Dunkin' Bids Farewell To The Dunkaccino

Loyal fast-food fans are no strangers to product whiplash. Indeed, being a contemporary fast-foodie demands an enlightened level of non-attachment: As soon as you grow to love a particular menu offering, it can be gone. Now, the latest chain to discontinue a beloved item might be Dunkin'. In a long and winding road of product impermanence for loyal fast-food fans, the coffee chain has made a grim announcement: It's officially retiring the Dunkaccino (via Today). 

The "Dunkin' Cappuccino" is a coffee-hot chocolate hybrid — a pretty far cry from an actual cappuccino with non-flavored espresso and steamed milk. But, the drink was a good introduction for novice coffee drinkers and a sweet-yet-caffeinated pick-me-up for more seasoned bean-heads. The best of both worlds? Dunkaccino fans would probably say "yes." But now, as winter comes to a close, Dunkin is bidding farewell to the cozy sipper. There's also a frozen version of the Dunkaccino, and it's being removed, too. 

Fans have been ordering the drink since the product first dropped in 2000. After a two-decades-long run, the Dunkaccino is going into retirement. In February 2022, a Reddit user leaked a photo of a Dunkin' employee memo listing several menu items scheduled for elimination, and the Dunkaccino was among them. Since then, the drink has been undergoing a gradual phasing-out. In July 2022, one forlorn fan took to Twitter to share that their local Dunkin' no longer carried the Dunkaccino. "It's a sad day today ... That drink is the whole reason I started going to Dunkin' ... and now it's gone forever." 

The motivation behind the decision is ambiguous, at best. Earlier this week, a Dunkin' spokesperson told Today that the move was inspired by "focus on innovation" and a desire to "continually evolve" the menu. The coffee giant has yet to make a post on Instagram or Twitter announcing Dunkaccino's demise. But when the news finally hits social media, fans' reactions are sure to start flooding in. 

Will the drink be gone for good? Not necessarily, says the spokesperson, who teased a future comeback. After all, in 2022, the company brought back its Butter Pecan Iced Coffee which had been making haphazard and wildly popular appearances on the menu since 2013. But, for now, any potential return remains to be seen. Until then, mourning fans will have to wait and watch (and maybe order their hot chocolates with a shot of espresso in the meantime).