• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Dunkin Donuts some thoughts

AJUMP23

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
When I was a kid in the 80s Dunkin Donuts was the bomb of a donut shop. They made all their donuts in house and had more variety than anyone else. If you heard you were going to dunkin then you knew you were getting a great donut.

Now Dunkin is a pretend Starbucks. They make their money on sugar coffee drinks and not donuts. All their donuts are made offsite frozen and then shipped to the store. No more fresh donuts from a donut shop. My kids want to go to Dunkin for a 5$ drink. I will never take them. I don’t take them to Starbucks either.

Thankfully we still have some local donut shops that make fresh donuts and not special drinks. I know why Dunkin pivoted because they had their donut eaten by the Krispy Kreme glazed hot fresh donut. Which is a great donut. But my local shop with their Apple fritters is what I want more. My local shop just switched owners and I can tell the fritter is not being made by the same guy, as it was more dense. Maybe they will figure it out.

feel free to contribute.
 
B

Boston

Member
Their bagels used to be good too. Now they are half the size and taste like cardboard.
 
Last edited:
SpiceRacz

SpiceRacz

Member
I think their donuts are still good, but yea. The donuts are an afterthought to their sandwiches and sugary drinks.
 
Bwesh

Bwesh

Member
If any of you are in Asia, get some J.CO donuts.

bXGsIyt.jpg
 
stn

stn

Member
I get Dunkin whenever I visit Boston. Its pretty solid for what it is. They have a nice patio spot in Cambridge that I like to hit up.
 
triplestation

triplestation

Member
its nice and modest imo

its found its comfort zone and people like its not so fancy presence and its an enormous chain so an in house quality is just not realistic

smaller donus shops that make their own donus are here too so everybody wins
 
SlimySnake

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
AJUMP23 said:
When I was a kid in the 80s Dunkin Donuts was the bomb of a donut shop. They made all their donuts in house and had more variety than anyone else. If you heard you were going to dunkin then you knew you were getting a great donut.

Now Dunkin is a pretend Starbucks. They make their money on sugar coffee drinks and not donuts. All their donuts are made offsite frozen and then shipped to the store. No more fresh donuts from a donut shop. My kids want to go to Dunkin for a 5$ drink. I will never take them. I don’t take them to Starbucks either.

Thankfully we still have some local donut shops that make fresh donuts and not special drinks. I know why Dunkin pivoted because they had their donut eaten by the Krispy Kreme glazed hot fresh donut. Which is a great donut. But my local shop with their Apple fritters is what I want more. My local shop just switched owners and I can tell the fritter is not being made by the same guy, as it was more dense. Maybe they will figure it out.

feel free to contribute.
Click to expand...
I worked at a dunkin donut that made their own donuts every night. This was like 20 years ago and i remember we would ship out donuts to all the shops in the area.

It was easily my favorite part of the job. I would hate working the overnight shift until the donuts and crossaints started getting made and that made it all worth it. Fresh dunkin donuts were way better than any of these new fancy donut shops that charge $2-3 per donut just because they make them every day.
 
StreetsofBeige

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Only had DD once at a US airport. At coffee shops, I typically just buy junky donuts, so I cant compare sandwich quality, but the donuts at DD were much better than the bland crap you get at Tim Hortons.
 
Revolutionary

Revolutionary

Member
I like their Wake-Up Wraps for a quick breakfast if I didn't have the chance to eat before I left the house

But that's about it.
 
GeekyDad

GeekyDad

Member
Yeah, that's pretty much my memory of them growing up. But of course, we also had a Krispy Kreme up the road from us that made 'em fresh -- you could watch the conveyor as the dough went into the fryer, was flipped, then through the glaze, etc. My mom preferred them. DD was always a treat for me since we so rarely went there. I have no real interest what they seem to have changed into. Eh, but I guess if I need to sit and have a cup of Joe to discuss things with someone, it's another option instead of SB.

But yeah, we also had a mom & pops open up a few years ago, and they do good stuff. A little overpriced, but always glad to see local folks have a bit of success. The town seems to dig their doughnuts.
 
AlteredForms

AlteredForms

Banned
We have a Krispy Kreme section at my local supermarket and some of the donuts do look appealing. The one I want to buy is the Lotus Biscoff toffee donut but due to my diet and the fact they're £2/3 a piece I'll pass.

lotus_biscoff_3q.png
 
Last edited:
Men_in_Boxes

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
BennyBlanco said:
I have heard canadians wax poetic about this junk for years on the internet, and recently found one near me in NJ. It’s actually worse than dunkin to be honest.
Click to expand...

89ff53995d6504605250b453a69142fd.gif



There's only two chain restaurants that consistently have ridiculously long lines.

Chick Filet
Tim Hortons

They're doing something right that Dunkin Donuts isn't.
 
Excess

Excess

Member
When DD started to expand, they went to that supply chain strategy they have today, making the donuts off-site and shipping them in. Unfortunately, the focus on coffee wasn't much of a selling point either. I found it to be very weak and often referred to it as "dish water", so I started to drink Starbucks because the coffee is objectively of higher quality, and out of my hate for the inconsistency in how they make it. Your average DD employee has no standards, either putting in too much sugar or not enough cream. Fuck that, even McDonald's coffee is far better, and McD's is at least consistent.

However, Dunkin was recently purchased by the holding company that owns Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings, and I will say that the quality in coffee has improved, but I will always choose Starbucks over DD, even though I hate the hipster-vibe and cucks that work at Starbucks.

I've actually had Tim Horton's, too. There was one open in Manhattan. I think the donuts are better than DD, but that's just me. The coffee, however, sucked.
 
Rbk_3

Rbk_3

Member
Men_in_Boxes said:
89ff53995d6504605250b453a69142fd.gif



There's only two chain restaurants that consistently have ridiculously long lines.

Chick Filet
Tim Hortons

They're doing something right that Dunkin Donuts isn't.
Click to expand...

Tim Hortons sucks now. They face the same issues the OP mentioned about Dunkin. Ever since they were bought out by the Brazilian conglomerate that owns Burger King, quality has just gone down hill. Long lines doesn't mean quality. Just read through these comments, all negative.


www.theguardian.com

What happened to Tim Hortons? The downfall of Canada's brand

The coffee shop has long been synonymous with Canada, but bad press and changing tastes have hurt it – and then there was the poop incident
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Last edited:
DavidGzz

DavidGzz

Gold Member
All I need is a fresh fluff filled maple square and I'm good. I'd love to try Voodoo. There are none near me.
 
Last edited:
Men_in_Boxes

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Rbk_3 said:
Tim Hortons sucks now. They face the same issues the OP mentioned about Dunkin. Ever since they were bought out by the Brazilian conglomerate that owns Burger King, quality has just gone down hill. Long lines doesn't mean quality. Just read through these comments, all negative.


www.theguardian.com

What happened to Tim Hortons? The downfall of Canada's brand

The coffee shop has long been synonymous with Canada, but bad press and changing tastes have hurt it – and then there was the poop incident
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...

I'll take long lines over no lines when choosing where to eat when it comes to low cost breakfast coffee chains.

All the Tim Hortons near me are packed with employees during prime hours that are moving to keep up. All the Dunkin Donuts I've been to have day old donuts and sticky tables with crumbs on them.
 
Last edited:
SlimySnake

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Rbk_3 said:
Tim Hortons sucks now. They face the same issues the OP mentioned about Dunkin. Ever since they were bought out by the Brazilian conglomerate that owns Burger King, quality has just gone down hill. Long lines doesn't mean quality. Just read through these comments, all negative.


www.theguardian.com

What happened to Tim Hortons? The downfall of Canada's brand

The coffee shop has long been synonymous with Canada, but bad press and changing tastes have hurt it – and then there was the poop incident
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...
Tim Hortons uses frozen donuts. It's awful.

Their Iced Capps are the only reason why I go there. It's easily the best damn frappacino on the planet.
 
StreetsofBeige

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Rbk_3 said:
Tim Hortons sucks now. They face the same issues the OP mentioned about Dunkin. Ever since they were bought out by the Brazilian conglomerate that owns Burger King, quality has just gone down hill. Long lines doesn't mean quality. Just read through these comments, all negative.


www.theguardian.com

What happened to Tim Hortons? The downfall of Canada's brand

The coffee shop has long been synonymous with Canada, but bad press and changing tastes have hurt it – and then there was the poop incident
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...
Yup. Tim's stopped making stuff in house at their stores in the 2000s according to google. Their stuff is partially baked in a Brantford factory, frozen, and reheated at stores to finish it off. And glazing is done at store level. It's really no different than any of us going to the frozen section at a grocery store and buying a pillsbury box of pre-cooked desserts and sticking it in the oven. Then when its done you put on frosting yourself.

Also, on the coffee side, it's shit coffee and beans, no matter how much they market it on TV as awesome quality.

My buddy used to sell coffee beans to commercial accounts, and at the time his ranking of bean quality was this for the handful of accounts he knew about:

- Starbucks
- Second Cup
- McDonalds (cheap but surprisingly decent quality. burned by McD's bargain tier quality image)
- Tim's (garbage cheap quality, masked by people putting in tons of double double cream and sugar so they think it's good)
 
Last edited:
DragoonKain

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
If you want chip quick donuts, Entenmann’s rich chocolate frosted suffice in a pinch.

The thing about donuts from from a lot of donut shops though is the dough isn’t moist. Some smaller donut shops have richer and moist dough, but the chain places the dough all tastes the same. Take off the chocolate, cinnamon coatings or the Boston cream in the middle and just eat plain donut dough and it’s inedible it’s gross. Once I realized that I felt like I was eating a mediocre food just polished up by sugary coatings. Donut makers that have really tasty moist dough make me appreciate them much more.

If I’m going to a donut shop I’ll get an apple fritter.
 
StreetsofBeige

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
DragoonKain said:
If I’m going to a donut shop I’ll get an apple fritter.
Click to expand...
I always skew to cruellers. Secondary choices are maple dip or a powdery one with red filling. I agree with your view on the breading. Thats why I like cruellers too as they are its own mushy thing.

220px-French-Cruller-Donut.jpg
 
Last edited:
L

lethial

Reeeeeeee
BennyBlanco said:
I have heard canadians wax poetic about this junk for years on the internet, and recently found one near me in NJ. It’s actually worse than dunkin to be honest.
Click to expand...
They used to be great. Then they dropped their coffee (which McDonald's picked up) for some awful tasting shit. They also don't make fresh donuts anymore, same old frozen trash that's baked. Its still popular because it's part of our culture here but there are so many better options.
 
Davey Cakes

Davey Cakes

Member
lethial said:
They used to be great. Then they dropped their coffee (which McDonald's picked up) for some awful tasting shit. They also don't make fresh donuts anymore, same old frozen trash that's baked. Its still popular because it's part of our culture here but there are so many better options.
Click to expand...
I live close to the very first Dunkin’ Donuts. The chain is an institution around here. If you need that coffee fix there’s always a Dunkies nearby.

I enjoy their sandwiches. The coffee (iced in particular) really hits the spot sometimes, but DD is definitely not the place it used to be. Back in the 90’s and prior it was an actual bakery with pretty decent donuts. Now the donuts are crap. The coffee also hasn’t been as good since they changed it in the mid-late 2000’s. I started drinking their coffee in 2004 so I noticed the difference.
 
Last edited:
Men_in_Boxes

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
lethial said:
They used to be great. Then they dropped their coffee (which McDonald's picked up) for some awful tasting shit. They also don't make fresh donuts anymore, same old frozen trash that's baked. Its still popular because it's part of our culture here but there are so many better options.
Click to expand...

I return home (NYS) once or twice a year and the explosion of Tim Hortons + the popularity of the Tim Hortons locations I see, (I'll routinely count 10+ long vehicle lines in drive throughs) suggests that there's more to Tim Hortons growth than some strange "cultural brainwashing".

They're doing something right.
 
bender

bender

What time is it?
I went recently for the first time in forever and a dozen donuts was $14+ after taxes. They definitely make money off their donuts. The pricing is insane for the quality.
 
macfoshizzle

macfoshizzle

Member
Not much Dunkin in Cali, but I only go to these corporate places if I can’t get access to local places and for convenience. I make coffee at home so even going to Starbucks is a huge downgrade in coffee quality unless I get their cold brew. Starbucks put a giant wench in the industry where companies like McDonald’s, Dunkin, Krisby had to make drastic changes.
 
Ozzy Onya A2Z

Ozzy Onya A2Z

Member
Give me the local classic fresh cinnamon donut. Unbeatable when right off the machine and still warm. A whole bag of them costs like $4.

Kids eat em all before you get any thoughts of a second one.

Fluffy-Baked-Donuts.jpg


I don't like the frills and all retail outlet of Starbucks but my home capsule coffee maker is always stocked with a selection of the Nespresso Starbucks capsules. The lungo and home milk frother combo is easy and bloody tasty too. Forget all that retail experience/pricing and add on whipped cream bullshit though.

Starbucks-by-Nespresso-pods-5.jpg


Get those for about $3.50-$5.00 per 10 box when bought in bulk and supermarket specials. So with added milk I'm guessing I spend around $2 per coffee and donut combo when the craving strikes.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Stale Donuts >>> Fresh Donuts
Opinion
44
3K
West Texas CEO replied
Donut connoisseur lightens mood at his funeral with giant cream donut coffin and lots of donuts (New Zealand)
12
2K
GarlicSnake replied
The new DND Player's Handbook is out. I have thoughts
27
2K
goldangelcorp replied
I've been checking out 80s-90s rock music I missed from my younger years lately(because I was shallow). A lot of stuff I really love, like Nirvana
2 3
114
6K
V1LÆM replied
Ridley Scott interview - sharks in the colosseum, Maximus returning from the afterlife to kill Jesus Christ, asleep at the wheel for Prometheus
45
3K
dem replied
Top Bottom