Best Fast Food Discounts for Seniors

One of the many benefits of getting older is 55+ discounts. It is incredible how many companies offer discounts, yet rarely advertise them. One of the largest industries providing such discounts is fast-food restaurants.

It isn’t that fast-food places think seniors have a poor diet, but instead, fast food offers convenience for the busy person, smaller portion sizes for lighter appetites, and fast-food when traveling about, and you just need a quick bite.

AARP surveys show that over 80% of Baby Boomers with bucket lists have some sort of travel on their list. That being said, we all know fast food can be the quick appetite fix we all need, from time to time.

Plus, fast food is economical and familiar. Even when traveling, it is sometimes nice to eat somewhere familiar. Most of us have our favorites, making ordering easy, also who doesn’t love the occasional burger and fries or just that hot cup of coffee.

There are ten restaurants listed below that have been chosen based on their availability, variety, and discount. Though other fast-food places offer discounts, these are our top 10 picks.

Each section starts out with the discount, age requirement, and the type of fare found at each place.

Also, please note that discounts are subject to change and locations may have different discounts, so always check with the restaurant in advance.

Fast Food Restaurants With Senior Discounts

• A&W
• Burger King
• Taco Bell
• Jack in the Box
• Popeye’s
• Dairy Queen
• Subway
• Arby’s
• Carl’s Jr.
• Chick-fil-A

A&W

• Discount: 10% off all food
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: American Fare – Best known for their rootbeer floats

A&W restaurants founded by Roy W. Allen first started as a roadside stand in Lodi, California, in 1919. Today they can be found over the US from coast to coast, with more than 625 restaurants nationwide. In addition to their rootbeer A&W also offers:

• Variety of Burgers
• Chicken Sandwiches
• Chicken Tenders
• Variety of Hot Dogs
• Sides:
  • Fries
  • Cheese Curds & Sriracha Cheese Curds
  • Chili Cheese Fries
  • Onion Rings
• Beverages:
  • Pepsi products
  • A&W Rootbeer

The average combo meal, which includes a sandwich or hotdog, 20 oz fountain drink, and fries costs $7.68.

All locations offer lunch, dinner, and dessert; however, recently, some of the stores now have breakfast. Not all restaurants are open all year round, so check to be sure the location you’re interested in isn’t closed for the season.

Burger King

• Discount: 10% off all food additional discounts on beverages
• Age Requirement: 60+ years old
• Type of Food: American Fare – Best known for their flame-broiled burgers, specifically the Whopper

The first Burger King, founded by Keith Kramer and Mathew Burns, opened in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida. Since then, they have opened 7,237 stores all over the US. Plus, they have more than 11,000 restaurants in over 60 different countries.

Besides the Whopper, Burger King’s menu also lists:

• Burgers
• Salads
• Chicken Sandwiches
• Chicken Tacos
• Chicken Fries
• Chicken Nuggets
• Sides:
  • French Fries
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Onion Rings
  • Cheesy Tots
  • Jalapeno Poppers
• Beverages
  • Coke
  • Frozen Coke
  • ICEE, Juice
  • Lemonade
  • Milk
  • Iced Tea

The average combo meal costs $8.00 and includes a sandwich, medium drink, and medium side. The majority of their restaurants offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast options:

• Breakfast Sandwiches
• Pancakes
• Breakfast Burritos
• French Toast Sticks
• Breakfast Platter

Taco Bell

• Discount: A free drink for seniors or 5% off
• Age Requirement: 65+ years old
• Type of Food: Mexican – Best known for its namesake Tacos

Taco Bell, founded by Glen Bell started as Bell’s Drive-in and Taco Tia in San Bernardino in 1954. He later opened his first Taco Bell in 1962 in Downey, CA. It didn’t take long before Taco Bell became a franchise, and in 1964 the first franchise location opened in Torrence, CA, and well, the rest is history.

There are approximately 6,588 Taco Bells nationwide, and another 1,000+ worldwide found in 26 countries. Taco Bell offers a large selection of lunch and dinner options, and most of the stores now serve breakfast too.

Taco Bell’s Popular Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Softshell, hardshell, or stacked (a combination of both) tacos
• Burritos
• Quesadillas
• Nachos
• Taco Salad
• Sides:
  • Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
  • Cheesy Roll-ups
  • Chips and Cheese
  • Black Beans
  • Black Beans and Rice
• Beverage Options:
  • Pepsi Products
  • Freezes – Icy Soda Beverages
  • Gatorade
  • Lemonade
  • Juice
  • Iced Tea
  • Coffee
  • Iced Coffee

The average price for a combo meal that includes a combination of tacos or tacos and burritos with a large soft drink is $6.34. Most combination meals are large enough for two people since some consist of 3 tacos.

Their Breakfast choices include:

• Breakfast Burritos
• Breakfast Crunchwraps
• Cinnabon Delights
• Hashbrowns
• Skillet Bowl

Jack in the Box

• Discount: 20% off your order
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: American and Mexican, though they are best known for their burgers

Jack in the Box started in 1951 when Robert Peterson opened the first one on the main street heading into San Diego. Before opening Jack in the Box, Mr. Peterson had other food business ventures under the name of San Diego Commissary Co, which later became Foodmaker Co.

In 1960 they started expanding outside of California, opening their first store in Pheonix, AZ, and later in Houston and Dallas, Texas. Over the years, they have grown into 21 different states, mostly on the west coast and Texas, though some are scattered as far east as South Carolina.

What you will find on their menu:

• Burgers
• Tacos and Tiny Tacos
• Chicken Strips
• Chicken Sandwiches
• Fish Sandwiches
• Salads
• Teriyaki Bowls
• Sides:
  • Onion Rings
  • Fries
  • Curly Fries
  • Egg Rolls
  • Jalapeno Poppers
  • Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
• Beverages:
  • Coke Products
  • Iced Tea
  • Iced Coffees
  • Juice
  • Milk

The average combo meal costs $7.30 and includes a sandwich, small fry, and a small soft drink. Also, they offer breakfast, which features:

• Breakfast Sandwiches
• Breakfast Burritos
• Pancakes
• Breakfast Platter
• HashBrowns

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

• Discount: 10% discount or a free drink
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: Southern Style Fried Chicken

It all started in 1972, when Alvin C. Copeland Sr changed his original restaurant, Chicken on the Run, from a fried chicken fast food place to Popeyes, which now sells spicy New Orlean’s style chicken.

Popeyes was an absolute hit spreading across the nation, and by 1985 it opened its 500th restaurant in Landover, Maryland. And it didn’t stop there, Popeyes is now 2,000 stores strong in the US alone plus is found in 30 different countries.

Popeyes serves lunch and dinner, but not breakfast:

• Signature Chicken Meal anything between 2-12 pcs
  • The 2 Pc Meal includes 1-2 sides, a biscuit, and a drink
• Chicken Sandwiches
• Chicken Tenders
• Fried Popcorn Shrimp
• Sides
  • Cajun Fries
  • Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
  • Biscuits
  • Red Beans and Rice
  • Coleslaw
  • Cajun Rice
  • Green Beans
• Beverages
  • Coke Products
  • Lemonade
  • Tea both sweet and unsweetened
  • Lemonade

The average combo meal is $8.14 and includes either a sandwich or two pieces of chicken, 1 side, and a small beverage.

Dairy Queen

• Discount: 10% discount or a free drink
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: Frozen Treats, Chicken, Burgers, or hotdogs

Dairy Queen, founded by Sherb Noble, John F McCullough, and Alex McCullough, opened their first store in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois. In the beginning, Dairy Queen only served frozen treats such as ice cream.

It wasn’t long before this cool restaurant caught on and started to grow, and by 1953 they were opening a store in Canada. But it didn’t stop there; they soon could be found in Japan and the Middle East. Today there are over 4,000 DQs in the US and another 2,000+ globally.

Finally, in 1995 they introduced the Treatzza Pizza and Chicken Strip Basket, which was the start of them expanding beyond frozen treats. Now today, you can find an abundance of lunch and dinner options such as:

• Burgers
• Chicken Strips
• Chicken Sandwiches Grilled and Crispy
• Hotdogs
• Salads
• Sides
  • Fries
  • Onion Rings
  • Cheese Curds
  • Pretzel Sticks
• Beverages:
  • Coke Products
  • Smoothies
  • Malts and Shakes

The best value choice they offer is their $6 Meal Deal, which includes a burger or chicken strips, fries, 21 oz drink, and a small sundae.

Subway

• Discount: 10% discount
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: Sandwiches served hot or cold

Subway got its start in 1965 in Bridgeport, CT. Subway’s founder was Peter Buck, but he enlisted the help of Fred Deluca, who at the time was 17 yrs old, to open the first shop. The original store was named Pete’s Super Submarines.

The sandwiches were such a hit that by 1966 they were opening their second store and rebranding to Subway. The two continued to expand the business opening 16 stores before they finally franchised in 1974, and ten years later, they were going worldwide.

Subway is the largest submarine sandwich shop in the world with over 40,000 stores worldwide, of which over 24,000 are here in the US, coast to coast.

Subway offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The most popular items you will find on their menu are:

• Sub Sandwiches
• Subway Sliders
• Salads
• Signature Wraps
• Fresh Fit Sandwiches
• Sides:
  • Apple Sauce
  • Cookies
  • Chips
• Beverages:
  • Milk
  • Juice
  • Coke Products
  • Lemonade
  • Iced Tea
  • Gatorade
  • Energy Drinks
  • Coffee

Their breakfast menu offers:

• Breakfast sandwiches served on flatbread

The average combo meal is around $9 and includes a six-inch sandwich, a bag of chips, and a 20 oz soda.

Arby’s

• Discount: 10% discount
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: Sandwiches, but best known for their Roast Beef Sandwiches

In 1964 Leroy and Forrest Raffel realized the need for a quick meal that wasn’t always a burger, so together they opened the first Arby’s in Boardman, OH.

The first store was such a success they opened the first franchise a year later, and now they have 3,572 locations in the US. Arby’s locations span the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Arby’s is open for lunch and dinner and has a wide variety of choices:

• Sandwiches
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Pork
• Wraps
• Salads
• Sliders
• Sides:
  • Mac n Cheese
  • Curly Fries
  • Loaded Chili Fries
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Jalapeno Bites
  • Onion Rings
  • Potato Cakes
• Beverages:
  • Coke Products
  • Milk
  • Powerade
  • Shakes

The average price for a combo meal is $7 and includes a sandwich, small fries, and a small drink.

Carl’s Jr.

• Discount: 10% discount
• Age Requirement: 55+ years old
• Type of Food: Burgers

Carl’s Jr started as a hot dog cart, owned and operated by Margaret and Carl N. Karcher in 1941. Within five years of buying their first cart, they were opening a drive-in restaurant in Anaheim, California.

As one might expect, they continued to grow to expand to over 1,400 stores in the US. Carl’s Jr is most commonly found in the mid-west and western United States, including Alaska.

Though it started as a hotdog stand, Carl’s is now best known for its burgers. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The most common menu items are:

• Burgers
• Chicken Sandwiches
• Salads
• Burritos
• Tacos
• Sides:
  • French Fries
  • Crisscut Fries
  • Onion Rings
  • Fried Zucchini
• Beverages:
  • Coke Products
  • Powerade
  • Tea
  • Shakes
  • Coffee
  • Juice
  • Milk

The average combo meal that includes a burger, small fries, and a small drink is $6.

Chick-fil-A

• Discount: Free small drink/coffee or 10% discount
• Age Requirement: 50+ years old
• Type of Food: Chicken, but most famous for chicken sandwiches

S. Truett Cathy founded Chic-fil-A in the 1940s under the name of the Dwarf House, which inspired Chic-fil-A in 1967, in Atlanta, GA. To this day, there are still a few Dwarf House restaurants found in the south.

Today Chic-fil-A’s success surpasses all other fast-food chains in revenue per store. They are found in the majority of the states in the US, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont.

However, if you are looking to grab a bite to eat at Chic-fil-A be aware they are closed on Sundays. The founder, Cathy, believes in the importance of time off, so he committed to close their stores on Sunday, guaranteeing their employees at least one day off a week.

Chic-fil-A offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their most popular food items are:

• Chicken sandwiches, tenders, strips, or nuggets
• Wraps
• Salads
• Sides:
  • Waffle Fries
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Tortilla Soup
  • Yogurt Parfait
  • Fruit Cup
  • Mac & Cheese
  • Potato Chips
• Beverages:
  • Coke Products
  • Lemonade
  • Iced Tea
  • Juice
  • Iced Coffee
  • Coffee

Breakfast Items:

• Breakfast Sandwiches
• Hashbrowns
• Bagels
• English Muffin
• Scrambles