Their iconic foam is not their creation
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Ask a group of people who have made Dunkin’ Donuts their go-to coffee place why they chose it, and they’ll likely all answer the same way: the sweet cold foam. This sugary, creamy topping is what sets Dunkin’ apart from other coffee places, but it’s not as unique as they’d have you believe. The special foam is actually just Reddi-Wip, which can be purchased in stores.
Some of their drinks are over half your daily calories
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Everyone knows that a daily coffee habit can eat into your calorie allowance, especially if you’re fond of creamer, sugar or flavored syrups. With that said, Dunkin’ Donuts takes things to the next level, as many of their coffees contain over half the calories an adult man or woman needs to consume per day. This makes many Dunkin’ menu items more indulgent than Starbucks’.
Employees are forbidden from donating food
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As part of their commitment to quality, Dunkin’ only allows their brewed coffee to sit for eighteen minutes before it is disposed of. This means that gallons of coffee are wasted every 24 hours, and that’s not all. Despite having dozens of donuts, cakes and desserts left over every workday, employees are forbidden from taking any home or donating it to the homeless – it has to be thrown away.
The donuts aren’t made on the premises
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Dunkin’ likes to market itself as more of a cozy, less corporate option than Starbucks or McDonald’s as far as their production line is concerned. However, while Subway bakes their sandwich bread on the premises every day, Dunkin’s donuts are made far from the premises. All their confectionary offerings are delivered by van at 5AM every morning and then set out for consumers.
They used to be a diner
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Dunkin’ Donuts’ homespun, comforting brand partly exists because they used to be a string of diners, not just a hole-in-the-wall coffee and donuts place. Many Dunkin’s across America had table service and would serve up bacon and eggs, grits, chicken and waffles and pancakes in addition to their nationally-renowned coffee. Unfortunately, their final diner was converted into a storefront in 2015.
Some of their syrups are exactly the same
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Just like Starbucks, the popularity of Dunkin’ Donut’s coffee is boosted by all the options that appear to be on display. However, their jam-packed menu might actually just be providing the illusion of choice, according to some inside sources. Dunkin’ employees have alleged that the French Vanilla Swirl syrup and the Pink Velvet Swirl syrup are actually exactly the same, with the exception of the pink food colouring.
There’s a deeply unpopular secret menu
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Everybody knows about the McDonald’s dubious surf-and-turf sandwich or the Hulk-themed Taco Bell quesadilla with extra guacamole. However, fewer people know about Dunkin’ Donuts’ extensive secret menu, which includes modified hot coffees, cold brews, sandwiches, paninis and more. According to employees, the menu is not particularly popular or utilized much when compared to competitor secret menu items.
Their cakes have more calories than a Big Mac
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Most people know that regularly having a McDonald’s Big Mac for dinner isn’t the best idea, because it is high calorie while not being super satiating. However, many people will grab a Dunkin’ Donut’s coffee cake muffin with their breakfast without thinking twice, because they don’t know that this small snack has just as many calories as the iconic McDonald’s burger and fries.
They have 15,000 ways to make your coffee
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If you’ve ever gone to a fast food place and ended up standing frozen at the counter, frozenly staring upward while being completely overwhelmed by all the options on display, then you should think twice about reading this next fact. Dunkin’ Donuts actually offers 15,000 drink combinations altogether, a staggering number sure to put even the most dedicated coffee enthusiast on the back foot.
Their make-at-home coffee doesn’t taste right
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Like many other coffee chains, Dunkin’ Donuts sell bags of their proprietary coffee blend in supermarkets around America. However, Dunkin’ lovers often report that the coffees made with the beans at home just don’t stack up to the in-store version. This is because the beans sold by Dunkin are actually a mix of their own beans, and lower quality, consumer-grade beans. Yikes.