Due to a production issue, there was a scarcity of doughnuts at Dunkin’ Donuts locations throughout Nebraska, including Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island, this past Thursday and Friday. Some places offered “Munchkins” (doughnut holes) as an alternative, while signs at other sites indicated why these were unavailable.
Years ago, Dunkin’ removed the word “Donuts” from its brand name. Doughnuts are no longer available on the shelves, at least in Nebraska, New Mexico, and a few other states.
On Thursday and Friday, Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island, Nebraska, did not have any doughnuts in stock. They posted notices on their doors and at their drive-thru kiosks alerting customers to the fact that the pastries were not available “due to a manufacturing error.” On Friday, several places did serve “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, a little let down, though, because she was unable to get a doughnut.
She remarked, “I hope they get them soon.”
Store after store acknowledged that there is a doughnut drought in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the neighboring suburbs. Some workers attributed it to a problem with the supply chain, while others merely stated that delivery trucks had been showing up without the most well-known products from the network. Workers expressed their anticipation that supplies will be restocked by the following week.
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.
In 1950, Massachusetts-based entrepreneurs founded the business. In 2020, the Atlanta-based private equity firm Inspire Brands acquired the company for $11.3 billion. Inspire Brands also owns Buffalo Wild Wings and Arby’s.
Spokesperson Jack D’Amato from Inspire Brands explained that one supplier’s problem with doughnuts affected locations in Nebraska and a few other states, though he did not specify which states were impacted. He added that only 4% of Dunkin’s U.S. locations were affected. Dunkin’ operates over 9,500 locations across the country.
According to D’Amato, the business is still investigating the nature of the problem and the precise number of impacted businesses. However, he stated that the business has already started replenishing certain impacted outlets.
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.
Bryce Bares, the owner of multiple Dunkin’ franchises in Nebraska, did not immediately respond 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.
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.
Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
