As consumer spending continues to tighten this holiday season, Dunkin' Donuts has introduced a new limited-time value menu designed to offer quality products at low prices throughout the Chicago market.
The new menu will be available at its nearly 500 participating Chicago-area locations, featuring six items all priced at 99 cents. Chicago is the only market in the country that will offer the new Dunkin' Donuts value menu, which includes:
- Sausage Egg & Cheese Wrap (new item, only available in Chicago)
- Bacon Egg & Cheese Wrap
- Egg & Cheese Wrap
- Raspberry Danish
- Hash Browns
- Package of Five Munchkins
To launch the new menu, Dunkin' Donuts distributed 20,000 rechargeable Dunkin' Donuts Cards at commuter stations and major pedestrian areas throughout Chicago and its suburbs on Monday. Each rechargeable card is pre-loaded with $2.00, has no expiration date and can be used at any Chicagoland Dunkin' Donuts location.
Additionally, Dunkin' Donuts presented a $10,000 check to Uncle Shack's Food Pantry, an organization that provides weekly food service to underprivileged families in Chicago and is run by Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose's family.
Value trend
Dunkin' Donuts is not the only chain to lower prices in order to lure more customers in the competitive quick-service market. McDonald's has been testing a breakfast dollar menu over the last few months in the Chicago market, home to the burger giant's headquarters, and is considering expanding the menu nationwide.
Kathy Nowicki, field marketing manager for Dunkin' Donuts Midwest Region, said adding the value menu in the Chicago area is a response to the region's high unemployment, one of the highest in the nation.
"The country as a whole is struggling, but our Chicago customers in particular are especially affected by the economic downturn," she said. "The new value menu is a response to this economic downturn in our market and a response to the needs of our customers, many of whom are struggling and want value meals on items like egg and meat wraps all day, not just a few hours in the morning."
The value menu is scheduled to be available until Dec. 26, but the special pricing may be extended into 2010, depending on customer response.
Despite record unemployment in the area, the Dunkin' Donuts Chicago market continues to grow. Now at 493 Dunkin' Donuts stores, the Chicago market opened 20 new stores in 2009. Nowicki said the region will likely see the same number of openings in 2010.
