Where to Get Free Coffee for National Coffee Day 2012

If the first words out of your mouth every morning are, “I’ll have a large coffee”—or if you can’t even speak until after you’ve had your java fix—there's a national holiday created especially for you.

America will put staunch tea drinkers to shame on National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, when coffee fiends can rejoice and celebrate their beloved coffee bean with free brew from national chains.

Coffee was first brought to America in the mid-1600s in a shipment en route to “New Amsterdam,” now known as New York, according to the National Coffee Association. We have that shipment and the Boston Tea Party to thank for turning the nation into coffee drinkers.  

Many local cafes and businesses are participating in the national celebration Sept. 29.

Cafe Kili, which has recently been ranked as the eighth best coffee shop in the nation, is offering a free cup of coffee to customers when they purchase $3 worth of food.

Felicitous Independent Coffee House is giving a free small coffee from 9 a.m.-noon to anyone who says, “I love coffe!”

Sacred Grounds is giving customers 10 percent off their coffee purchase if they say “Happy National Coffee Day!”

National coffee chains will also be giving out free cups of coffee.  

McDonald’s restaurants are giving away free 12-ounce coffees every day through Sept. 29. No purchase is necessary, and coffee will be available in the drive-thru or in the restaurants.

It’s CofFREE Day at 7-Eleven, which means a free large coffee for anyone who stops by a participating 7-Eleven store between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sept. 28. 

Although there are none in Temple Terrace, Krispy Kreme is offering one free 12-ounce House Blend Coffee per customer at participating stores on Sept. 29, with no purchase necessary. If you drive to Tampa, Brandon, Palm Harbor or Lakeland, this might be an option for you. The company is also having a contest in conjunction with their 75th anniversary. Participants will have a chance to win two free bags of coffee per month for the next year.

Want to show off your free or discounted coffee? Add a photo to this gallery of you drinking your coffee from one of the local retailers offering specials.

What’s your favorite blend of coffee, and where do you get it? Tell us in the comments.