Denny’s will give free meals if there’s a World Series triple play

One lucky Denny’s Rewards member could also win free Denny’s for life. Plus, McDonald’s has an $8 Quarter Pounder meal coming, and a big Wendy’s franchisee may close up to 60 stores.

Denny’s is rooting for one of the rarest plays in baseball.

If either team turns a triple play during baseball’s championship series from Oct. 23 to 31, every U.S. Denny’s Rewards member gets a free meal, Sporked reported Thursday, Oct. 22. One of them could even win free Denny’s for life.

Here’s how that works, plus five more food stories from this week.

How do you get Denny’s free Triple Play meal?

Be a Denny’s Rewards member by Nov. 1. If a triple play happens, members get a free Triple Play Combo, with a starter, an entree and a drink, according to Sporked.

The free meal shows up in your account on Tuesday, Nov. 3. You can only redeem it that day, and only when you dine in.

Triple plays are rare, so don’t count on it. But Denny’s has a backup plan for members.

What is Denny’s free food for life prize?

Everyone who redeems a free Triple Play Combo is entered in a sweepstakes for free Denny’s for life, Sporked reported. Denny’s values the prize at about $182,447.37.

That works out to $9.99 a day for 50 years. Fair warning: you’d need a triple play first.

Even without one, members get 20% off their whole check from Oct. 22 to 27, up to $10 off. They also get a free stack of pancakes with any drink purchase through Oct. 31, according to Sporked.

What is McDonald’s $8 Quarter Pounder deal?

A Quarter Pounder with Cheese, medium fries and a drink for $8, starting Monday, Nov. 2, Sporked reported.

McDonald’s is also hosting a free chef’s table event called Inside the Golden Arches in New York on Oct. 29. It shows guests how items like the Quarter Pounder, Egg McMuffin, nuggets and fries are made.

Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps-Long, a former McDonald’s crew member, will lead it. Reservations opened Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, with two seats per reservation.

“Inside the Golden Arches is about creating a new level of access and transparency for our fans,” said Gina Hardy, McDonald’s vice president of U.S. marketing and menu strategy.

Are more Wendy’s restaurants closing?

Some could. Meritage Hospitality Group, a bankrupt Wendy’s franchisee, could close up to 60 restaurants, Restaurant Dive reported, citing Nation’s Restaurant News.

It also plans to sell 42 Wendy’s in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri to Divine Infinity Operations for $18.6 million, according to a court filing. The sale would “preserve hundreds of jobs,” an adviser on the deal wrote in the filing.

Meritage ran 314 Wendy’s when it filed for bankruptcy in September. After the sale and closures, it could be left with about 200.

PNP reported Oct. 4 that the franchisee would close at least 30 restaurants. Wendy’s ended its franchise agreements in September over more than $27 million in unpaid royalties, Restaurant Dive said.

Is KFC’s Sweet Lightning Mountain Dew going away?

It looks like it. KFC is switching from Pepsi to Coca-Cola in January 2027, as PNP reported Oct. 16. That puts Mountain Dew Sweet Lightning, the honey-peach flavor sold only at KFC since 2019, on the way out, Sporked said.

There may be hope. “When our fans tell us they love something, we pay attention,” PepsiCo chief marketing officer Scott Finlow told Allrecipes, per Sporked.

What’s new from Little Debbie for Christmas?

Two new treats, Parade reported. Hot Cocoa Mini Muffins come topped with marshmallow bits. There’s also a Big Pack of Christmas Old Fashioned Donuts with red and green sprinkles.

Christmas Tree Cakes, Christmas Tree Brownies and Gingerbread Cookies are back, too. They’re rolling out to grocery, mass and convenience stores through mid-December.

Are egg prices going down?

Yes. Egg prices dropped more than 20% in the last year, Sporked reported, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data via Axios. A dozen averaged $2.27 in September 2026, down from $6.23 in March 2025.

So if a triple play does happen, clear your schedule for Nov. 3. That’s the only day the free meal works.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Sporked, Jay Wilson (Oct. 22, 2026), Denny’s Triple Play promotion, McDonald’s chef’s table and Quarter Pounder deal, and egg prices

• Sporked, Rachel Jones (Oct. 21, 2026), Mountain Dew Sweet Lightning

• Restaurant Dive (Oct. 22, 2026), Meritage’s Wendy’s sale and possible closures

• Parade, Terri Peters (Oct. 13, 2026), Little Debbie’s Christmas lineup

• Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 4 and 16, 2026), the Wendy’s closures and KFC’s switch to Coca-Cola

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.