Chick-fil-A plans promos; Starbuck’s, others tout giveaways
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Margaret Cashill Staff writer
Media
If the political stakes aren’t high enough, Tampa Bay area residents have an added incentive to vote on Election Day: the lure of free coffee, doughnuts, ice cream and chicken sandwiches.
Employees from the Westshore Plaza Chick-fil-A will hand out coupons to voters at the Skyway Sports Complex polling location. Volunteers at this location will receive a complimentary meal, said Matt Chippeaux, owner and operator of the Westshore Plaza location.
Customers who present an “I voted” sticker at several Bay area Chick-fil-A locations, including Westshore Plaza, will receive a complimentary chicken sandwich.
“We wanted to reward people,” said Chippeaux. “There are so many new voters this year, we wanted to encourage as many people as possible.”
In addition to a free sandwich for voters on Election Day, a Chick-fil-A franchise in Lakeland will give a free sandwich to customers who bring their campaign yard sign on Wednesday. The offer is intended to help clean up the community, said Scott Brickhouse, owner and operator of the Lakeland location.
Brickhouse has offered similar yard-sign giveaways at the same location over the last four years. During the last presidential election, customers left more than 350 signs in his store’s front yard.
“It is the visual that makes it work,” said Brickhouse. “Once you get a few signs out there, people start to get into the spirit of the whole thing.”
Chick-fil-A is not the only business planning to nourish voters on Election Day.
Starbucks Coffee Inc. will provide a free tall 12-ounce coffee to voters at participating locations. Starbucks has more than 100 stores in the Bay area. No sticker is required through the Starbucks program.
Customers who present an “I voted” sticker at participating Krispy Kreme Doughnuts locations will receive a doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles as part of Krispy Kreme’s “Hot Vote Now” promotion. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. has locations in Tampa, Brandon and Palm Harbor, and the offer is good for one doughnut per voter.
To round out a voter’s day, Ben and Jerry’s has publicized a campaign for a free scoop of ice cream at participating Scoop Shops after 5 p.m. This offer is good for one scoop of ice cream per customer. The store at the University of South Florida Student Union encourages people to bring in their “I voted” sticker for a free scoop between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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