Dunkin' tests dropping 'Donuts' from name, marketing

There was a time when Dunkin' Donuts was all about its doughnuts — “Time to make the doughnuts,” a tired baker would repeat on the popular TV ad decades ago.

But that was a different time.

Today, Dunkin' Donuts is locked in a nationwide popularity contest with Starbucks and independent coffeehouses, aggressively competing for the loyalty of an increasingly calorie-conscious customer base concerned with staying fit, not just caffeinated.

To that end, the Massachusetts-based chain deployed a new a new name and slogan this week in California: Dunkin'. Coffee and more.

The branding experiment marks the start of a trial in which the company will gauge customer response and evaluate whether to take the new name nationwide. The review is expected to stretch well into next year, the company said.

“Dunkin' Donuts is a beverage-led brand and coffee leader,” the company said in a statement announcing the trial run. “This test coincides with our company's plans to develop a new restaurant image designed to offer guests unparalleled convenience.”

There are more than 11,300 Dunkin' Donuts stores worldwide. Most — about 8,500 — are spread across 41 states. The 3,200 international locations span 36 countries. Coffeehouse giant Starbucks operates in 70 countries, with more than 24,000 stores total.

The company noted the name change shouldn't come as a big surprise to its customers. “We have been referring to ourselves simply as Dunkin' in our advertising for more than a decade,” the statement said, “ever since we introduced our 'America Runs on Dunkin' campaign.”

The company said it will introduce new storefront signage at an unspecific number of additional restaurants later this year.