Dunkin outlets are left without doughnuts due to an unexplained scarcity.
Nobody knows why donuts are going missing from Dunkin’ locations.
Years ago, Dunkin’ removed the word “Donuts” from its brand name. Doughnuts are no longer available on the shelves, at least not in much of Nebraska.
On Thursday and Friday, the Dunkin’ locations in Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island did not have any doughnuts in stock. They posted notices on their doors and in their drive-thru kiosks alerting customers to the fact that the pastries were not available “due to a manufacturing error.” On Friday, several places served “Munchkins” or doughnut holes.
After working an overnight shift as a phlebotomist, Tyler Raikar of Omaha came by a Dunkin’ in West Omaha early on Friday in search of coffee and a chocolate cake doughnut.
“What? “No doughnuts!” she cried out upon learning that there weren’t any at the place. “It’s tragic!”
She claimed that because she was more interested in the coffee, the trip wasn’t a complete waste. She was a little down, though, because she was unable to get a doughnut.
Citing directives from Dunkin’ corporate headquarters, a manager at the Dunkin’ outlet in West Omaha stated on Friday that she was unable to provide any details regarding the reason for the shortfall. The manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the scarcity was a nationwide issue.
However, inspections of other areas, such as Boston, where Dunkin’ has a cult-like following, and St. Joseph, Missouri, revealed an abundance of the confections.
With over 13,200 locations, Dunkin’ is one of the biggest doughnut and coffee companies in the world. Founded in Massachusetts in 1950, the business was acquired by Atlanta-based private equity firm Inspire Brands, which also owns Buffalo Wild Wings and Arby’s, for $11.3 billion in 2020.
The company, which was once known as Dunkin’ Donuts, declared in 2018 that it was removing the word “Donuts” from its name as part of a rebranding initiative to put more emphasis on its coffee and other drinks, which accounted for the bulk of its sales.
Emails and phone calls to Dunkin’ and Inspire Brands on Friday were not immediately answered. Additionally, Bryce Bares, the owner of multiple Dunkin’ franchises in Nebraska, did not immediately respond to calls or emails.
Some Dunkin’ outlets received subpar items from suppliers, and Bares informed the Omaha World-Herald that he would not serve them to consumers. He informed the newspaper that the issue had been fixed by the supply partners and that doughnuts should soon be available in his Nebraska sites once more.
