National Coffee Day Offers Discounts, Deals For Java Junkies

FLORIDA — With a coffee shop opening up on every corner and increasingly sophisticated machines professing to produce the best cup of joe, you'd think coffee was invented yesterday.

But, actually, the art of a great cup of coffee dates back centuries, according to the National Association of Coffee of the U.S.A.

While no one knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered, there are many legends about its origin.

One legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans in the ancient forests of Ethiopia.

Supposedly, Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed his goats were more energetic after eating the berries from a certain tree. Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer.

Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and, by the 16th century, it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey. As a result, public coffee houses — called qahveh khaneh — began to appear in cities across the Near East.

Not only did the patrons drink coffee and engage in conversation, but they also listened to music, watched performers, played chess and kept current on the news. Coffee houses quickly became such an important center for the exchange of information that they were often referred to as “Schools of the Wise.”

European travelers to the Near East brought back stories of the unusual dark black beverage and, by the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and was becoming popular across the continent.

Some people reacted to this new beverage with suspicion or fear, calling it the “bitter invention of Satan.” The local clergy condemned coffee when it came to Venice in 1615. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the beverage for himself before making a decision, and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.

According to the personal finance website, WalletHub, 65 percent of Americans consume 491 million cups of coffee every day, and a big share of those cups of coffee are sipped in Florida.

In fact, in its latest report, 2023's Best Coffee Cities in America, Orlando is ranked as the fourth-best city to get a great cup of java, Tampa is rated sixth and Miami is rated 12th.

In recent years, a new generation of roasters has arisen and made their mark on Florida's coffee scene, importing beans from the Hawaiian islands (Kona), Mexico, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Bolivia, Jamaica, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Thailand, Cuba, Bolivia and other countries.

There are 29 types of coffee beans used used to make 120 distinct types of coffee but the two beans that dominate the market are Arabica beans and Robusta beans.

National Coffee Day Deals

To celebrate National Coffee Day on Friday, retailers are offering deal and discounts.

Guests at Duck Donuts can enjoy a free medium hot coffee or cold brew with any purchase in-store or online Friday, Sept. 29. When ordering online, use the code COFFEEDAY23 at checkout to receive the offer.

Dunkin’ is celebrating National Coffee Day this year with a free medium hot or iced coffee (limit one per member) with a purchase on Friday.

Select Starbucks stores will host free coffee tastings led by expert baristas who are passionate about coffee. And, in some stores, the coffee tastings may be led by a Starbucks-certified Coffee Master, which is a special designation for their partners around the world who are experts in coffee knowledge and complete Starbucks Coffee Academy.

With the McDonald’s App, customers can redeem any size premium roast coffee or iced coffee for just 99 cents once daily through Dec. 31 at participating restaurants nationwide (including on National Coffee Day).

Customers can get a Godiva PWP Signature Blend Coffee for $15, with no minimum spending required through Sept. 30.

This National Coffee Day, curl up with a good book and get a free coffee with the purchase of any bakery item at Barnes & Noble.

Biggby Coffee offers a free 20-ounce cup of brewed coffee on National Coffee Day.

Get a free cup of coffee in any size in-store at Circle K through Oct. 2 when you use the Circle K app.

When you order on its app, you can get a free coffee from Einstein Bros. Bagels on National Coffee Day.

Get a free medium hot or iced coffee at Krispy Kreme on National Coffee Day 2023. You can also get an original glazed zozen for $2 with the purchase of any dozen doughnuts.

Rewards members can nab a free medium hot or iced Lavazza coffee with any purchase from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Paris Baguette locations.

Through Oct. 1, get 20 percent off all retail coffee bags and Single Serve K-Cup Coffee boxes from Perkins Restaurant and Bakery.

Get any size hot, iced or cold brew coffee for free at Pilot Flying J on National Coffee Day when you use the myRewards Plus app.

At PJ's Coffee now through Oct. 1, get a free 12-ounce cold brew or hot coffee with any purchase of whole bean coffee bags. You can also get a free 12-oz. hot or cold brew coffee with any pastry or sandwich purchase on National Coffee Day.

Use the RaceTrac Rewards app to get a promo code for a free medium coffee at RaceTrac locations.

Get one free brewed coffee per customer per day at Scooter's Coffee now through the rest of September.

Wawa Rewards members can get a free coffee at Wawa on National Coffee Day.

Rewards members can get a small hot or iced coffee for 99 cents on National Coffee Day at Wendy's using their app or online ordering.