Dunkin' Patrons Aren't Happy About Their Increasing Prices
Dunkin' has long been preferred by coffee drinkers for the quality of coffee that it sells for its price point. Sitting somewhere between the pricey Starbucks and the relatively cheaper McCafe, Dunkin' is a safe and reliable place to go to for good coffee that won't cost you an entire week's paycheck (via Spoon University).
Recently, however, Dunkin' fans have been left disappointed after noticing price hikes on the menu. Per a Reddit thread from four months ago, a medium iced coffee with one flavor that would normally cost $2.88 is now costing some customers $3.45. The prices continue to rise, as another Redditor noticed that their oat milk iced latte at Dunkin' was now coming up to $5.98 — which they noted is a price more akin to coffees sold at Starbucks rather than Dunkin'. "That's so depressing. I miss $2.50 or $3.50 lattes," wrote a wishful Dunkin' customer.
While customers unanimously agree that Dunkin's prices are looking noticeably steeper, Business Insider reports that it's not just Dunkin' that has hiked its prices. Taco Bell, Chipotle, The Cheesecake Factory, and McDonald's all raised their prices in 2021.
Transportation problems and a labor shortage have hiked Dunkin' prices
Per Business Insider, fast food chains, supermarkets and restaurants faced transportation issues in 2021. Coupled with a labor shortage and rising labor costs, fast food chains have had to increase their prices. Dunkin' in particular has increased its prices by 8%. Reuters also reports that disruption in transportation has specifically affected the supply of coffee, which in turn has affected even big coffee chains like Dunkin'.
The steep increase in price has caused some Dunkin' customers on Reddit to admit that they have switched to cheaper coffee from McDonald's. Others have even shifted to the slightly pricier Starbucks, now that a Dunkin' coffee costs similar to a Starbucks one. Some Redditors are also noticing that Dunkin' has discontinued several deals that used to be popular: "They used to have the $2 medium latte deals after 2PM. I guess this is gone forever." On a separate thread, a fan noticed that they couldn't see Dunkins' two for two deal on egg and cheese wraps anymore. Instead, two wraps now cost $4, double the price of what it used to be.
Still, some Dunkin' fans are staying loyal to the coffee and donut chain, insisting that despite the price hike, Dunkin' still happens to be cheaper than some of its competitors.