The Wendy’s Company is spreading its Halloween promotion across coupon books, children’s meals and an app collectible, with different participation rules and start dates for each element.
Its September 3 announcement says U.S. Boo! Books are available for $1. Each contains five free Jr. Frosty coupons and a $1.99 Kids’ Meal with purchase coupon; 90 cents benefits the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Books are sold at participating restaurants, through the app, at kiosks or in bulk through the foundation. Coupons redeem only in-restaurant through December 31, 2026. Wendy’s Halloween terms
Twelve Frosty Frights toys, six characters and six variants, are scheduled for U.S. Kids’ Meals beginning September 14. A thirteenth is planned through a Rewards Drop, giving app members a chance to win; details remain forthcoming.
Canada’s program is scheduled for September 28, with six collectibles. All proceeds from its $3 books will benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Canada. Availability is limited to participating restaurants and supplies.
Fundraising recognition gives franchise groups a sales benchmark#
The U.S. foundation’s 2025 annual report records more than $23 million raised during Wendy’s 2024 Season of Giving. That total spans several restaurant campaigns, including Boo! Books, Frosty Key Tags, Make a Biggie Difference and Coin Canisters. The foundation’s report, pages 12–13
The foundation recognized 30 franchise organizations in its 2024 Dave’s Legacy of Love Society. Membership required sales averaging at least 1,000 Boo! Books and 1,000 Frosty Key Tags per restaurant across an organization’s sites.
The recognized groups included Hamra Enterprises, Delight Restaurant Group, JorCody Restaurants and WTC Ventures. The report separately marked organizations celebrating five consecutive years of membership, including Classic Foods, Dave Thomas Family Companies and RDR Foods.
That program gives franchise organizations a defined fundraising benchmark, with both coupon books and key tags contributing to recognition. It measures products sold across the group, rather than requiring every restaurant to reach identical volumes. The historical total and awards describe participation in fundraising; they do not measure customers’ later redemptions or forecast this year’s Halloween sales.
The summer collection shows how toys fit the meal#
Wendy’s July 20 Sonic the Hedgehog promotion marked the character’s 35th anniversary with seven card cases and 35 trading cards, five per case. It was scheduled through early September at participating U.S. restaurants and through Wendy’s app and website, while supplies lasted. The earlier Sonic launch
The seven sets featured Sonic, Amy Rose, Miles “Tails” Prower, Silver, Knuckles, Shadow and Rouge. A Kids’ Meal supplied one character case and its five cards; the terms warned that collectibles could vary.
The meal itself offered a choice of two chicken tenders, four nuggets, a hamburger or a cheeseburger, plus fries or apple bites and a drink. Wendy’s used the collectible to change the presentation around a familiar meal selection, giving the summer program a defined set of designs to rotate through.
The July release also said the Sonic collection had launched in the United Kingdom earlier in 2026 before reaching the United States. Wendy’s thus used the licensed character program across markets during the summer, ahead of its scheduled return to Frosty Frights.
QSR Pro Staff
The QSR Pro editorial team covers the quick service restaurant industry with in-depth analysis, data-driven reporting, and operator-first perspective.
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