Dunkin' Is Bringing Back 'Free Coffee Mondays' For Rewards Members Through November

Dunkin' has upset a lot of its biggest fans lately. The reason? It's not the "Donuts" name change – that's old news, and it continued selling plenty of donuts, as noted by Elite Daily. If you haven't heard the fuss, you may not be a Dunkin' regular. Because it's some of Dunkin's loyal customers who have been up in arms on Reddit. What gives? The chain's new rewards program.

The Dunkin' Rewards (DD Perks is the app version) isn't new, but the company made some changes this year which have caused consternation and frustration for many, some of whom have even threatened to boycott the chain. While the company claims the system gives more points and offers more flexibility, it takes more points to accrue those rewards and there are fewer freebies on offer (via Best Life). Emotions have run surprisingly high on the subject.

Redditor cozy-mosey described grief and the struggle to say goodbye, writing, "i'm in the process of mourning so i have yet to let go of my app, but it's nice to know i'm not the only one terribly upset [crying emoji] i used to talk about how i loved their rewards program (sic)."  "The switch has caused some former customers to jump ship, and head over to coffee purveyors with (what they believe) are better perks, like Panera or Wawa, or cheaper coffee, like McDonald's.

But some Dunkin' fans are sticking by their brand, insisting that Dunkin's coffee is still better, and a better value, despite the changes, according to Best Life. The lack of truly free coffee seems to have been a sore spot with Dunkin's customers, and the company may have underestimated how much people like freebies. Previously, members got coffee they didn't pay for more often – including free coffee on their birthdays – but that changed with the new system.

It looks like Dunkin' might be trying to respond to the backlash by sweetening some of its deals to lure caffeine lovers back into the fold. The company announced the return of Free Coffee Mondays on November 7. Every Monday for the month of November, Dunkin' Rewards members can get a free coffee when they make any purchase (per Dunkin').

Free Coffee Mondays will take a little of the sting out of the changes, but it remains to be seen if it's enough to make a difference: after all, a free coffee with purchase isn't quite the same as a free coffee. In a time of high food inflation, we know there's no free lunch, but many people are still hoping they can find their way to a free coffee.