carolina BBQ Burger with Fried Pickles, Smoky Classic BBQ Chicken and Carolina BBQ Chicken with Fried Pickles). Offer good in stores, in the Shack App and on the website (use code SUMMER).
- Smokey Bones: Specials on Labor Day at the restaurant chain include a buy one, get one free wing deal – you can buy six, eight or 12 and get six, eight or 12 free. There’s also a Game Day Feast ($179.99) with 72 wings, three racks of European Baby Back Ribs, your choice of two sides, garlic bread, plus 24 donut holes and raspberry & chocolate dipping sauces. Also on the menu: a BBQ Party Pack ($99.99) with three meats, two quarts of sides, and garlic bread. (Prices may vary by location.)
- STK Steakhouse: The restaurant chain’s all-day happy hour on Labor Day includes $9 cocktails and select wines and food specials from $3-to-$6.
- Sullivan’s Steakhouse: During Labor Day weekend (Friday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 1), get $25 off your online order of $75 or more (use code LABORDAY). Online orders only; exclusions may apply (check your local Sullivan’s Steakhouse for more details).
- Thompson Restaurants: Celebrate the long weekend with three-day brunch specials such as $6 Brews, Bubbles or Bloodies at restaurants including Matchbox, Milk & Honey, Makers Union and Hen Quarter in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. And from Labor Day through Sunday, Sept. 8, you can get 20% off your bill at any of the company’s 65-plus restaurants – there’s also locations in Ohio and South Florida.
- Twin Peaks: Conducting your Fantasy Football Draft over the holiday weekend? Reserve a table and get food and drink specials – league commissioners get $50 Kickback Cards, other team owners get $5 – and have a chance to win $1,000. (Reserve table by Thursday, Sept. 4.)
- Wingstop: New from the wing-centric restaurant chain are three Ultimate Meal Deals, each of which feeds 2-3 people – the Boneless Meal Deal ($17.99; 20 boneless wings, choice of 4 flavors, large fry and two dips), the Classic Meal Deal ($26.99, 20 Classic Wings in your choice of 4 flavors, with a large fry and two dips), and the Cam Ward’s #1 Picks Meal, which is named after the Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback ($22.99; 10 Classic Wings in your choice of two flavors and 10 Boneless Wings in your choice of two flavors, with a large fry and two dips). If you want to follow Ward’s exact order, here’s the call: five each of 5 Lemon Pepper classic wings, Hot Honey Rub classic wings, Mango Habanero boneless wings, and Hickory Smoked BBQ boneless wings.
Reporting by Mike Snider, USA TODAY / Network