Dunkin’ Donuts is a chain of eating establishments that was founded by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950. It has grown to become the largest baked- goods restaurant chain in the world with close to 5,800 locations in more than 30 countries around the world.

Menu Selection:

Dunkin Donuts offers a menu of baked goods and drinks to satisfy smaller appetites as well as those who just crave the sweet taste of sugar. Here is a listing of what you can get at this restaurant establishment:

Donuts- This is the staple of the menu and each Dunkin’ Donuts location can be counted on to have between thirty and fifty- two different types of donuts to choose from, including favorites like glazed, Bavarian cream, Boston cream, jelly- filled, chocolate iced, and many more. They also serve Dunkin’ Donuts signature munchkin donut holes- small, bite- sized versions of some of the more popular donut styles.

Breakfast Food- Dunkin’ Donuts serves hot breakfast sandwiches, like eggs and sausage, egg and cheese, or ham with egg and cheese. These can be purchased on a bagel, a muffin, a biscuit, or a croissant.

Other Baked Goods- Besides donuts, customer can also choose foods that are a little lower in sugar content, like bagels and muffins. Bagel options include plain, wheat, raison, onion, poppy seed, etc. Muffins are sold in flavors like blueberry, corn, bran, banana nut, and others. And scones (a type of biscuit/bread) are also served at Dunkin’ Donuts, with selections that include blueberry, maple walnut, and white chocolate with raspberry.

Specialty Drinks- To wash down your donut, Dunkin’ Donuts offers specialty beverages like hot espresso, iced coffee lattes, Coolattas in various flavors, and cappucchino.

Other Beverages- If your tastes are more inclined to something simple, Dunkin’ Donuts offers its world famous coffee, teas, and hot chocolate with assorted flavorings and additions available for each.

Atmosphere:

Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t really known as a happening place. The insides of most establishments are rather small and there is often seating for only about ten to twenty customers. Some locations have stools to sit on, next to the front counter, while others have nothing but booths or tables and chairs. There is really nothing to look at, since the insides of most locations are plain, featuring the colors of red and orange in what few designs can be found. The front of each location is primarily comprised of glass windows, allowing customers to gaze outside and people watch as they enjoy their food and drink.

Pricing:

Dunkin’ Donuts food is competitively priced, with the donuts and bagels selling for anywhere from 35 cents to 70 cents each. Bulk purchases are reduced in price per unit, like expected. And it’s common to find coupons for money off when you purchase a dozen or more donuts, making Dunkin’ Donuts one of the least- expensive breakfast operations around.

Simple drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are not very costly at Dunkin’ Donuts. But the specialty drinks can get a little more expensive, often selling for double or triple the price of a basic drink. But these prices are still less expensive than the competition.

Customer Service:

One nice thing about Dunkin’ Donuts is that the service is usually fast, friendly, and efficient. Things can get a little backed up in the early morning hours when customers are flocking to the stores to get that early morning sugar fix and/or caffeine buzz. But since the orders are generally small and packing donuts in a box is pretty easy, the lines tend to move quickly. Some locations also have a drive- thru, which is good for those who don’t want to get out of the car but bad for those who are waiting in line on the inside. The drive- thru often takes priority and if staffing is thin, the people on the inside will have to wait a little longer to get served.

Final Thoughts:

Dunkin’ Donuts is the largest retailer of bakery goods in the world, with locations all across the United States and in many foreign countries. I have been an occasional visitor to this restaurant for years, stopping by in the mornings on my way to work or school when the craving for a great- tasting donut strikes and only a freshly- baked donut will do. Most donut lovers agree that there is no substitute for a fresh donut. The store- bought variety sold in a box is usually dry and sometimes bordering on stale. Fresh donuts are the only choice, and Dunkin’ Donuts is king of the fresh bakery goods establishment.

Donuts and other baked goods are prepared fresh each day at Dunkin’ Donuts. Remember the popular advertisements from the 1980’s, featuring the short, older man getting out of bed to head to the store so he can make the donuts for the day? Well, the products at Dunkin’ Donuts really are made this way. They are prepared fresh every day for sale only on that day, and they must be sold within six hours. Once the six- hour period is up, any unused donuts are discarded. This ensures that the food is the best- tasting it can possibly be. You can taste the difference, too. The donuts served up at Dunkin’ Donuts are usually moister and more mouth- watering that what you get in the store.

What are equally impressive at Dunkin’ Donuts are its beverages. You won’t find soft drinks or other common products here (at least not sold behind the counter- some locations do have bottled and canned soft drinks for sale in a separate, self- serve refrigerator). The drinks served at Dunkin’ Donuts are those that are compatible with the food, like coffee, tea, milk, and iced coffee specialty drinks. Dunkin’ Donuts is known for its delicious coffee, and many people stop by just for this product alone. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but I can see why people enjoy it so much. It’s rich, roasted taste is smooth without bitterness and it makes a fine companion for washing down a sweet donut or bagel. I like the French Vanilla flavor the best, and the hazelnut is pretty good, too. The popularity of the coffee is so strong that it is now sold by the bag in stores and on the internet. It’s expensive, so don’t go into sticker shock when you see the price, which is around $8 per pound for the flavored styles. We’re not talking about Maxwell House here- you have to pay the price for good coffee.

As far as the other food items go, I think the breakfast sandwiches are good and I like the fact that you can substitute your own choice of flavored bagel or muffin for a plain bagel or muffin when you order one of these sandwiches. This makes the meal more unique and flavorful. Be careful with the bagels. Unlike the donuts, muffins, and scones they are often much more chewy and harder to eat. But they are still tasty and make for a nice change of pace from a sugary donut. Oh, and keep in mind that the menu selections are not offered at all locations. I have been to some stores that did not sell scones, for instance. And it’s rare to find a store that sells all fifty- two varieties of donuts. Most of them sell only between thirty and forty- five.

Donuts, bagels, and similar foods are often very messy and those who eat them tend to leave a trail of crumbs wherever they sit. Dunkin’ Donuts management is aware of this and they are very quick to wipe down the counters, tables, and floors to ensure that that everything is clean and presentable. Cleanliness is one of the strongest points of Dunkin’ Donuts. They keep the place spic- n- span. I have never seen a messy floor, counter, or tables when I have visited. They clean constantly, all day long.

Nutritionally, Dunkin’ Donuts are not going to win any awards and they are no substitute for fruits and vegetables. But they are no worse than other brands of donuts or other sweet foods. According to the Dunkin’ Donuts nutritional charts, a single glazed donut, for example, has 180 calories, 3 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, and 25 grams of carbohydrates. There is almost no nutritional value at all, aside from the caloric energy and a trace of iron and a few other minerals. As you can see, the carbs alone are likely to scare away many potential consumers, thanks to the popularity of the Atkins diet. And, unfortunately for these people, I don’t think Dunkin’ Donuts has any immediate plans to produce a reduced- carb donut (or other food). The only relatively low- carb item on the menu is the breakfast sandwiches, minus the bagel or muffin.

Lovers of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee can setup delivery service to their home or place of business. This can be done via the company web site or by calling 877-833-2633. This is another service that Dunkin’ Donuts has added to satisfy the cravings of those who can’t get enough of this tasty java. With the price being what it is, I doubt many businesses will splurge and spend this amount of money on coffee. But it’s nice to know that the service is there, if you or your place of business ever decides it wants to use it.

The cream- filled donuts covered in powdered sugar, along with a Mocha Swirl Latte, are my items of choice when I visit Dunkin’ Donuts. This satisfies my sweet tooth and my daily need for caffeine for a price that is more reasonable than what I would pay for a similar meal combination at Starbucks. Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts chief competitor, is also slightly more expensive even though the quality you get and the service you receive are very similar at each place.

Dunkin’ Donuts has now been around for more than fifty years. The company’s founder, the late Bill Rosenberg, stressed freshness and cleanliness from the very beginning. It’s nice to see that his legacy is still followed at the present- day Dunkin’ Donuts. Great- tasting food, coffee, and specialty drinks offered at a fair price makes this restaurant a nice place to stop in the mornings before work. It can get a little busy, but the taste and satisfaction make Dunkin’ Donuts worth the trip.


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