Just curious. You used to see these draw-a-business-card things a lot more often near restaurant entrances.
I actually have! Well, it wasn’t a meal; it was a Bagel Bundle (or something like that) at Bruegger’s Bagels - 13 bagels, two or three tubs of cream cheese. The restaurant is across the street from my office, so I just put everything in the kitchen and shared.
Not a meal, but I did win a cheapo laptop once. I gave it to a young niece who used it to play games for a while but even a 5 year old knows a piece of crap computer so she didn’t use it often or long
I won a meal for ten people at Kenny Rogers Roasters in the 90s. I never bothered to collect it.
Never!
I retired 3 years ago, completing 46 years of full-time work, spanning 23 separate jobs.
Oddly enough, I’ve never once had a business card.
My only win from a “drawing” was a CB radio in 1975. I deposited my paycheck and a cheer went up… Apparently mine was the millionth customer transaction in the bank.
Not a meal but a deluxe car wash with interior cleaning. The value was $20 at the time.
I never put my business card in one of those things, assuming ulterior motives.
I won an iPad at an industry convention, once.
What ulterior motives could there be?
In at least on instance locally, the “free lunch” involved a sales pitch that went on while the “free lunch diners” were eating. In several other instances locally a free lunch was awarded to the card drawn, but all the other people were spammed.
I won a basketball. It wasn’t leather, but it was still a pretty good basketball. ETA it was a traditional in-person drawing, I don’t think I ever dropped a business card in one of those things.
I’ve yet to hold a position that comes with free business cards but I have won a similar drawing. I was having lunch at the mall food court near work and filled out an entry form, then forgot about it. Until the mall called me at work and said I had won a dozen Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizzas.
My immediate supervisor drove me to the mall in exchange for one pizza; us file & copy clerks plus some of the secretaries had our own little pizza party that day.
I know someone that won a deal like that. A cheap TV and one of those novelty “shoe” phones being given away everywhere. It was obvious crap.
I put my card in for plenty of those contests at trade shows. I won the attention of some annoying salesmen.
A coworker has won free x-number of free sandwiches sandwiches a few times from Potbelly. I haven’t been in a position to accept (Brought my lunch) yet.
In the late 90s-early 2000s, when I was a clubby-ravey 20-something, there were a couple clubs that did drawings for ‘parties’ where, if you won, you could invite 10 or 20 people for free entry & a free drink wristband for like 2 hours. Pretty soon, it became apparent that me and my 10 or 20 friends were the only ones entering the drawing since one of us won every week. It sort of became a hassle, going to a place deep in the city every week to keep it going. I think it was some dot. com money driving that deal, good times.
ETA: broke the dotcom link
I once won a dinner for four at Ikea. It was basically the same stuff they serve in the cafeteria but in a roped off section. I think I was one of only two people to enter. We both won.
Sometimes the bowls/offers are provided by headhunters. The cost of a possible free lunch is a million calls from recruiters.
Similar. When ACAMs has their Las Vegas Conventions, I used to spam the “drop a card” and always went home with a prize- $600 gift card, bottle of special bourbon, etc.
I wouldn’t have minded. I love their meatballs, and I’ve been a fan of lingonberries since early childhood.
Thirty years ago I won a dream family vacation to Disneyworld. Took my parents, husband and three kidlets. 15,000 dollars to spend as we wished. Did the obligatory hard time at Disney World. We stayed at the Grand Floridian (the baby took his first steps there). Rented a van and drove through the Keys, then spent the rest of the $ and time in a friend’s family house on Sanibel-my favorite part by far. It was a fishbowl drawing by a local Mexican restaurant chain to celebrate their 15th anniversary of opening.