Amid School Closures, Burger King Is Offering Free Kids Meals With Every Order

With more and more states and municipalities closing workplaces and schools in response to the Coronavirus, parents have been put in the awkward position of working from home while tending to their children. Despite widespread dining room closures (for good reason), there are thankfully plenty of places doing free or discounted delivery to help them find food. But Burger King has decided to take things a step further with a special deal that aims to help make the lives of parents easier during a difficult time.

Over the next few days, Burger King will begin offering two free kids meals for every one adult meal ordered online or through the Burger King app. According to Business Insider, the policy will start “next week” (so maybe either the 22nd or 23rd of March) and continue while supplies last.

At a time when parents are worried about their next paycheck and school closures make it harder for some kids to get the lunch they usually rely on, the fast food chain hopes that they can step up to fill the gap for the time being.

“There's a tremendous impact on children, as a result of all the school closures," Jose Cil, CEO of BK parent company Restaurant Brands International, said. "It's one of the hardest hit groups of Americans, because they rely so significantly on school, for lunch ... Monday through Friday, for the better part of the year."

The decision comes at a time when fast food executives have been in close contact with President Trump about what they can do to help keep Americans fed while maintaining recommended social distancing. While many school districts and community organizations have stepped up to ensure vulnerable kids can still get fed, fast food deals like this could play some role in further filling the gap.

Of course Burger King is far from the most nutritious thing to feed kids, especially ones who are stuck inside for most of the day. But in some situations, eating fast food is at least better than eating nothing at all. Here’s hoping that the world doesn’t come to rely on Burger King for sustenance for a very extended period of time.