US restaurant chains are rolling out a wide array of promotional offers to celebrate the 2025 Halloween season . These deals range from free meals for children in costume to significant discounts on specialty desserts and coffee.

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The economic push to offset Halloween's rising household costs

Families often face significant expenses during the October holiday period, balancing the costs of decorations, costumes, and candy. As the report notes, these food industry promotions are designed to help households manage their budgets while celebrating the holiday.

This trend of "kids-eat-free" models is a recurring seasonal tactic used by major chains to drive foot traffic during the holiday period . By offering incentives like the 99-cent kids meal or free treats for children, brands aim to capture the attention of parents who are already planning outings for trick-or-treating.

Disney Villains and $1 Boo! Books lead the fast-food charge

McDonald's is leveraging popular characters by offering collectible Disney Villains Boo Buckets, which include figures like Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Jafar , and Scar,through October 31.. These Happy Meal additions are available while supplies last.

Wendy's is promoting its $1 Boo! Book to provide customers with multiple coupons for free treats. According to the source, this book includes five coupons for free Jr. Frosty treats and one coupon for a $1.99 kids meal with a purchase, with the Frosty coupons remaining valid through the end of the year.

Krispy Kreme and Dairy Queen's costume-drievn incentives

Krispy Kreme is rewarding costumed diners with free Original Glazed or Classic Ring doughnuts on October 30 and 31 . This offer is aavilable at participating U.S. shops and requires no purchase, though it is limited to one doughnut per guest.

Dairy Queen is introducing its Spellbound Series alongside a $4 mystery Blizzard Buddy keychain that offers a chance to win free Blizzards for an entire year. Other notable seasonal offerings include Baskin-Robbins' BOGO deal on frozen desserts via DoorDash and Edible's 30 percent discount on seasonal platters using the code TREAT30.

Which franchise loctions will honor these national promo codes?

Many of these national promotions are subject to the discretion of individual franchise owners, which creates uncertainty for consumers. The report highlights that individual locations may set their own rules or decline to participate in specific promotions entirely.

It is also currently unverified how many specific locations will be excluded from certain offers, such as the 99-cent kids meal, which reportedly excludes Las Vegas and Disney theme park locations. Consumers are encouraged to verify specific terms and promo codes, such as SPOOKY26 or TRICK20, with their local establishments before visiting.