Spring is (almost) in the air and many a brand has been trying to tap into our desire for warmer weather with tailored menus. After Starbucks (SBUX) unveiled a spring menu full of items like the Pistachio Latte and the Earth Cake Pop, Dunkin' followed suit with a warm-weather menu of its own.
Dunkin, of course, has never been shy about borrowing from successful Starbucks innovations. It has done that on its new menu, but it also has added some new items that can be considered at least a little bit innovative. That's a bit of a chain for the coffee and doughnuts chain which has generally looked to its top rival to decide what consumers want.
Image source: Dunkin.
What Is On Dunkin's Spring Menu?
Springtime menus usually follow a nature, flowery theme and Dunkin' is no exception: for drinks, Dunkin' launched the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew, the Salted Caramel Signature Latte, and the Shamrock Macchiato. (The lightness associated with spring seems to be less in the cards as all three of the new drinks are pretty decadent.)
While the Shamrock Macchiato is not truly "made Irish" with alcohol, the Irish Creme and vanilla flavors are made to mimic the flavor of the whiskey. It is also bright green in color.
If the "Salted Caramel" items seem familiar, it's because Starbucks has offered similar drinks for years. Starbucks, of course, also pioneered the idea of cold brew and cold-foamed milk which Dunkin' has also copied.
In terms of food, Dunkin' is looking to court the millennial customer — items like the Roasted Tomato & Hummus Toast and the Roasted Tomato & Avocado Toast are a nod to the cliché of the millennial who can't buy a home because all the money has gone toward avocado toast.
For the dessert lover, Dunkin' also launched a new chocolate croissant made of flaky crust and three chocolate batons — a nod, perhaps, to springtime outpouring of Parisians eating croissants at outdoor cafés.
"Spring is a season that brings adventure, optimism, and light-hearted fun, and we wanted to capture that essence for our guests in the all-new lineup," Jill Nelson, vice president of marketing and culinary at Dunkin’, said in a statement.
Seasonal Menus Are Here To Stay
While chain have long been looking to various holidays and social crazes to generate hype around new products, an entire menu is a relatively new phenomenon that has picked up some serious steam in recent years — what started out as just one or two seasonal drinks is now being replaced, for entire brands, with entire mini-menus.
Another chain known for never missing a holiday to launch a new item, Shake Shack (SHAK) recently replaced holiday milkshakes like the Sugar Plum Fairy Shake and Christmas Cookie Shake with a small nod to the cannabis community 4-20 celebration: the Wake&Shake.
"Spring is a time for new beginnings, and Dunkin' is ready to help guests step into the season with delectable new offerings," Dunkin' wrote in the release announcing the new items.
