Tax‑day deals and value meals
Tax‑day promotions rolled out this week with deals from Wendy’s, Krispy Kreme and Subway while Chili’s pushed a $10.99 '3 For Me' combo that includes the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich, fries, bottomless chips and a drink. ( ).
Chains used Tax Day to push low-price meals this week, with one-day freebies on April 15 and Chili’s extending a $10.99 combo pitch beyond the filing deadline. (today.com, restaurantnews.com) Tax Day fell on Wednesday, April 15, and national chains tied promotions to that date. Krispy Kreme offered a free Original Glazed dozen with the purchase of any dozen on April 15, while Subway ran a buy-one-get-one-free footlong offer for rewards members through April 28. (today.com, aarp.org) Today.com’s roundup also listed Wendy’s among the brands running Tax Day offers, alongside Pizza Hut, Qdoba and 7-Eleven. The promotions were framed as a short-term way to lure customers filing returns or waiting on refunds. (today.com) Chili’s took a different route on April 14 by adding its Big Crispy and Spicy Big Crispy sandwiches to the chain’s $10.99 “3 For Me” lineup nationwide. That meal includes an entrée, fries, bottomless chips and salsa, and an unlimited fountain drink. (prnewswire.com, restaurantdive.com) The restaurant chain is aiming that offer directly at fast-food chicken sandwich combos, which Restaurant Dive said have powered the category for roughly six years. Chili’s said the sandwich push is available every day, not just for a holiday promotion. (restaurantdive.com, prnewswire.com) Brinker International President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Hochman told investors the chain is using several price tiers for the Big Crispy platform to protect margins while keeping a value entry point. He said “The 3 For Me consumer tends to come more often.” (restaurantdive.com) Chili’s also staged a one-day “food court” pop-up in New York City on April 16 at 37 Union Square West, where guests were invited to compare the new combo with fast food. The company said the event would run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. (prnewswire.com) The split strategy shows how restaurant value is being sold in two forms in April 2026: a one-day coupon tied to the tax calendar, or a standing combo meant to pull repeat visits after Tax Day passes. (today.com, restaurantdive.com)
