IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For 10 days beginning October 26, Habit Burger & Grill will give away 200,000 free Gotta Habit Meals nationwide through its new Habit Hour initiative – a surprise daily giveaway designed to make everyday life a little easier and inspire moments of connection and kindness along the way. With no purchase required, Habit is kicking off a chain of generosity by asking recipients to Pay Good Forward with a simple act of kindness of their own.
“We started with a pretty simple idea: what if we just gave people dinner?” said Shannon Hennessy, CEO of Habit. “Then we started thinking about what happens when one good thing keeps going. That’s really the idea behind Habit Hour. We’ll start with 200,000 meals and see how far that good can travel. Good habits have a way of spreading. What happens next is up to all of us.”
Catch Habit Hour, Get a Free Meal
Habit Hour happens at a different surprise time each day. The first 50 guests at every participating Habit restaurant* during the one-hour window will receive a $10 Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Box. No coupon, code or purchase is required. To claim their free Gotta Habit Meal, guests must order in person at the register; drive-thru, app and online orders are not eligible. Guests simply need to show up in person and be among the first 50 to claim a meal.
Here’s how to catch the daily giveaway:
- Two hours before: MyHabit members who have subscribed to push notifications will receive an early heads-up with the drop time. Not a member? Download the app or register here.
- One hour before: Habit will reveal the exact start time on its social channels, @habitburgerandgrill.
- When Habit Hour begins: The first 50 guests at each restaurant can claim a free meal. The giveaway ends after one hour or when all 50 meals have been claimed, whichever comes first.
Over the 10-day campaign, each Habit restaurant* will give away 500 meals, totaling approximately 200,000 free meals nationwide.
What’s on the Menu?
Habit Hour features Habit’s new $10 Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Boxes, built around the simple idea that burgers should be dippable. Served in Habit’s signature CharBox for one, each box includes a burger cut in half, dipping sauce in the center, five crispy chicken bites, a small side and a regular drink. Guests can choose from three boxes:
- BBQ Dipping Trio Box: Two dippable burger halves with melty American cheese, pickles, mayo, BBQ sauce and crispy onion tanglers.
- Ranch Dipping Trio Box: Two dippable burger halves with melty American cheese, pickles, chunky avocado and housemade ranch.
- Spicy Dipping Trio Box: Two dippable burger halves with melty white American cheese, pickles, pickled jalapeños and creamy spicy mayo.
Pass The Good Along
Beyond the free food, Habit is inviting guests to Pay Good Forward through simple, unexpected acts of generosity. Each free meal comes with a mission to pass that kindness along, whether it’s helping a neighbor, grabbing coffee for a friend or letting someone go ahead in line. Over 10 days, Habit hopes to spark a nationwide chain of good that reaches far beyond its restaurants, reminding us that there’s still plenty of good we can share.
Habit Hour runs for 10 days beginning October 26. MyHabit members should keep their push notifications on for the earliest heads-up and follow @habitburgerandgrill for each daily reveal.
Habit is putting 200,000 free meals on the table. How far kindness travels is up to all of us.
Follow Habit:
- Instagram: @habitburgerandgrill
- TikTok: @habitburgerandgrill
- Facebook: facebook.com/habitburgerandgrill
- Website: habitburger.com
- MyHabit: Not a member? Register here
*Excludes casinos, universities, and airport locations.
About Habit Burger & Grill
Born in sunny Southern California in 1969, Habit Burger & Grill has been serving up fresh, cooked-to-order favorites for more than 55 years. Best known for its signature Charburgers, grilled over an open flame, Habit brings a distinctly California-inspired approach to fast casual dining with a menu that goes far beyond burgers, including handcrafted sandwiches, crisp salads, creamy shakes, and fan-favorite sides.
Habit continues to earn national recognition for its fresh flavor and quality. The brand’s Double Char was ranked #1 by USA TODAY¹ 10Best three years running, its Tempura Green Beans earned the #1 spot in USA TODAY 10Best² in 2024 and 2025, and Habit was named the #1 Fast Casual Restaurant by USA TODAY 10Best³ in 2025 and 2026. The brand’s Chicken Club was also recognized as the best grilled chicken sandwich by The Daily Meal⁴, and Habit has been featured in Newsweek’s “America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains 2023” and Thrillist’s roundup of “Underrated Burger Chains That Need to Be in Every State.” Today, Habit Burger & Grill has grown to more than 385 restaurants across 14 states as well as a fleet of food trucks, continuing to serve bold, fresh flavors that are always cooked to order. Learn more at www.habitburger.com.
Learn more at www.habitburger.com
Sources: USA Today 10Best, USA Today 10Best, The Daily Meal, Newsweek, The Daily Meal, Thrillist
¹Based on USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2024 Awards for Best Fast Food Burger. (Published July 2024, 2025 & 2026).
²Based on USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2024 Awards for Best Fast Food Sides. (Published July 2024 & 2025).
³Based on USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2024 Awards for Best Fast Casual Restaurant. (Published July 2025, July 2026).
⁴Based on Daily Meal’s survey of consumer reviews from Reddit, Yelp! and TripAdvisor (Published Dec. 2023).
Habit Burger & Grill Press Contact: HBGMedia@yum.com
See official terms and conditions at www.habitburger.com/habit-hour
Visit a participating Habit Grill location between 10/26/26 and 11/4/26 during Habit Hour to receive one (1) $10 Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Box. To redeem this offer, visit a participating location in-store at the register. Habit Hour will be disclosed by Habit in advance each day during the offer period via push notification in app for Habit members and on Habit’s social media channels @habitburgerandgrill. Limit of 50 $10 Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Boxes are available for each participating location while supplies last, and limit of 1 $10 Gotta Habit Dipping Trio Box per person. Drive-thru, app, online, and third-party app ordering are ineligible for this offer. Open to customers who are legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 18+. Void where prohibited. See full terms at URL. Sponsor: The Habit Restaurants, LLC, 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, CA 92618
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c427086a-b821-4b4b-baa3-d327ba60cace
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