The Rarely Known Dunkin' Employee Rule About Breakfast Sandwiches

When the first Dunkin' opened more than 70 years ago, donuts and coffee were the name of the game, with the restaurant priding itself on serving the highest quality of each. However, through the years, the coffee chain has grown to offer more than just that one sweet treat with its joe.

It wasn't until 1997 that the first Dunkin' Donuts breakfast sandwiches appeared on the menu. According to the Dunkin' website, the breakfast sandwiches were launched after the chain saw so much success with selling just donuts. Today, Dunkin' continues to launch new versions of its popular breakfast sandwiches, and in 2019, the company introduced its first-ever fully plant-based sandwich option at limited locations.

Though we know Dunkin' breakfast sandwiches to be nothing more than convenient, savory menu items, Dunkin' employees actually view them as something much more important. It turns out, working with the company's breakfast sandwiches might be one of the most sought-after Dunkin' jobs.

Handling Dunkin's popular breakfast sandwiches is actually somewhat of a privilege for Dunkin' employees. Back in 2021, Mashed interviewed former Dunkin' employee Caroline Hoffman, who worked at the chain for one summer after graduating high school. Hoffman recalled one of the more "comical" rules of the breakfast chain, which had to do with who could touch the breakfast sandwiches.

"Only more 'senior' crew members could prep and put together the breakfast sandwiches," Hoffman told Mashed. "I was usually the one spinning out ten iced lattes and packing two dozen donuts, while the more senior members would toast some bagels or put cheese on croissants." Hoffman said she thought the rule seemed "backwards" since she was required to move quickly and think on her feet, despite being a new employee. Meanwhile, those who had been working there for longer had very little to do by only having to put together sandwiches.

Though it's unclear exactly why new employees weren't allowed to work sandwich duty, the implication is that more tenured employees were given easier jobs based on seniority. A Reddit thread did reveal, though, that employees are required to customize a person's sandwich order if it's requested.