Casual restaurant chain Habit Burger & Grill is giving away 200,000 free meals across the U.S. through Nov. 4, and the giveaway starts at a different surprise time each day.
The initiative is part of the brand’s ‘Pay Good Forward’ campaign, meant to inspire everyday acts of kindness. There is a limit of one free box per person per day, however.
While most standard restaurants are taking part, non-traditional spots like airports, university campuses, and stadiums are excluded from the giveaway.
Dubbed ‘Habit Hour,’ the daily giveaway began on Oct. 26 and runs for 10 days. The chain is handing out about 20,000 meals a day, with each participating restaurant offering 50. Customers don’t have to buy anything to get one.
The free meal in question is the Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Box, a $10 combo that Habit added to its menu recently. The combo includes a cheeseburger cut in half, five crispy chicken bites, a small side, and a regular drink. In total, the meals given away are worth about $2 million.
The trio box comes in three versions. The BBQ option has American cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and crispy onions, while the Ranch variation has American cheese, pickles, avocado, and Habit’s house-made ranch. The spicy version, meanwhile, comes with white American cheese, pickles, jalapeños, and spicy mayonnaise.
True to the surprise element, Habit keeps the daily start time under wraps until shortly before the giveaway kicks off. MyHabit rewards members, however, who have their push notifications turned on, get an alert two hours before the giveaway begins.
The chain has also been sharing the time on its social media accounts, including Instagram, one hour ahead.
To claim the promotion, you’ve got to order in person at the counter. Drive-thru, mobile app, online, and third-party delivery orders don’t qualify for the giveaway.
It’s also worth noting that at each restaurant, the giveaway lasts one hour or until all 50 meals have been claimed. Since some locations could run out quickly, it’s advisable for customers to plan their arrival close to the start time.
Sources: GlobeNewswire, Habit Burger, Sporked