Dunkin Donuts - An American Tragedy (1 Viewer)

When I was younger, there was only one name synonymous w/ donuts, and that name was Dunkin Donuts. My family and friends would pass up 4 or 5 "mom and pop" donut shops and drive an extra 10-15 minutes just to get Dunkin Donuts. Not only was there name recognition (as a result of good marketing and advertising), but they just tasted best.

Sadly, that is no longer the case today. I have noticed over the past several years that Dunkin Donuts has lost its way in making donuts. Last week when my wife and I were out, she wanted a cup of coffee so I went through the DD drive thru and decided while I was there to get a couple of donuts. To make a short story even shorter, I took a couple of bites, and threw them out of the window - they were that bad. The donuts were dry, hardened, and tasteless...sorta like day old donuts. I honestly believe that my 9-year old niece could make better donuts in her Hasbro Easy Bake Oven. Here in Atlanta we have a Krispy Kreme store on just about every corner, and I know that they have stolen alot of the thunder away from Dunkin Donuts, but to me, it seems like Dunkin Donuts doesn't even try to compete anymore - like they've just thrown in the towel and don't care anymore. It's like they say..."Yeah, we know that America has a love affair w/ Krispy Kreme right now, but oh well, these things happen."

This isn't just one DD shop, but I have the same experience at any DD shop that I've gone to. It may sound like I frequent DD all the time, but really, I rarely go there. It's just that when I do, or when someone brings DD into the office, I always think to myself..."What a god-awful donut." Funny thing though, while DD quality is non-existant, my wife and a few other people I know actually prefer DD coffee to the expensive stuff from the likes of Starbucks. Great coffee, cruddy donuts. Go figure. Anyway, have any of you noticed the slow demise of the great American Institution formerly known as Dunkin Donuts over the years?

I've always liked KK over DD.

No KK near here, only lots of DD's. But, yes, their quality has gone down hill.

I generally turn to the local supermarkets in-store bakeries for donuts/pastries these days. Unfortunately none of them seems to do everything well. Best muffins are at one store, best donuts at another, etc.

Around here, numerous Dunkin' Donuts shops have closed down. Tim Horton's has been taking over the market, it seems.

Well, with more KK than DD, and BB on the out. WD are almost too hard to find. So maybe SD will pickup where DD and WD couldn't. They mostly folded because KK has taken over the LB.

I believe Dunkin Donuts actually derives about 60% of their revenue from coffee these days. That, plus today's greater focus on healthier and lower carb eating, may be turning the company's attention away from their original product.

I have no idea what that means, but I sure got a chuckle out of it.

If this is true, how do you explain the Krispy Kreme phenomenon right now?

WTFAYTA?

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H

Down here Krisy Kreme is King. DD does a lot of coffee and breakfast samiches. I remeber when I was on Manhattan Island last year there were a ton of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts.

Where I live in CT there is DD everywhere you look. I have always liked thier donuts but have never tried KK, cant seem to find them.

Did you know that DD buys thier coffee beans from Sara Lee?I worked for the Sara Lee Coffee subsidary until about a month ago and was floored when I learned this when I first started there.

As a resident of the home of Dunkies (I used to work next door to the first one ever, on the Southern Artery in Quincy, MA), I can tell you that Dunkin Donuts has never been that big on donut sales and is all about the coffee. The donuts have gone downhill lately and the selections are not close to what they used to be (except the Boston Creme, still the best donut made). But the coffee is (IMNSHO) the best in the world for regular drip. Their iced coffee is also great; you get it fresh brewed and they'll customize it for you.

Incidentally, I know a couple DD franchisers and they say that outside of New England, Dunkin's coffee is not as good as the home area because they do not ship their special cream mixture outside of New England. The outlets outside of New England use local cream not mixed like the original blend and it tastes just a little off. I always wondered why DD tastes different when I travel, who would have thunk it was the cream?

It's weird to see that Tim Hortons is now entering the American market. For the longest time it wasa Canadian only thing. Nonetheless, you can't drive anywhere without actually fiding a Tim Hortons. There's actually 2 in my area right across the street from each other.

DD does derive the majority of its revenue from coffee. It asserts that its stores are coffee shops and not donut shops. KK is actually facing a marginally negative backlash b/c of the low carb craze which puts DD in a better financial position. Now KK is starting to push beverage sales in order to remedy the situation. If they succeed, they will have an unbeatable combo!

First they have to learn how to make a good cup of coffee. No offense, but I've lived in the south and their coffee is (literally and figuratively) pretty weak. Regional tasetes differ and I understand that, but to quote my ex-girlfriend's (New York transplant) southern aunt, I say "Southern coffee tastes like dirty dishwater". Until they can approach the taste of Dunkin's "regulah" or even admit there is such a thing as hot tea and/or iced coffee, they'll never compete with the pink and orange.

Many years ago there was a DD down the street. It was taken over by some god-awful Asian donut makers, terrible. DD was good, better then KK, but across the street is the Adams Ave Donuts, still the best. I have yet to taste a better donut.

Of course, a great accompaniment to that good donut is the Widmer Bros. Hefeweizen

I can remember in the late 1980s when you could show up after midnight at a DD with your own jug of milk, and for $1, get all the day-old doughnuts you could eat while inside the store. My dorm used to make these late night DD runs. My record was only 6 doughnuts in one sitting, but one guy was able to woof down 13 in one sitting. None of us felt all that great the next morning though.

Perhaps DD is now just serving day(s)-old doughnuts mixed in with their "fresh" baked offerings, which could account for their not-so-tastiness nowadays.

Such language