Dunkin Donuts is a staple in college students' lives. Its donuts give you the sugary rush you need in the morning, while their coffee affordably saves you during finals week. From iced coffee to munchkins to hot chocolate, Dunkin Donuts has something for everyone. However, its increasing emphasis on the beverage side of its menu might be causing the company to officially shorten their name.
Starting with a few test locations, Dunkin Donuts is testing the drop of "donuts" from its name. A new location in Pasadena, California is now called "Dunkin" which makes me wonder how are we now going to shorten Dunkin's name to sound cool?
This name change is not the first time that Dunkin Donuts has renamed their brand. When Dunkin Donuts first opened in Massachusetts in 1948, it was called "Open Kettle." It served the beloved donuts and coffee, but it was not until 1950 that it was renamed "Dunkin Donuts."
According to their website, Dunkin now has over 12,000 locations across 45 countries and serves "approximately 1.9 billion cups of hot and iced coffee every year." This emphasis on coffee portrays Dunkin's push to be viewed as a beverage company. The chain franchise is trying to have customers think of it as a destination for coffee, putting it more directly in competition with beverage giants such as Starbucks. However, aren't Dunkin's donuts what really separate it from national coffee chains?
Whether you're all for this change or currently questioning if the world is ending, there is still time before this change could become permanent. The name drop will be a slow trial period starting at a couple of locations to test customers' reactions. If you feel personally victimized by this, buy more donuts to remind Dunkin of your favorite part of their name. Whatever the outcome of the name change, we will always have Dunkin to thank for making it okay for us to lazily spell "donuts" as a six-letter word.