Dunkin’ Donuts Follows Starbucks With Drive Through or To-Go Only Orders

Dunkin Donuts is limiting its services to drive-through and carry-out only in the United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made on Tuesday, with the coffee chain following a similar announcement by Starbucks earlier this week. In addition to changing to drive-through and carry-out only, Dunkin is also reducing their hours of operation and removing access to seating and tables from their dining areas as wells as outdoor patios all in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“Rest assured, we are committed to providing a safe, secure experience at Dunkin — offering you something familiar and welcoming amid so much change,” Dunkin Brands CEO Dave Hoffman said in a statement (via CNN).

Dunkin also shared the announcement on Twitter. You can check that out below.

The changes in Dunkin’s operations went into effect on Tuesday. In addition to changing to drive-through and carry-out service only, the chain also encouraged customers to utilize mobile ordering through the Dunkin’ app as well as deliver services through Grubhub, Postmates, and more.

As noted, Dunkin is only the latest restaurant chain to make changes to its business model as the pandemic continues. Starbucks also changed to to-go orders only, also having removed seating so that customers can only get their orders to-go or utilize the drive-through window.

Outside of coffee, other restaurants have made changes, too. Burger King is now offering free delivery through the BK app at participating locations in the United States.

“We are talking to other restaurant chains around the world to understand what they are doing,” Finazzo says in the statement. “We are the most competitive burger brand on the planet. But, there are times to turn down the grill and make sure as a restaurant industry that we are learning from each other. We are staying in touch with our competitors to make sure we’re all doing the right thing together in this situation so that you don’t have to worry about your health when you walk into any restaurant in the United States – whether ours or someone else’s.”

What do you think about Dunkin’s changes in the face of COVID-19? Let us know in the comments below.