Attend a Practice Meal

Eat for Free at New Restaurants

Practice Meal

Who said there's no such thing as a free lunch? Actually, there is.



When most people think of getting a free meal at a chain restaurant, visions of writing 30 page mystery shopping reports spring to mind. But actually, there is a way that you can get a nice, free, breakfast, lunch or dinner for your family without becoming a secret shopper.

I'm talking about helping a new restaurant practice for it's real customers, prior to their grand opening. It's called a practice meal, and it can be a very fun way to get some free food.

Let me tell you how I got started doing this:

A few years ago, my younger sister moved in with me and my family for a few months while relocating cross country. She was unemployed, and didn't own a car, so was very excited that a new Bob Evans Restaurant was opening just two blocks from my house. She applied for, and was accepted as a waitress two weeks before the restaurant had it's official grand opening. She went through training, and then one week before the Bob Evans opened, she brought the family an invitation to have a free meal. We were required to go in for breakfast 5 days before the opening of the restaurant, and each order any entree and drink we wanted. We were also required to order a dessert...for breakfast! The meal was totally free, though we did leave our server a tip. The point of the exercise was to have the staff of the restaurant practice for the opening before the opening. This way the management could see if there were any major errors and the cook staff could practice preparing meals in real time.

Bob Evans isn't the only restaurant that offers free food prior to a grand opening. Other new restaurants do as well.

While we were waiting to be seated at Bob Evans, we met another couple who traveled around the United States in their RV.

They told us that they frequently went to new restaurants and had a free meal prior to the opening.

They explained that they simply looked for big chains under construction, and popped in to inquire when they would be opening.

They were usually invited to come in for the practice run.

So we tried it.

There was a new Chili's opening down the street at about the same time as the Bob Evans.

For a few weeks, we would drive around the building once in a while, looking for activity. One day, we noticed people going in and out, so I had my husband do what the couple had suggested. We simply asked when they were opening.

The manager immediately invited us to stay and have a practice meal on them. My entire family got to have a free dinner and dessert, all for the price of a tip. My husband did order an alcoholic beverage, which he was told would be charged for, but with the drink and tip, we got out of there for about $15.



The manager will usually ask you following the meal for any comments or problems you had. Be honest, but not rude. This helps them to fix any problems before their grand opening.

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Chick-fil-A

A little different from a practice meal, Chick-fil-A (my very favorite fast food restaurant) offers terrific promotions for their grand openings.

When a new Chick-fil-A opens, they offer the first 100 adults in line free food for a year! Each adult gets (52) coupons for free food to be used for the year.

People begin lining up more than 24 hours in advance to score their coupons. I haven't personally braved the crowd for it yet, but it's on my to-do list!


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