Restaurant E-clubs

Want a better excuse to visit your favorite restaurant? Have you been yearning to try the new place in town...but want to score some freebies along the way? One of the easiest ways to score free food is to join restaurant e-clubs. Many offer free memberships in exchange for a few emails a month (or every few months).

Aside from valuable coupons, many restaurants will email you first about new promotions and specials...before the general public finds out!

Here are some suggestions and what they offer:

-Papa Murphy's e-club: A coupon for buy one get one half off pizza (immediately after you sign up) and free take 'n bake cookie dough on your birthday
-Bruster's Sweet Rewards: coupons about once a month for ice cream! And a heads up on new seasonal flavors...with a coupon to try them!
-Atlanta Bread's VIP e-club: offers about once every month or two.
-Coldstone Birthday Club you get a free creation on your special day!
-Moe's e-worldoffers you a free entree on your birthday, as well as a coupon for a free cup of queso that is normally worth $3
-Firehouse Subs will give you a free cookie with any purchase as well as a free cherry lime-ade with any purchase. I've also gotten a coupon for free chips.
-O'Charley's eclub offers a free appetizer with any purchase.

And don't forget about local restaurants that aren't a part of chains.

For instance, Hyman's Seafood Company (a local Charleston, SC favorite), offers a mailing list (you sign up after you eat) that lets you know when specials are! Some are email inclusive.

For a place that charges between $10-20 an entree, you get quite the savings. For instance, my latest email from Hymans offers an email only invitation for all you can eat snow crab and shrimp, plus one side, coleslaw, hushpuppies, AND homemade potato soup for only $19.95. Imagine what you would normally pay for a meal like that!

In addition to the emails, Hyman ALWAYS has a link to their website for free crab dip

So take a look around and ask local businesses if they offer special mailing clubs or e-clubs. You might find a hidden treasure.