Dunkin', formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts, redesigned their cups.
Dunkin', formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts, redesigned their cups.

Dunkin' is giving away 1 million free coffees to customers Thursday, kicking off a stretch of promotions and collaborations tied to National Coffee Day that has already drawn long lines at some locations earlier this week.

Through the limited-time promotion, the coffee and donut chain will give away free hot or iced coffee to the first 1 million customers who claim the offer Thursday, September 24. Dunkin' plans to reveal the specific promo code needed to redeem the offer on its social media accounts midday Thursday. Customers can then enter that code in the "Offers & Rewards" section of the Dunkin' app to claim their free coffee, with the offer redeemable through Sunday, September 27.

Food influencer Snackolator offered advice for customers hoping to secure the freebie before it runs out, emphasizing the importance of preparation ahead of the promo code's release. "Make sure you have the Dunkin' app and an account set up early to grab it quickly – they tend to last a good 30-45 minutes, but the app runs slow, so if you don't sign up ahead of time, it can be tough to do it when it goes live!" the influencer said.

Thursday's giveaway is only the opening act in a broader stretch of Dunkin' promotions planned for the coming days. In honor of National Coffee Day on Tuesday, September 29, Dunkin' Rewards members will be able to claim a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase made through the Dunkin' app.

The National Coffee Day celebrations also include a new collaboration between Dunkin' and outdoor retailer L.L.Bean, marking the two brands' first-ever partnership. Released earlier this week to coincide with the first day of fall, the limited-edition collection includes a miniature coffee cup cozy styled after L.L.Bean's signature fisherman sweater pattern, though reimagined in Dunkin's bright pink and orange color scheme rather than the outdoor retailer's traditional navy-and-white combination. The small coffee sweater was offered free to customers, but demand quickly outpaced supply. At one Dunkin' location in midtown Manhattan, a barista told the New York Post that the store had already run out of the promotional item by 6:30 that morning, an experience echoed by numerous customers across social media.

Customers who missed out on the free coffee cozy will still have a chance to purchase a full-sized version of the collaboration starting on National Coffee Day itself. A human-size L.L.Bean x Dunkin' sweater will be available for $79.95 beginning September 29. Additional items in the collaboration include a pink-and-orange version of L.L.Bean's classic Boat and Tote bag, priced at $59.95, and a smaller, coffee-cup-sized tote bag priced at $24.95, both of which will be available exclusively through Dunkin's website.

Dunkin' Chief Marketing Officer Jill Nelson described the rationale behind pairing the coffee chain with the century-old outdoor apparel retailer, framing the collaboration around shared everyday rituals between the two brands' customer bases. "We love collaborations that feel authentic to the way people actually live," Nelson said. "From morning coffee runs to weekends outside, Dunkin' and L.L.Bean have been part of many of the same routines and traditions for decades. Bringing them together just felt right."

Beyond the merchandise collaboration, Dunkin' has said it is partnering with L.L.Bean for a full week of additional freebies and festivities leading up to and including National Coffee Day, extending the promotional partnership well beyond Thursday's coffee giveaway and the initial merchandise drop.

Thursday's 1 million free coffee promotion arrives as Dunkin' continues leaning into large-scale customer giveaways as a marketing strategy, a tactic the chain has used periodically to drive app downloads, rewards program sign-ups and overall customer engagement. Given the reported 30-to-45-minute window in which similar past promotions have run out, customers hoping to claim Thursday's free coffee are likely to need to act quickly once the promo code is released at midday.

With National Coffee Day itself still five days away and additional Dunkin' Rewards promotions and L.L.Bean merchandise releases still to come, this week's rollout of free coffee, limited-edition apparel and ongoing app-based rewards offers represents one of Dunkin's more extensive promotional pushes tied to the annual coffee holiday, reflecting the broader consumer enthusiasm that has already been on display at stores nationwide since the collaboration's initial launch earlier this week.