Does anybody know when (and why) Dunkin’ Donuts stopped selling dunkin’ donuts?
They don’t? What do they sell, then?
Is this what you’re referring to?
They sell regular donuts. The Dunkin’ Donuts the OP is referring to (I think) were not simply round, a special shape that had sort of a “handle” for holding while dunking into one’s drink.
I assume the answer is simply that they weren’t very popular anymore.
ETA: Reply was to Chronos, who was the last poster before I started composing my post.
Last time I was in a DD was some years ago. It was dirty and dingy, and they only had a very small number of decidedly over-the-hill donuts in the case. Haven’t been back since.
Huh. Well, how 'bout that. I had no idea there was an eponymous donut at Dunkin Donuts. According to that article, it existed until 2003. I don’t ever remember seeing such a thing.
The are doing fine and most of their locations aren’t like that today at leas in the Northeast. I have never been a big fan but they are the original Starbucks of the greater Boston area (they are headquartered in Massachusetts). There is a spot not that far from me where you can see 4 of them while standing in one place with several more not very far away. Like Starbucks, they may have to start adding locations inside the bathrooms of other Dunkin Donuts locations if they want to fit in any more of them.
At least in New England, Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t really about the donuts anymore although they still have plenty of those. It is mainly about quick coffee (you know, “Coffee - Regular” that means with cream and lots of sugar around here). Bagels and breakfast sandwiches are their other big sellers. I don’t think I have ever seen a donut specially designed to be dunked in coffee at any location ever but I am not a frequent customer.
I remember the handled donuts. I think we used to call them ‘dunkers’.
mmm
Moved to Cafe Society, and title edited to indicate subject.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
IIRC that was when they also stopped making crullers.
Basically, Dunkin’ Donuts expanded to add more items (muffins, danish, etc.) but didn’t add any extra display space. Lower selling donuts were ruthlessly cut from the menu (I haven’t seen a cherry cake one in decades) to make room. I also think that donuts have a bad reputation from a health standpoint, so they looked for other alternatives.
Nowadays, their selection is pathetic. It went from too many to choose from to having to work to find enough different flavors to fill out a dozen.
It also doesn’t help that they stopped making them in the store. It comes from a central bakery, but that means that the donuts are delivered first thing in the morning and they often run out by evening. (Not to mention how great it was to actually watch them make them.)
No Dunkin’ Donuts in Japan, but we have Mister Donut all over the place.
Yeah, DD is huge here… It’s the place everyone meets up. I love my Starbucks-free zone…
They don’t make crullers anymore? I’m certain I had one here in Chicago within the last year and a half.
They quit making those at my local store about 20 years ago. I used to go there early because they ran out fast.
One morning I was there very early and they were out so I asked if there would be a fresh batch soon.
The counter girl said that they no longer carry them since people were always asking for them and were angry that they were out.
I said,“Well I suspect that you won’t have angry customers anymore because, if they are like me, they won’t be coming back”.
The place closed within six months.
But my best experience at a DD was when I walked into an all-night store at 2am and they were out of donuts. I asked how long till the next batch came out and the 16 year old girl behind the counter said that there wouldn’t be any donuts till 5 am as she was the only one there and was not allowed to leave the counter. All she had for sale was coffee. (not latte’s, nothing special…just coffee)
I pondered the wisdom of a business manager who kept a store open with nothing to sell and who left a small 16 year old child alone to run it in the early morning hours.
That one closed within a year.
The store near me has the opposite problem. I went in twice just before closing and the workers offered to give me a dozen for the price of one, since they would all be thrown away.
I sure miss those things, the crust, texture, flavor, etc. was sublimely perfect. The French crullers, as we call them around here, Lord knows why, are da’ bomb for some nursing home residents I visit weekly. Trying to find DD double chocolate variety is getting increasingly difficult, I wonder if it’s the price per, as opposed to their other types? Out of the 407 DD outlets here in South Philly( OK, six) only one carries these toothsome delights.
The ones near me still sell crullers. Otherwise, what’s the point?
French crullers are pretty common in the greater Boston DDs, but those are donut shaped. There are several stick-like donuts on the menu, but none are a true cruller. They do, however, dunk well.
I’ve lived in Dunkin Donuts land all my life and I’ve never bought one of the ones with a handle. I don’t recall them ever being very popular.
Was there a stick shaped cruller on the DD menu? I’ve only had the round ones (always my favorite since I was a kid,)