National French Fry Day 2024 brings deals and freebies

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FILE - French fries are pictured in San Francisco, California, on April 10, 2022. (Photo by Gado/Getty Images)

National French Fry Day is on Friday, July 12, and many chains are offering deals and freebies to celebrate the crispy and delicious food staple.

Fries are made from thinly sliced potatoes, which are deep-fried until crispy, and are typically served hot with seasonings or condiments.

There are various French fry styles, too, including standard cut, crinkle cut, potato wedges, curly fries, steak fries, waffle fries, shoestring fries, cottage fries and more.

Whether you like yours dipped in ketchup or served fully loaded, there’s certainly something for everyone to enjoy.

Here’s the origin of French fries and some of the best deals to celebrate:

Who invented the French fry?

Boy wins free McDonald's French fries for a year

A nine-year-old from Ohio earned himself free fries for a year at a local McDonald’s restaurant thanks to a custom-made costume.

While "French" is in the dish’s name, multiple countries claim to be the originators of fries.

In France, the first French fry recipe was documented in 1795 with Madame Mérigot’s "La Cuisinière Républicaine" cookbook – which translates to "The Republican Cook," in English.

French fries were a popular Parisian street food in the 18th- and 19th-century, according to a 2019 article from Le Figaro, a French daily morning newspaper.

Belgium, on the other hand, has some believers who think fries got their start in the Battlefield of Europe around the same time.

The lore of Belgian fries reportedly dates back to the 1980s. Belgian journalist Jo Gérard wrote an article claiming to have found an 18th-century family manuscript that states fries were created before 1680 in the Meuse valley, where people reportedly fried potatoes when waters froze over and prevented fishing.

However, the manuscript Gérard mentioned was never made available to the public.

Critics doubt the story because potatoes were considered a New World colony crop and weren’t easily accessible in the region during that time for working-class groups, according to French historian Thomas Beaufils, who wrote: "Les Belges" ("The Belgians"), a tourist guide.

Belgian-made French fries are known as "frites" and are a popular dish in the country.

Meanwhile, some argue that the Spanish invented fries since conquistadors were the first European group to bring potatoes to the continent from Peru in the 16th century.

Saint Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish saint who reportedly lived from 1515 to 1582, fried potatoes similarly, according to Paul Ilegems, a professor and curator of the Friet Museum in Bruges, Belgium. The museum is dedicated to the history of fries.

Russia also has a French fry-like dish known as "russe" or "cosaque," which are said to be tied to a 19th-century food vendor named Herr Krieger, who marketed the dish under the name Mr. Fritz, according to Navefri-Unafri, a Belgian online resource for fry shop owners.

National French Fry Day

Previously, National French Fry Day was celebrated on July 13 each year. However, Checkers and Rally’s fast food restaurants reportedly petitioned the National Day Calendar in 2022 to change the date to the second Friday in July.

The effort was successful, and in 2024, the second Friday in July falls on July 12, 2024.

Checkers and Rally’s

Checkers and Rally’s are celebrating National French Fry Day with a giveaway offering free fully loaded fries for a year to 100 lucky fans. The prize is awarded in the form of 52 Fully Loaded Fries coupons, each valid for one (1) regular-sized order of Fully Loaded Fries. Enter here.

Fatburger

Through July 14, Fatburger customers can get one "skinny" or "fat" order of fries in-store or online by using the promo code FRYDAY24.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers customers who download the Freddy's app on July 12 get free regular fries with any purchase on July 13 and 14. The offer is valid for one-time use only.