Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday. It is observed annually on November 11 to honor military veterans -- people who served in the United States Armed Forces. (Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day...Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.)

Along with all of us who want to thank our Veterans for serving our country, there are a number of businesses who offer up special deals on Veterans Day to show their appreciation to our veterans and active duty military personnel for their service to our country. There may be other discounts and freebies out there, but these were the ones I could confirm. If you click on the name of the business, you can see the offer details.

Applebee's -- Veterans, Active-Duty Military, Reserves and National Guard can receive a free meal when dining in from a special menu on Friday, November 11th. Military guests will also receive a $5 Bounce Back Card to redeem for dine-in, To Go or delivery within three weeks.

Biggby Coffee -- Veterans and Active Duty Military can get a free 16 oz. beverage of their choice on Friday, November 11th with valid military ID.

Bob Evans -- The restaurant will be offering a special menu  of seven homestle favorites for veterans and active duty military to get a free meal on November 11th. Dine-in only.

Chili's -- Veterans and active-duty service members get a free meal from a select menu on November 11th. Available for in-restaurant only.

Denny's -- Veterans and active military personnel get a free Grand Slam on Friday, November 11th, from 5 am to 12 Noon. Dine-in only.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit -- Veterans and active-duty military get a Free Pulled Pork Sandwich on November 11th. Valid in-store, and online/app for carryout with code VETFREE.

Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers -- Veterans and current military personnel can get a free Freddy's Original Double with Cheese combo meal card that can be redeemed through November 30th, 2022.

IHOP -- Veterans and active-duty military get free Red, White & Blueberry Pancakes at participating locations on Friday, November 11th from 7 am to 7 pm. Dine-in only.

Krispy Kreme -- Veterans can get a free small brewed hot or iced coffee and doughnut on Friday, November 11th at participating locations.

Little Caesars -- Veterans and active-duty military personnel can get a free 4-slice Detroit-Style Deep Dish pizza with Pepperoni and one 20 oz. Pepsi Lunch Combo on Friday, November 11th from 11 am to 2 pm in-store only.

Logan's Roadhouse -- On Friday, November 11 between 3 and 6 pm, veterans and active-duty military personnel can get a free meal from a special menu at participating locations.

Mission BBQ -- Veterans can get a free sandwich on Friday, November 11th.

MOD Pizza -- Buy one MOD-size pizza or salad, get one MOD-size pizza or salad free on Friday, November 11th with proof of military service. Valid in-store only

Pilot Flying J -- From November 11 through 13, 2022, service members and their families verified through ID.me in the myRewards Plus app will receive a free meal credit, valued up to $12.

Red Lobster -- Veterans, active-duty military and reservists get a free Walt's Favorite Shrimp, Fries, and Coleslaw on Friday, November 11th. The offer is available from 11 am to 4 pm..

Red Robin – Veterans and active-duty military can get a free Red's Tavern Double on November 11th. The classic burger also come with free refills of Bottomless Steak Fries.

7-11 -- Veterans can get a free Quarter Pound Big Bite 100% all beef hot dog on November 11th. Available in store and via delivery through 7-11's 7NOW app.

Smokey Bones -- Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal from a select menu with valid ID on November 11th. Dine-in only.

Starbucks -- Veterans, military service members and military spouses get a free tall (12 oz.) hot brewed or iced coffee coffee at participating stores on Friday, November 11th.

TCBY -- This one requires a drive to Muskegon... Veterans and active military personnel get their first 6 oz. of frozen yogurt for free on Friday, November 11th at participating locations.

Texas Roadhouse -- Veterans and active-duty military can get a meal voucher on Friday, November 11th from 11 am to 2 pm. The voucher is good for dine-in or carry out on a specific menu and can be used through May 30, 2023.

TGI Fridays -- Veterans and active-duty military personnel can get a free lunch from a select menu on November 11th from 11 am to 2 pm at participating locations. Dine-in only.

Wendy’s -- Active-duty military and veterans get a free breakfast combo on Friday, November 11th at participating locations from 6:30 to 10:30 am.

 

Other discounts are also available at some retail locations. Those include:

Bed Bath & Beyond -- Veterans, active duty, and military spouses get 25% off their entire purchase online or in-store November 11th through the 13th.

Dollar General -- Veterans, active-duty military and their families get a 20% discount on in-store and online purchases on November 10th through the 13th.

Great Clips – On Friday, November 11th, veterans and active military members can visit a Great Clips salon and receive either a free haircut that day or a free haircut card. In addition, non-military customers who get a haircut on Veterans Day at Great Clips salons can pay it forward. They will receive a free haircut card they can give to an active service member or veteran as a way of saying thank you. The cards can be redeemed for a free haircut from November 12th through December 9th, 2022.

Sleep Number -- Military and veteran families receive 20% off most smart beds, bases and bedding with promo code from November 1st to November 14th.

If you see any other discounts for Veterans Day, send me the information at scott@wfgr.com and I will add it to the list. Please include a website link with information for verification purposes.

DISCLAIMER: I recommend you call specific locations to make sure they are taking part in the promotions and what proof of service they require. Each company may have different requirements. Websites or Facebook pages have been provided for additional information.

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

More From 98.7 WFGR