Americans will eat nearly seven billion cheeseburgers from restaurants this year, and on Friday a long list of chains, from McDonald's to Shake Shack, want to sell you the next one at a steep discount.
National Cheeseburger Day lands on September 18, and the promotional blitz started a day early. USA TODAY reported that more than thirty restaurant chains, delivery platforms, and food brands have rolled out deals ranging from dollar burgers to buy-one-get-one offers, most of them tied to loyalty apps that the industry now treats as table stakes.
The sheer volume of promotions tells you something about where the fast-food business stands. Chains are fighting hard for every visit, and the weapon of choice is the discount. Whether that strategy actually builds lasting customer loyalty or just trains diners to wait for the next coupon is a question the industry has been wrestling with for years, a tension explored in depth here.
McDonald's is offering a free double cheeseburger on Friday for MyMcDonald's Rewards members who spend at least a dollar. Wendy's counters with a Dave's Single Cheeseburger for $1.99 as an add-on for Wendy's Rewards members with any purchase. Burger King went broader, launching a four-day "Perks Week" for Royal Perks loyalty members that started Thursday: a free hamburger with a $3 purchase on Thursday, free four-piece nuggets Saturday, and a free Original Chicken Sandwich on Sunday, each requiring a $3 minimum.
The fast-food giants have been jockeying for position all year. Burger King in particular has leaned into aggressive value plays, a strategy that has paid off in recent quarters even as McDonald's stumbled through a weaker stretch.
Carl's Jr. is offering any burger at half price when paired with a Hand-Scooped Ice-Cream Shake purchase on Thursday and Friday for rewards members. Hardee's will give My Rewards members a buy-one-get-one Famous Star cheeseburger on Friday. Sonic has a Jr Double Cheeseburger for $1.99 in-store or through its app.
Five Guys is running a buy-one-get-one burger deal through Friday with the promo code BOGOBURGER. Shake Shack is offering a $5 single ShackBurger or Cheeseburger with any purchase using code BURGERDAY in the Shack App, on its website, or at in-store kiosks.
Smashburger may have the most eye-catching price point: any single Smash burger for $1 on Friday for SmashRewards loyalty members at participating locations. The Smoked Brisket Bacon Smash is excluded.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is offering 50% off any Triple Steakburger, excluding its Prime version, from Friday through Sunday via the Freddy's Rewards app. Buffalo Wild Wings has a buy-one-get-one cheeseburger deal on Friday.
Every one of these deals funnels through a loyalty app or rewards program. That is not an accident. The chains want your data and your repeat visits, and a cheap cheeseburger is the bait. The competition to lock customers into digital ecosystems has reshaped how these companies launch products and run promotions alike.
Applebee's is offering a Classic Burger or Classic Cheeseburger with fries for $8.99 on National Cheeseburger Day. The chain is also running a month-long September deal featuring its O-M-Cheese Burger and O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger on a dine-in 2-for-$25 menu, plus six free Boneless Wings every week during the NFL season for Club Applebee's members who order $15 or more online, redeemable Sunday through Thursday.
Ruby Tuesday is selling burgers and sandwiches with fries or tots for $6.99 on Friday, including its Ruby's Cheeseburger and an Impossible Burger option. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse has an All American Smash Burger with a personal Pizookie dessert for $13, or $17 with a "Spooky Pizookie" upgrade.
Twin Peaks is running an all-day $7.99 Cheeseburger & Fries deal on Friday. Sullivan's Steakhouse has its Signature Angus Burger with fries for $15 for online takeout or delivery orders. Eddie Merlot's is offering its Prime Cheeseburger with potato chips for $15 on online takeout or delivery as well.
Wahlburgers, the chain co-founded by Donnie Wahlberg, Mark Wahlberg, and Executive Chef Paul Wahlberg, kicked things off early with 50% off its signature Our Burger all day Thursday. The deal excludes Home Depot and airport locations.
Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay, the celebrity chef's fast-casual concept, is offering a $9.18 Meal Deal on Friday at participating Charlotte, North Carolina, and Utah locations. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar has a grass-fed cheeseburger with crispy beef tallow fries for $10 on Friday.
Grubhub is waiving delivery and service fees on orders of $50 or more on Friday, along with brand-specific deals. The platform is also running a 20% discount on Outback Steakhouse orders of $55 or more for new diners through Sunday, capped at $11 off.
Dollar General is offering 20% off select restaurant gift cards on Friday, covering McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic, Whataburger, and Applebee's. For families watching their budgets, that is a straightforward way to stretch a dollar, no app download required.
Meanwhile, the operational side of these chains continues to evolve. Several major fast-food brands have recently reconsidered how customers order, pulling back from self-service kiosks after pushback from the very customers they are now courting with discounts.
Good Times, a Colorado-founded chain, has $2.99 Deluxe Cheeseburgers on Friday in-restaurant and through its app, plus $2 Bambinos and $1 fountain drinks all month. Irv's Burgers is selling its Custom Burger for $2.50 all day Friday. Wayback Burgers has a $3.50 Single Cheeseburger for members on National Cheeseburger Day, with a limit of two per person.
Krystal is giving away two free Original or Cheese Krystals with any $5 purchase in its app on Friday. Bad Daddy's Burger Bar has a Jalapeño Business burger with a classic side for $10, dine-in only. Farmer Boys is offering its Big Cheese cheeseburger for $3.99 on Friday for Very Important Farmer loyalty members.
Dog Haus is running a future-visit play: buy a cheeseburger through a Dog Haus Rewards account and earn a free cheeseburger reward on a later visit. Firebird's Wood Fired Grill is offering a $10 welcome gift redeemable Friday for new members of its Inner Circle loyalty program. Tender Greens rounds out the list with a free drink for rewards members who buy a Tender Burger or Tender Burger Plate on Friday.
Red Robin is taking a different approach, offering a chance to win free burgers through entries on Instagram, Facebook, or an online entry form on Friday.
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, described as a self-proclaimed cheeseburger lover, has teamed up with Kraft Singles for a National Cheeseburger Day promotion. The campaign gives fans a chance to win Kraft Singles for life, a trip to Super Bowl LXI, and NFL Shop gear through weekly voting at TheSingleGreatestCall.com during the NFL season.
The promotion is a reminder that cheeseburgers occupy a unique place in American culture, part comfort food, part competitive sport for the chains that sell them. And the quality battles between chains extend well beyond burgers into every corner of their menus.
The numbers behind the holiday are staggering. Circana CREST tracking data covering the twelve months ending July 2026 found that Americans consumed approximately 6.9 billion cheeseburgers from foodservice establishments, an average of 20 per person. Men averaged 24 and women averaged 17 over the same period.
YouGov's regularly updated food popularity rankings give cheeseburgers an 84% positive rating, meaning 84% of those surveyed view them favorably. Hamburgers tied at 84%. Only grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries scored higher, at 85%.
The cheeseburger's origins remain disputed. A Pasadena, California, restaurant stakes a claim dating to 1924. A Louisville, Kentucky, establishment counters with a 1934 origin story. The hamburger itself rose to national prominence at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, per History.com. Nobody settled the argument. Nobody stopped eating them, either.
In an economy where families feel every price increase at the register, a free or discounted cheeseburger is not just a marketing gimmick, it is one of the few things corporate America offers that ordinary people actually want.