Dunkin’ Donuts Officially Announces Name Change, Crushes Fans’ Dreams

Dunkin’ Donuts has officially dropped the ‘Donuts’ from its name, going simply by Dunkin’ in an effort to rebrand and focus less on the sweet pastry than in years prior.

The chain confirmed the news Tuesday on Twitter, sharing a pink nametag with the word “Dunkin’” written on it.

“It’s official: We’re going by Dunkin’ now,” they tweeted. “After 68 years of America running on Dunkin’, we’re moving to a first-name basis. Excited to be #BFFstatus with you all #firstnamebasis #besties.”

NBC News reports that the name change won’t take effect until January, at which time the new moniker will begin to appear on napkins, boxes and signs at U.S. stores before eventually rolling out to international locations.

Despite that major change, the chain’s famous pink-and-orange color scheme will remain, a fact illustrated by another tweet shared by Dunkin’ that gave customers a preview of its new cup designs.

The new moniker is part of a rebrand that will see select stores receive a new design that is brighter and more open, new staff uniforms designed in partnership with vacation-friendly brand Life Is Good, digital kiosks for ordering and a pick-up station for mobile orders.

Customers will also be able to enjoy nitro cold brew coffee, though the rest of the menu will reportedly be pared down. If anyone was worried, donuts will still be available.

As always, Twitter was on hand to comment on the change.

Some people joked about the chain’s efforts to appeal to a younger audiences.

There were also comparison’s to IHOP’s recent IHOB debacle, which saw that chain temporarily include “burgers” in its name in an effort to rebrand.

Alternate names were suggested, because what is “Dunkin’” if you don’t know what you’re dunkin’?

Others were on board with the new moniker, even getting punny with their praise.

Business Insider notes the irony of the name change considering Dunkin’ is a major reason the word “donut” was even used as opposed to the original “doughnut.”

The first location was opened in 1950 as a reworked version of William Rosenberg’s coffee-and-doughnut shop Open Kettle, though a Dunkin’ representative wasn’t sure why Rosenberg decided to go with “donuts” as the spelling.

As a result, other chains began using the spelling in their names and Merriam-Webster eventually added the word to the dictionary.

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