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In a college town like Newark, where students cherish their pocket money and stretch it as far as possible, the word "free" has an effect like no other: ears perk, heads turn, and a crowd forms.
Such reactions have been brought on by everything from commercials on the radio to Facebook events promoting businesses' free giveaways.
That time of year has come again when warm weather brings on the universal craving for a cold treat, and most wouldn't turn down a free dessert.
The most recent crowd that formed on Main Street was on March 19 in front of Rita's Water Ice, where regular-sized cups of Italian ice were given out for free to celebrate the first day of spring.
For those familiar with the popular frozen treat franchise, this is a day looked forward to by many. Every year, the first day of spring signifies one thing and one thing only: free water ice.
Kelly Banaszak, the franchise company's public relations manager, says the original Rita's was only open seasonally, as most locations still are.
"It started out as a way to let our guests know that Rita's was opening back up for the summer and ready for business," Banaszak says.
This year is the 16th consecutive year Rita's has celebrated its First Day of Spring Italian Ice Giveaway, she says.
But Rita's isn't alone. A variety of businesses participate in the trend of giveaway days. The convenience store chain 7-Eleven, for example, has given away free 7.11-ounce Slurpees one day per year for some time now, according to a company press release.
The business's day of choice: July 11, of course.
For companies like Rita's and 7-Eleven, giveaway days are based purely on tradition. But for other chains, promotional events are one-time occurrences implemented as a way to publicize the selling of a new product.
McDonald's, for example, gave away free McSkillet burritos to customers nationwide Feb. 28 and 29 as a way to introduce its newest sandwich.
Jon Hutton, store manager of the Newark McDonald's, says the store benefited greatly from the event.
"We had a very high turnout," Hutton says. "We gave away over 700 McSkillets in two days. It obviously hurt business those two days, but it definitely helped in the long run."
These types of promotions are nothing new.
"It's a thing to bring new customers in - that's the idea," he says. "And hopefully they'll come back again."
Some companies incorporate free giveaway days into their businesses by teaming up with charities. Both the International House of Pancakes and Baskin-Robbins have created giveaways to give back to the community.
Jennifer Pendergrass, communications manager at IHOP, says the company celebrated its third annual National Pancake Day on Feb. 12 by offering every guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes.
"In return, we asked our guests to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network," Pendergrass says. "For some locations, it was to a local charity instead."
Like IHOP, Baskin-Robbins is holding its own charitable event next month. According to a company press release, on April 30 from 5-10 p.m., the ice cream chain will be charging 31 cents per scoop at participating locations.
As part of its second annual 31 Cent Scoop Night, not only will the company be making a corporate donation of $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, but customers will also have the opportunity to contribute to local firehouses in their area.
For IHOP and Baskin-Robbins, the goal of giveaway days isn't company gain, which Pendergrass says differentiates them from the promotional trend.
"Free giveaways are definitely something that has been done within the retail industry for a number of years," she says. "But for IHOP, we're unique in that our event is primarily a way to say thank you to our guests and for our franchisees to give back to the community."
It may be difficult to say whether these promotional days are truly part of an ongoing trend, but one thing's for sure: some companies are quick to state their singularity on the matter.
"Rita's isn't affected by other companies' promotions," Banaszak says. "We're committed to our tradition and making our guests happy."
Customers can expect both Rita's and 7-Eleven to continue their traditions, and it's safe to say National Pancake Day will happen again next year as well.
"By all accounts, we do look forward to continuing to celebrate it in the future," Pendergrass says.
In the end, aside from the nuisance of long lines and large crowds, promotional days surely produce something to be happy about: a satisfied stomach without having to reach for a wallet.
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