Olivia Rodrigo calls it her “most prized possession.” Yup, we’re talking about her…Chipotle card?
Brands like Chipotle frequently give celebrities and other influential figures passes for free food, hoping they’ll post about it and promote the brand to their millions of followers.
Here’s a list of some of the companies known to gift celebs exclusive cards for free food:
McDonald’s
McDonald’s has reportedly issued free food cards at the franchisee and corporate level.
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has said he has a McDonald’s card good for free food in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. (The card would come in handy for Buffett, who has also said he gets McDonald’s everyday for breakfast.)
Other reported recipients of McDonald’s cards include actor Rob Lowe, whose card was issued by a franchisee and is good for McDonald’s franchises in Santa Barbara or Goleta, California. Lowe got the card by way of being friends with David Peterson, whose father, Herb, is credited with introducing the first Egg McMuffin at a Santa Barbara McDonald’s in 1972.
Sen. Mitt Romney boasted in 2012 of his father’s card entitling him to “a lifetime of a hamburger, a shake, and french fries at McDonald’s.” Romney said at the time that his father made good use of the card, going to McDonald’s almost daily for a burger or Filet-O-Fish.
George Romney was gifted the card by former McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc after doing trainings with employees in the company’s early days, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Bill Gates’ McDonald’s Gold Card reportedly entitles him to free food for life at any location.
McDonald’s did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Chipotle
The Chipotle Celebrity Card is held by “a small group of brand superfans, celebrities, athletes, musicians, and creators,” Stephanie Perdue, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Chipotle, said in a statement to Business Insider.
Perdue told BI other cardholders include Chris Nikic, the first person with Down Syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon, who’d spoken of eating Chipotle while training. Another recipient Chipotle confirmed to BI is Roy Murray; you may remember him as the kid who famously blessed us with a viral video in 2014 in which he exclaims, “Chipotle is my life!”
To be considered for a Celebrity Card, you “must be an authentic fan of Chipotle and organically share your passion for the brand in everyday life,” Perdue said.
Reported recipients of Chipotle’s celebrity card include Diplo, Olivia Rodrigo, Tony Hawk, Big Sean, Addison Rae, and Abby Wambach.
Candice Beck, formerly the director of social and influencers at Chipotle, previously told BI that Chipotle created its Celebrity Card in 2003 for Ozzy Osbourne, who frequently praised the company on his show. His card is good for a lifetime, though for other cardholders, the company evaluates renewals annually to make sure the card is “held by our most dedicated fans and those who continue to celebrate the brand.”
Burger King
Burger King started giving celebrities cards for a lifetime of free food in 2006 and had given out around a dozen by 2008, according to Ad Age.
The company told Ad Age in 2008 that its criteria for issuing the cards are celebrities who have a “long-standing relationship” and are “good friends” with the brand.
Reported recipients of the card include Jennifer Hudson, who used to work at a Burger King; Hugh Laurie, who initially said he had one when he didn’t, ultimately leading BK to send him one; and George Lucas, who has partnered with the company to promote his films. Robert Downey Jr. and Jay Leno have also been gifted the card, according to Ad Age.
Burger King did not respond to our request for comment.
Nando’s
The celebrity card at Nando’s, known as a High Five Card, reportedly gets free food for its owners and up to four friends (hence its name) for a year.
A since-deleted page about the card on the Nando’s website says you definitely won’t get one by asking: “All we can tell you for certain is that no-one who’s requested a card, no matter how politely, has ever received one. Asking for one is simply the biggest taboo — a definite no no.”
Reported recipients include Ed Sheeran, who posted about his Nando card on X. Jack Whitehall also reportedly had a Nando’s card but has said his card was revoked because he used it too much.
Nando’s did not respond to our request for comment.
Dunkin’
The Dunkin’ Black Card is “gifted on occasion to select fans in appreciation for their loyalty and passion for the brand,” Dunkin’ previously told BI.
The company said at the time that the Black Card “is not any kind of formal program but rather a personalized, rechargeable gift card that Dunkin’ Donuts occasionally sends to guests as a token of appreciation.”
The reported list of recipients for Dunkin’s card is pretty small. B.J. Novak claimed to have gotten the card for his birthday in 2015. One has to imagine DunKing Ben Affleck has a Black Card too, though that’s not confirmed.
Dunkin’ declined to comment for this story.
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