36 Best Birthday Freebies in Toronto in 2025

Are you looking for birthday freebies in Toronto? If so, you’ll want to make sure you check out this list before you head out. There are more than two dozen restaurants and retailers that want to give you stuff to help you celebrate your big day. You obviously won’t have enough time to hit every location, so you need to have a plan in place.

Unlike some of the other free birthday stuff in Toronto lists you’ve seen online, I actually live in the city and have verified all of the deals. Start early and get a free drink at Starbucks or Tim Hortons (maybe both). For breakfast, the best place to visit is Denny’s since you can claim a build your own Grand Slam Breakfast for free. Both What A Bagel and Kettleman’s offers free bagels, so grab some and put them in your backpack. For lunch, The Works has you covered. Need an afternoon pickup? Get bubble tea at The Alley, and Chatime. For dinner, you can get a free slice of their Billy Miner Pie with your meal.

You’ll quickly realize that there’s plenty of free birthday food in Toronto. That said, many retailers such as Sephora and the Body Shop also have gifts waiting for you. Before you head out, call the stores where these deals are to check if they’re still available. Here’s a list of the best birthday freebies in Toronto.

birthday freebies toronto

The Alley

Although they don’t actively advertise it, if you have The Alley’s app, you get a free bubble tea for your birthday. The coupon shows up in your app on your birthday and it’s good for five days. The Alley has multiple locations in the city and it comes sealed so it’s something you can put in your fridge for a few days.

Arby’s

Growing up, I used to love Arby’s as there was a location beside the arcade at my favourite mall. Admittedly, it’s a bit of an acquired taste, and the only locations left in the greater Toronto area are in Burlington and Oshawa, so it may not be easy to get to. The website doesn’t say anything specific, but newsletter subscribers have reported getting a coupon for a free snack shake or cookie coupon with any purchase when their birthday rolls around

Applebee’s

My apologies to those looking for birthday freebies in Toronto that are actually in the city. Some of the restaurants on this list are in the GTA and I felt it was worth a mention. I’ve also listed them in alphabetical order which is why two places outside of the GTA have appeared so high. Applebee’s has a location in Ajax and gives you a free entrée when purchasing another meal at regular price as long as you’re signed up for their e-club newsletter.

Baskin-Robbins

Everyone loves ice cream right? Club 31 members will love the free scoop on their birthday when they purchase a 2.5 oz scoop or 3 oz soft serve cone. If you plan on having a party, you can also get $5 off a 20+ cake.

The Body Shop

Joining The Body Shop’s, Love Your Body Club is free, and you get something special on your birthday. In addition, you’ll get sneak peeks at new products and invites to exclusive events held by The Body Shop.

Boston Pizza

When you sign up for MyBP by Boston Pizza, you’ll immediately get a coupon for a free starter. On the anniversary of signing up, you get an individual 2 topping pizza. If that wasn’t enough, you also get a free dessert on your birthday.

Chatime

Chatime Socitea (Chatime rewards) gives you a free birthday drink that’s automatically loaded to your account 7 days before your birthday. You would obviously need to register your birthday to get your free drink. This free drink is good for 7 days before and after your birthday. You must sign up for the rewards program to get your free drink.

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A locations have been popping up all over the city. It’s quickly become a popular spot to get fried chicken sandwiches. Customers that sign up for the app/loyalty program get free food on their birthday. What you get depends on your loyalty tier. All can choose between a Chocolate Chunk Cookie or Chocolate Fudge Brownie. If you’re silver, you can choose a Small Milkshake, Small Frosted Lemonade, Small Frosted Coffee, Small Icedream Cone or Small Icedream Cup. Signature members get their choice of entrée.

Cora

One of the best places to get free birthday food in Toronto is Cora. Anyone who signs up for the newsletter should get a $5 off coupon on their birthday, but I noticed it’s no longer specifically mentioned on the website. I can confirm that if you join the Cora loyalty program, you can earn three times the points on your birthday. This offer is good for 30 days.

David’s Tea

Unfortunately, David’s Tea closed all of their retail locations during the pandemic, but they’re still giving out birthday freebies in Toronto and across the country. If you’ve joined their frequent STEEPER program, you’ll get 5 free points on your birthday. Note that you used to get a free cup of tea, but since David’s Tea no longer has physical locations, they’ve switched to free points. 

Denny’s

Birthday freebies in Toronto with the best value are found at Denny’s. If you dine in on your actual birthday and present a valid picture ID, you’ll get a free Grand Slam breakfast. That meal comes with eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, and pancakes. Note that you still have to pay the taxes and be sure to tip based on the regular price.

DQ

You can enjoy one of your free birthday meals at DQ (Dairy Queen) if you’re a Blizzard Fan Club member. On your birthday, you can get a free Blizzard when you purchase another Blizzard at the regular price. It’ll be tempting to get a large, but you’ll want to save room if you’re heading to more locations on this list.

Harvey’s

Harvey’s used to have one of the best free stuff on your birthday in the form of a burger, but they seem to have decreased the present in recent years. Harvey’s newsletter subscribers have reported that the special gift on your birthday is now just a free slice of pie when you purchase a burger. Not exactly the best deal on this list, but handy if you happen to be heading to Harvey’s.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar

For those who want to have steak on their birthday, you may want to head to The Keg Steakhouse + Bar. When you purchase a meal at the regular price, you’ll get a free slice of their Billy Miner Pie. This is a dine-in only offer, but it doesn’t have to be on your exact birth date. Just let the server know that you’re celebrating your big day.

Kelseys

Kelseys is one of the few family restaurants that still offer a free birthday dessert. You do need to purchase a meal, so you can’t just show up expecting pie and ice cream. To get the offer, you do need to sign up for their newsletter. When you sign up, you’ll get a free appetizer coupon immediately and a $10 off coupon on your anniversary.

Kettleman’s Bagel

You can get free birthday stuff in Toronto at Kettleman’s Bagel which serves Montreal-style bagels. You’ll get a dozen bagels for free on your special day if you have downloaded the app.

KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC, as they liked to be called now gives anyone who has the app a free popcorn chicken coupon for their birthday. The offer is good for 30 days from your birthday so there’s no need to rush things.

Lone Star Texas Grill

Lone Star Texas Grill has two locations in the Greater Toronto area. There’s one by the airport and another one in Richmond Hill. If you’ve signed up for The Sizzle, you’ll get a free dessert on your birthday. The catch is, you need to spend at least $30 before taxes to get your deal. On a positive note, you also get unlimited chips and salsa.

Mandarin

Many people will say the best free birthday stuff is found at The Mandarin. That’s hard to argue since you’ll get your birthday buffet for free as long as you’re joined by three paying adults. You do need to need to sign up for the Mandarin Dish e-newsletter at least one day prior to your birthday to get the offer.

Marble Slab Creamery

It pays to sign up for Marble Mail since you’ll get access to some pretty sweet deals. The website is a bit vague and says you’ll get free sweet surprises on your birthday. In most cases, it’s been a buy one scoop, get a free scoop coupon. You need to sign up at least 48 hours before your birthday to get your deal.

Medieval Times

When you sign up for Medieval Times’ Birthday Club, you’ll get to dinner and a show for free when joined by at least one paying adult. Medieval Times has limited seating, so you’ll want to reserve your spots early.

Menchie’s

One of the more popular free birthday meals is found at Menchies. When you download the app and create a My Smileage account, you’ll get a $5 coupon to use on frozen yogurt on your birthday. That may sound like a big deal, but Menchie’s is self-service where you pay by weight so you can get your treat for free.

Montana’s

Another restaurant offering free birthday stuff in Toronto is Montana’s. They serve BBQ dishes (think ribs and chicken), and you can get a free dessert on your birthday. You need to sign up for the grill lovers club newsletter to get access to the offer.

New York Fries

For some reason, the NYF Fry Society loyalty program isn’t well known. I’m not sure why since you can earn points on every purchase, and you get free regular fries on your birthday. However, you need to spend at least $50 in the prior year to be eligible for the free fries.

Panera

For those looking to collect free birthday stuff in Toronto, you need to head to Panera bread since you can get a free pastry on your birthday. To get it, you need to be signed up for MyPanera Rewards, the loyalty program for Panera. The signup page doesn’t say you get something free, but people have reported that the coupon is still being sent out around their birthday.

Papa John’s

You would think Papa John’s would give you a slice of pizza as their free food on your birthday, but you actually get a free birthday cookie. This isn’t an individual cookie, it’s one of those ones they bake that’s the size of a small pizza. You get 14 days to claim your cookie and you need to have the Papa Rewards app and made a purchase in the last year.

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut Hut Rewards collectors get free birthday stuff in Toronto. To be honest, it’s nothing special as most people have reported just getting free breadsticks. That said, some people have received a free dessert coupon. Usually, there’s no purchase necessary, so it could be worth stopping by if you have a location near you.

Perkins

Perkins only has two locations within the Greater Toronto Area. There’s one by The Toronto Congress Centre, and one out in Pickering. When you sign up for their newsletter, you’ll immediately get a 20% off coupon. The site also says you get a special gift for your birthday – a free Magnificent Seven (Two large eggs cooked to order, with three made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes and choice of two bacon strips or sausage links).

Red Lobster

If you sign up for Red Lobster’s Fresh Catch News at least 10 days before your birthday, you’ll get a surprise birthday offer. Red Lobster recently removed the language from their website that says exactly what you’ll get, but when you sign up, you get a free appetizer or dessert coupon right away.

Sephora

Sephora Beauty Insiders get to pick a free birthday gift during their birthday month. Your free birthday surprise will change depending on the month in which your birthday falls. Fortunately, these free items are usually quite good and gives you an opportunity to try out new makeup and skincare products

Starbucks

Getting free stuff on your birthday in Toronto is easy at Starbucks. If you’re a member of Starbucks Rewards, you can get a free birthday drink. You have to claim your drink on your actual birthday, or the day after, but it’s well worth it since you can order an expensive drink and not have to pay anything.

South St. Burger

South St. Burger gives you a free burger for your birthday if you’re a member of their Birthday Club, but it comes with a few conditions. You need to subscribe at least 72 hours before your birthday and you must buy one burger to get one free. It’s a bit annoying that this deal is BOGO, but it’s still one of the better free birthday meals in Canada.

Swiss Chalet

If you have children that are 10 or under, Swiss Chalet is a great place to celebrate their birthdays since they can get a free Kid’s Meal. The only catch is that a paying adult must also be dining. Unfortunately, this deal is not available for take out order.

Tim Hortons

The Tim Hortons Rewards app has seen some improvements since it launched. Overall, the coupons are pretty decent, especially on your birthday where you can claim a free reward such as a drink or breakfast sandwich.

What A Bagel

If you really like bagels, you might as well make a trip to What A Bagel. You’ll get six free bagels when you purchase six on your birthday. Not a bad deal at all. Note that you need to show your ID when you make the purchase.

The Works

Finally, there’s The Works, that gives out some of the best. free birthday meals. If you sign up for the burgers with benefits club at least nine days before your birthday, you’ll get a free burger coupon. If you’ve never been to The Works, they’ve got some of the best burgers in the city.

If you’re going to be out of the city for your birthday, check out my free birthday stuff guides on Vancouver and Canada.

About Barry Choi

Barry Choi is a Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert who frequently makes media appearances. His blog Money We Have is one of Canada’s most trusted sources when it comes to money and travel. You can find him on Twitter:@barrychoi

16 Comments

  1. Jason on September 10, 2021 at 11:03 AM

    Great list, Barry. I’m definitely gonna try getting some freebies on my birthday. I’ve only heard about yogurty’s free small cup in the past and that was so awesome.

  2. maq on April 16, 2023 at 10:47 AM

    Denny’s on Dundas no longer offers but they haven’t changed their website

    • Barry Choi on April 17, 2023 at 10:08 AM

      Oh boo. I was there in November and they were still offering it. I wonder if it’s just that location.

      • maq on April 17, 2023 at 11:46 AM

        Guess so – they did say that location, but would def phone if goping to any other location (the website dows say not Niagra Falls location either)

      • Alice on December 25, 2024 at 2:24 PM

        Yes, other loc offer it.

        • M on February 14, 2025 at 6:12 PM

          Sadly New York Fries doesn’t offer free fries on your birthday. I emailed them to confirm. This is the response I received from customer Service:

          Thank you for your email.

          To claim your birthday reward, ensure that you have added your birthday to your account. Additionally, you need to have a total spend of $50 or more to be eligible. Once you have done these before your birthday date, the free fries coupon will be automatically generated for you on your birthday date.

          If you encounter any issues or have further questions, feel free to reach out.

          Best regards,
          Diane
          New York Fries Fry Society

  3. M on February 14, 2025 at 6:19 PM

    I guess NYF changed the policy after this was written. Oh well it was nice of them to offer it while they did and I guess if you want to spend $50 if your with a group of friends you’ll still benefit from the free fries. I think it kind of takes away from the magic of it though as it seems more like a coupon now then a birthday wish for you. I think the places that give you something just because it’s your birthday no strings attached are the places I’m more likely to patronize as they make you feel good about the experience on your special day

    • Barry Choi on February 14, 2025 at 9:43 PM

      Thanks for the intel. I’ll make an update.

  4. Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 6:11 AM

    WhatABagel – I never signed-up for their newsletter. Just show ID to get the deal.

  5. Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 6:13 AM

    Tim Hortons – You actually get many choices including breakfast sandwich for free.

  6. Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 6:20 AM

    South St Burger – weblink is wrong. It should be https://southstreetburger.com/birthdayclub/

  7. Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 6:24 AM

    Perkins – You get a free Magnificent Seven on your birthday (Two large eggs cooked to order, with three made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes and choice of two bacon strips or sausage links).

  8. Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 6:29 AM

    Papa John’s – you must have placed an order in the last year to receive your Birthday Reward.

    • Barry Choi on February 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM

      Hey Ivan,

      Thanks for all the tips. I’ve just updated the article.

      • Ivan on February 17, 2025 at 10:36 AM

        Thanks for keeping the article updated.

  9. Judy on October 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM

    The Alley only offers the birthday reward ON your birthday, not for 5 days.

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