Restaurants and retail stores plan to salute America's veterans -- past and present -- by giving out a variety of discounts this Veteran's Day holiday.On Thursday, Applebee's locations nationwide will offer veterans free meals from a special menu, which will feature a sirloin steak, among other items.
Many local restaurants are also participating.
Zia's Italian Grill in Salisbury will give out a free lunch on Thursday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. to anyone who's ever served in the military, said owner Alex Bubas.
Bubas served in the U.S. Army infantry during the Vietnam War from 1967-70. He saw action in the Tet Offensive, he said.
"Who said there's no free lunch? There is at Zia's on this special day," Bubas said.
Larry Layton, the owner of Layton's Restaurant in Ocean City, said vets should have an easy time finding his restaurant -- it's the one flying nine American flags. Layton serves in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and plans on giving all veterans a 20 percent discount Thursday.
"I think we all know that too many people forget why we're all here and how we have this beautiful beach here and why we haven't had five more 9/11s. People think it's all free, but it's not," Layton said.
Golden Corral restaurant will hold its free Military Appreciation dinner for all veterans Monday night.
BJ's on the Water in Ocean City will give veterans a free meal during the restaurant's traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving day.
Stewart Davis, the president of the Local Owners Restaurant Association, said his restaurant, Chef Stewart of Flannery's in Fruitland, will give veterans Thursday the special of buy one pit sandwich, get one free.
Davis said he realizes that a free sandwich is a small token of respect for the sacrifices made by America's military men and women.
"A lot of the time, they're really underappreciated. Anybody that comes up here, I'm always shaking their hand and thanking them, saying 'thank you' for my freedom," Davis said.
Carol Nicholson, the club manager for the American Legion Post 64, said her father served in the U.S. Navy for several decades and would have appreciated the growing support from American businesses during Veteran's Day.
"It's a good feeling, being a child of a veteran, seeing this more and more. I wish my dad was still alive to see it," Nicholson said.
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