For all of my years in orchestra, I’ve had a post-rehearsal ritual. After our practice sessions, I’d drive to my neighborhood Dunkin’ and order the exact same pairing: a chocolate donut and a cookie butter matcha.
Then, rehearsals moved. New location, new closest Dunkin’. I didn’t see a reason to break my tradition, so I dropped by the nearest shop, ordered my go-to, and took a sip. Immediately, I caught it. The cookie butter flavor tasted stronger than usual.
I shrugged it off, thinking that maybe the barista had a heavy hand that day. However, recently, my TikTok feed showed me that I wasn’t the only one who’d ordered a drink that tasted different at a different location. People were experiencing the same thing, and the same Dunkin’ order somehow tasted noticeably different depending on where you get it.
It’s not just on TikTok. Four years ago, a Reddit user named @damiansomething noted, “My main Dunkin’ has no complaints… but the Dunkin’ between me and the highway just has a weird aftertaste for the same drink.” Another Spoon writer, Natalie Civadelic, remembered a similar experience where her Dunkin’ order back home “hits like crack” while the closest location by her college tasted like “sewage water.”
Do Dunkin’ drinks differ depending on location?
TikToker @jacksonwtok decided to test the theory scientifically (or at least, TikTok-scientifically). He hit three separate Dunkin’ locations, ordering the same drink each time. The results? At first glance, even the drinks’ appearances were inconsistent in varying shades of beige. Flavor-wise, he found they were all similar but not identical. He ranked them on screen, repeating what thousands of Dunkin’ fans had already suspected: different Dunkin’, different drink.
Why are Dunkin’ drinks different depending on location?
So why does this happen? Unlike some chains that own and operate most of their stores centrally, Dunkin’ relies heavily on franchise owners. Factors like staff training, adherence to preparation protocols, and even supply chain issues can influence how a drink turns out on any given day. Additionally, while ingredients and syrups are standardized on paper, in reality, small differences in mixing ratios, water quality (yes, even the tap matters), and employee technique can alter the final product. One store’s “two pumps” might look a little different from another’s. Multiply that across hundreds of thousands of drinks a day, and you’ve got orders that range from heavenly balances to intense flavors. Corporate enforces standards with quality control measures, but some amount of variation is inevitable.
The next time you spot Dunkin’ on your drive, don’t assume that you already know exactly what you’re getting. Treat it like a little experiment. Order your favorite drink at multiple locations, and maybe even rank them like @jacksonwtok. You might be surprised by how much your local Dunkin’ matters in shaping your usual order.