Krispy Kreme Offers Free Doughnuts for a Year to Encourage Customer Vaccination

Starting Monday, any customer with a valid COVID-19 vaccination card can receive a free Original Glazed doughnut at participating Krispy Kreme locations nationwide, the company announced in a press release. 

The iconic doughnut shop notes any guests who have received at least one of the two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine qualify for the promotion. Customers have to show their vaccination card to redeem their one free doughnut a day and can do so every day for the rest of 2021. 

“We all want to get COVID-19 behind us as fast as possible and we want to support everyone doing their part to make the country safe by getting vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available to them,” Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme’s chief marketing officer, said in the statement.

How Brands are Encouraging Customers and Employees to Get Vaccinated

Krispy Kreme isn’t the only chain using its cache to incentivize vaccinations. Up-Down, a chain of bars featuring vintage arcade games, is rolling out a promotion called “Tokens for Poke’ns,” where guests with a completed vaccination card receive $5 in free tokens. Cleveland Cinemas, a movie-theater chain in Ohio, is also offering a free 44-ounce popcorn at two of its locations to anyone who presents a vaccination card through April 30. Since these types of entertainment concepts can’t necessarily pivot their offering to off-premises, these vaccination incentives may also be a way to bring more customers on-site.

To take it even one step further, Staples is offering free lamination for vaccination cards through the end of May to protect cards from damage as customers use them to rake in all these free items. 

While Krispy Kreme may be the first major brand to offer vaccine incentives for customers, several other brands, including McDonald’s, Chipotle and Darden, have been finding ways to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated, including cash and paid time off. Now, according to the press release, Krispy Kreme is joining that list, offering employees up to four hours of paid time off to get the vaccine. 

Although these initiatives are strictly corporate-run, meaning franchise locations are not included, franchisees may be wise to follow suit and look for franchisor-approved ways they can incentivize employee and customer vaccinations at their own locations.  

How These Initiatives Can Help Move Vaccination Progress Forward

According to the CDC, 133 million doses of the vaccine have been administered and more than 44 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. According to NPR, about 2.6 million doses are administered each day (Krispy Kreme also plans to support the health care workers administering those vaccines by delivering free doughnuts to vaccination centers across the country).  

Although that progress is great news, a January survey from Blackhawk Ventures found 40% of Americans had reservations about getting a vaccine, with two-thirds noting they would be more likely to receive the shot if they were offered an incentive. 

Now, it appears brands are looking to use any tools at their disposal to sway those on-the-fence and help create a safer environment for everyone. Plus, the sooner the country is vaccinated, the sooner these businesses’ sales and operations can start to return to normal.