National Chicken Finger Day is observed each year on July 27. It is a brand-created food observance centered on chicken fingers, also known as chicken tenders. The day was established in 2010 by Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane’s, a U.S. fast-food chain known for focusing exclusively on chicken fingers.

The name of the observance reflects Raising Cane’s preference for the term chicken fingers, which has become part of the brand’s identity. Other restaurants more commonly use chicken tenders or chicken strips, which helps explain why similar promotions may appear under different names around late July.

How the Holiday Started

National Chicken Finger Day traces back to 2010, when Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves created the holiday to honor what he considers the “MVP” of his menu: the chicken finger. Graves opened the first Raising Cane’s location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1996, reportedly after a business school professor told him that a restaurant built around a single menu item, chicken fingers, would never succeed. The chain’s growth since then has told a different story, expanding into a nationwide brand with a devoted fan base known as “Caniacs.”

In 2019, Raising Cane’s elevated National Chicken Finger Day to full trademark status, cementing its ownership of the celebration. Since then, the company has marked the day with restaurant decorations, free food giveaways, social media promotions, and local media outreach. To date, Cane’s estimates it has given away more than a million chicken fingers to customers as part of the celebration.

What’s Different About 2026

This year, Raising Cane’s is tying the holiday to a tribute for Chuck Norris, the actor and martial artist who passed away in March 2026 at age 86. Long before he became an internet meme fixture, Norris founded Kickstart Kids in 1990, a nonprofit that places martial arts instructors in public schools to teach discipline and character to students.

To honor him, Raising Cane’s is donating $1 from every Box Combo purchased in U.S. restaurants on July 27 to Kickstart Kids, with a total donation ranging between $500,000 and $1 million. The company is also directing proceeds from a limited Chuck Norris-themed merchandise line toward the cause. On top of the charitable angle, every Box Combo purchased that day comes with a free extra chicken finger, with no coupon, code, or membership required, whether customers order in-restaurant, through the drive-thru, on the app, or online.

Other Chains Are Joining the Party

While Raising Cane’s owns the National Chicken Finger Day trademark, several competitors are running their own promotions on July 27 this year:

• Bojangles is offering a buy-one-get-one 50% off deal on Chicken Supremes meals and qualifying family meals.
• Huey Magoo’s, branding the day as “National Chicken Tender Day,” is giving away a free five-piece Tender Bites order with the purchase of any three-piece or larger Tender Meal.
• 7-Eleven is offering chicken tenders for $1 at participating locations.