The Best-Selling Menu Item At Dunkin' Isn't A Donut

Dunkin' founder William Rosenberg opened the first Dunkin' location in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. He believed that donuts and coffee were a winning pair, and he couldn't have been more right. Just two years later, the company was renamed to "Dunkin' Donuts," presumably to reflect the tasty combination of dipping a donut into a piping hot cup of coffee, according to Dunkin' Newsroom.

Rosenberg's goal to "make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously" has led to overwhelming success, with over 12,000 locations in 45 countries, per a document posted by Dunkin'. However, in recent years, Dunkin' has grown from a quaint breakfast shop to a wildly popular coffeehouse, rivaling even Starbucks. These days, the most popular item on this breakfast chain's menu isn't the donuts; it's their coffee, according to Eat This Not That.  

Not only is coffee their most popular menu item, Dunkin's actually has the highest-rated coffee of any chain in the country. According to a 2019 Harris Poll of over 45,000 respondents, Dunkin', along with Krispy Kreme, was the highest-ranked for "familiarity, quality, and purchase consideration," and received the highest rating for their at-home packaged coffee.

Dunkin' is the nation's most popular coffee brand, and they have the numbers to prove it. According to Dunkin' Newsroom, the chain sells about 60 cups of coffee every single second, totaling over 2 billion cups of coffee served worldwide in a single year. There's no denying customers love Dunkin' coffee, which is partly why back in 2018, the company announced they would be officially shortening their name from "Dunkin' Donuts" to simply "Dunkin'." 

Tony Weisman, Dunkin' Donuts' US CMO, explained the decision to Business Insider, saying, "In recent years as American and indeed the world's appetite for coffee and coffee-type beverages have grown, we've put even more focus on being a beverage-led business." However, despite the hype around their coffee, Dunkin' is still the go-to spot for anyone who is craving a sweet breakfast confection. After all, it's hardly a competition. As Rosenberg knew, nothing goes together better than a fresh donut and a hot cup of coffee.