Dunkin' Donuts

Milk's favorite cookie has a new pair of friends.

Beginning today, Oreo is teaming up with both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins to offer a new line of menu items inspired by the creme-filled cookie.

The Kraft Foods cookie, which turns 100 this year, will play a starring role in two Dunkin' Donuts doughnut flavors (Oreo Donut and Oreo Crumble Donut) as well as two drink flavors (Coffee Oreo Coolatta and Vanilla Bean Coolatta). Baskin-Robbins customers will see the cookie in a flavor-of-the-month Oreo-flavored chocolate ice cream, Oreo ice cream cake bites, a soft serve mix, and a layered chocolate sundae.

Oreo's collaborations with Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are hot on the heels of Nestlé's new rollout of Girl Scout Cookie-flavored Crunch bars. The candy bars inspired by favorite Girl Scout cookie flavors have been so popular that they're expected to sell out by September, and it's hard to imagine the beloved Oreo cookie not experiencing the same success. Does the future hold more food collaborations like these? All signs point to yes.

Source: Dunkin' Donuts

Looks like Starbucks and McDonald's aren't the only two chains who want a piece of breakfast between bread: starting this week, Dunkin' Donuts introduces two new sandwich offerings, to be offered at DD locations throughout the day — including breakfast, of course.

The new sandwiches will "be familiar, but with a twist," said Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands' executive chef and head of product innovation. The Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich contains Black Forest ham, white cheddar, and a creamy dijon mustard sauce; Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon is made with turkey, white cheddar, bacon, and ancho chipotle sauce. Both are made to order on a croissant, bagel, or the new baked-fresh-daily French roll.

The announcement of these all-day sandwiches arrives just as Taco Bell rolls out its First Meal menu of breakfast items. Still, Dunkin' is quick to explain what differentiates the brand's ham and bacon sandwiches from similar breakfast sandwich offerings already on the market. "We think our bakery leadership is a real differentiator in our brand," Frankenthaler told us. "Our guests already know us and love us for our fresh bagels (we're the number one retailer of bagels in the United States) and croissants."

Providing all-day options is "extremely important for Dunkin’ Donuts," he added. "Breakfast sandwiches are popular with our guests, and they like the flexibility to enjoy them throughout the day."

With first Taco Bell and now Dunkin' Donuts taking the mornings to another level, it's clear that the fast-food AM wars won't be letting up anytime soon. Will you try a new sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts?

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We've been following what Dunkin' Donuts has been up to for years and we'll finally be able to see if the chain lives up to its hype. After years of customers begging and pleading, Dunkin' is expanding west.

The Massachusetts-based doughnut and coffee chain plans to open up to 250 new stores in the next two years — and to hit the 15,000 mark in the next 20 years. (To put things in perspective, McDonald's currently operates 14,000 locations in America.) So far, research analysts have been skeptical of Dunkin' Donuts's success outside of the Northeast, given the disproportionate number of coffee and snack stores in the West.

As someone who's long been enamored with the chain's unique items, like cocoa yeast doughnuts and sausage pancake bites, I'm hoping that's not the case. West Coasters, what do you think of a new Dunkin' Donuts in your neighborhood?

Need an excuse to kick off your Friday with a sweet indulgence? Now you've got one. It happens to be National Donut Day, and to celebrate, Dunkin' Donuts is giving away a free doughnut of your choice with the purchase of a drink (excluding bottled cooler beverages).

Interesting fact: National Donut Day, which customarily takes place the first Friday of June, was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army as a way to honor women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.

Although Northern California isn't lucky enough to be home to a DD location just yet, no doubt a healthy chunk of the chain's 5.3 million daily customers will be walking away with the likes of free Bavarian Kreme and Chocolate Frosted Cake doughnuts. Will you be one of them?

Source: Flickr User DislOck

Earlier this morning, Dunkin' Donuts announced that it's come out with Hearty Snacks, a new menu that features the likes of stuffed breadsticks and handheld pies.

We took a minute to talk to Stan Frankenthaler, Vice President and Executive Chef of Product Innovation for Dunkin' Brands, who spoke about the reasoning behind his all-day snack food choices.

See what he had to say about adapting to trends and the fierce competition that is fast food breakfast when you keep reading.

Looks like Dunkin' Donuts is moving beyond the battle for breakfast sales. This morning, the chain has unveiled Hearty Snacks, a new line designed to fuel customers throughout the day and in between meals.

The initial lineup includes Stuffed Breadsticks in two flavors, Cheeseburger and Pepperoni & Cheese ($1.59); Bagel Twists, in savory (Cheddar Cheese) and sweet (Cinnamon Raisin) ($1.39); and Warm Apple Pie, baked with cinnamon sugar ($1.29).

Why the focus on daytime snacking? Why, time! "People today have less time than ever before and seek foods that can be enjoyed on-the-go, any time of day, with no compromise on taste or quality," Dunkin' said in a statement.

The company's shifted its strategy hot on the heels of a report that revealed 55 percent of consumers snack at least once a day, and 21 percent are snacking more frequently than they did two years ago. Sounds like an all-day grazing menu could be the next frontier in fast food. Check out the new menu below. What do you think of the snack offerings?

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Those fast food breakfast wars aren't letting up anytime soon. This week, Dunkin' Donuts revealed its latest breakfast offering: The Big 'N Toasty, a breakfast sandwich made with two peppered fried eggs, four portions of cherrywood-smoked bacon, and a slice of American cheese, all sandwiched between two pieces of thick-cut Texas toast.

Seems like a pretty generous portion for $3.29 — but how did it taste?

Slashfood took it for a morning spin and discovered the sandwich had both advantages and drawbacks. Read the full review — and see the final grade — when you catch the full story at Slashfood.

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We'd love to start off the morning with a little fuel from Dunkin' Donuts, but sadly, it's not possible to do here on the West Coast. So we felt a twinge of agony when we heard the East Coast chain would be the first to launch chocolate yeast doughnuts, which we could admire, yet not try.

The chain's new, limited-edition cocoa yeast flavors are here just in time for Valentine's Day and available through the end of February. The editors at Slashfood were lucky enough to sample the three flavors: Cocoa Confetti, Reverse Boston Kreme, and Cocoa Kreme Puff. How did the new stack up to the old? Browse the pictures and full review at Slashfood to find out.

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When word first broke that Dunkin' Donuts would be serving up sausage-stuffed pancake balls, we asked you what you thought of the breakthrough in fast food breakfast. Less than 40 percent of you said you'd be interested in giving the breakfast-flavored corn dogs a try.

Naysayers, perhaps it's time to think twice: Slashfood recently gave the new morning offering a try and were surprised by the results of the taste test. To read the full review, head over to Slashfood for the story.

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