Dunkin’ Donuts Eliminating Many Popular Menu Items

Say it isn't so, Dunkin.

In a fairly devastating blow to our stomachs, Dunkin' Donuts just announced that they are slashing their menu by 10 percent nationwide, the Boston Herald reports. Some items included in the elimination are smoothies, afternoon sandwiches like tuna and chicken salad, the Angus steak and egg breakfast sandwich, flatbreads, some flavors of bagels (garlic, onion, and whole wheat among them) a few cream cheeses, several muffin flavors, and unsweetened coffee flavor shots including peach, mocha, and caramel. Quite the hefty list, and that doesn't include all of it.

The reason behind the mass menu cuts? Dunkin' says that streamlining their menu will lead to better and faster service, as well as maximize profitability. Basically, the claim is that the items they're eliminating aren't selling well.

“Franchisees have been asking for something like this for quite some time,” said Chris Fuqua, Dunkin’s senior vice president of operations strategy and supply chain. “They’re facing challenges with labor, and we’re always looking to maximize profitability for franchisees. If you can remove products that are more difficult to make or ... consumers aren’t asking for as much, you can make the stores easier to work in, and you can positively impact their (profit and loss statement).”

Try explaining that to the angry Facebook commenters on the Herald's post and Dunkin's own page. Many are upset that smoothies are getting the ax, several are bemoaning the death of the onion bagel, and a few even said they would be dropping Dunkin' and hitting up McDonald's instead. Seems to me these items were pretty beloved after all.

At the end of the day, Dunkin' feels this is the correct move for their business, so we have to respect that, but our taste buds will definitely be crying for a little while.

Find out which other menu items got the chopping block here.