9 Changes I Wish Dunkin' Would Make

I don't go out for coffee every day — I'm more of a brew-it-at-home kind of person. But I also live in Massachusetts, which means I'm basically obligated to visit my local Dunkin' on at least a semi-regular basis. So, I find myself at the chain at least a couple of times a week, ordering a plain iced black coffee, experimenting with one of the chain's new drinks, or turning to my tried-and-true breakfast classics. And although there's a lot to love about this coffee chain, there are definitely some things that I wish it would change. From the drinks to the food to the whole atmosphere of the joint, there are so many areas where I believe Dunkin' could improve.

If you go to Dunkin' as much as I do, you may have similar complaints. Or perhaps you wish the coffee place would make an entirely different set of changes. Either way, we can at least share some solidarity in our fast food coffee struggles. Admittedly, I'm not sure Dunkin' will hear my calls for reform, and honestly, I'm probably going to keep going there regardless. (There's a Dunkin' very close to my apartment, okay?!) But it's at least worth a try, right? Here's my pitch for what I'd like Dunkin' to change.

One of my go-to orders at Dunkin' is a plain iced black coffee because it's simple, easy, and gives me the boost of caffeine I need in the morning (and occasionally the afternoon as well). When I make iced coffee at home, I barely use any ice at all, so I always request "less ice" at Dunkin'. I'm not trying to game the system to get more coffee here. Rather, I ask for less ice because I drink coffee so slowly that I know the ice will eventually melt into the rest of the coffee, making it taste diluted and watery. Obviously, I want to prevent that issue as much as possible, so asking for less ice only makes sense.

But it seems like Dunkin' has no standard for what "less ice" really means. Sometimes, I get basically a standard amount of ice, and it's like the staff didn't hear my request at all (even though the correct order appears on the receipt). Other times, I barely get any ice at all. I don't want to sound picky by specifying how much ice I want in my drink when I'm placing my order because I'm really not trying to sound like a Karen. Therefore, I wish there were a way to communicate the fact that I want very little ice without all the confusion.

Since I do make a lot of coffee at home, I sometimes make my own flavored coffee syrups. Before doing so for the first time, I assumed that they probably weren't that easy to make. Once I gave it a try, though, I realized that it's actually exceptionally easy. When I make these syrups, I'm just using basic ingredients like fruit and sugar. In fact, Tasting Table has a recipe for a deluxe brown sugar syrup that you can stir into your coffee for a sweet and cozy drink, and it comes together in just 15 minutes. Because this process is so easy, you'd assume that Dunkin' could make its syrups from scratch as well, like plenty of other smaller coffee shops do.

But that's not the case. Instead, Dunkin' uses syrups that contain added flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and even artificial colors. The butter pecan flavored swirl syrup, for example, doesn't even contain pecans at all. These less-than-fresh syrups don't taste as good as freshly made ones, and I think they result in worse drinks. It's also why I find myself disappointed so often when I try to branch out by ordering one of Dunkin's flavored coffees — I usually regret it.

If there's one thing the Dunkin' brand seems to love, it's a limited-time offer. Somehow, it seems like the chain is always rolling out a new seasonal drink, a beverage sponsored by some celebrity, or items that basically function as Happy Meal toys for adults. Sure, I understand why the company does it: It helps get people hyped about certain products and incentivizes them to come into a location and buy something. But with all the effort, development, marketing, and branding Dunkin' invests in these LTO offers, I would think it would spend more time making its core, year-round offerings higher-quality.

Instead of dropping a Sabrina Carpenter-inspired beverage (because why?), maybe Dunkin' could try sourcing some higher-quality beans. Or, as I've already mentioned, the coffee joint could dedicate some time to making higher-quality syrups. Investing more effort into these items might prompt people to visit Dunkin' more simply because it's the best value coffee around. Although I'm sure Dunkin' has financial reasons for pursuing these LTOs instead of focusing on higher levels of quality, it's a bummer for those of us who just want an excellent cup of coffee and not an overhyped Refreshers flavor or a tiny L.L. Bean sweater for their cup.

I know that to many people, Dunkin' must seem like the very last place to order avocado toast. But for the uninitiated, let me tell you: It's actually pretty good. You get a slice of sourdough that's actually bouncy and soft like real sourdough — not what you might expect from a fast food restaurant. I like that the avocado spread is smooth and rich instead of being chunky, and I appreciate its bold acidity that makes you want to go in for another bite. And the seedy, garlicky everything bagel seasoning that goes on top brings it all together. You can even get bacon on your avocado toast if you want an extra bit of crispy saltiness.

But the first time I ordered the avocado toast at Dunkin', I thought there was a mistake. I opened the box to find one small, singular slice of toast. When I informed the staff that they'd forgotten my other slice of toast, they told me that I had, in fact, received the standard order.

Have I ordered the avocado toast since this incident? Yes, because I still think it's one of the better fast food breakfast options out there. But for what Dunkin' is charging, customers really should be getting more. It's literally just toast, after all!

I'm old enough that I remember when Dunkin' actually focused more on donuts than on coffee. Back in those fast food glory days, the donuts at Dunkin' were actually quite good. Admittedly, I don't know if I thought that because it was true or I was just young enough that I didn't truly know the difference between a Dunkin' donut and a higher-quality, more artisanally made one. Regardless, I still remember the soft texture of Dunkin's donuts, the sticky glaze, and the overall pleasant texture that at least tasted fresh, if not necessarily homemade.

These days, though, Dunkin's donuts often fall flat. Half of the donuts I've gotten at Dunkin' in the past several years have been stale. Perhaps there aren't that many people ordering donuts there anymore, so they're not moving like they did in the past. Or maybe Dunkin' is trying to cut corners where it can. Whatever the case may be, I don't want to pay what's now an arguably exorbitant price for a fast food donut only to take one bite and realize it's downright stale.

Coffee shops are supposed to be warm, cozy, and comforting. They're supposed to be nice enough that you actually want to stay there for a while, reading a book or working on your laptop. But that has not been my experience at the Dunkin's I've been to (which are many). Rather, I find that they're kind of cold and sterile-feeling, sometimes not super clean, with uncomfortable tables and chairs that look like they're from an un-renovated McDonald's instead of a coffee shop. Even the nicest Dunkin's I've been to aren't really a place to sit down and relax for very long. I get it — Dunkin' is more of a budget option, and that's reflected in the space. But I can't imagine how much more popular Dunkin' would be if it made its seating area a bit more inviting.

There's a debate over whether customers should tip at Dunkin', and I can't help but think people would be more likely to tip if Dunkin' felt like a place where they could stay and enjoy their coffee instead of getting a fast food experience. At this point, though, that doesn't seem like a priority for the coffee chain at all.

I'll be honest, I could probably write this for just about any fast food restaurant these days. But the prices at Dunkin' have gotten too high for the level of quality you get. Part of the reason Dunkin' is an appealing option is because it tends to be cheaper than its arguably most ubiquitous competitor, Starbucks. But these days, many drinks at Dunkin' are priced at over $5. These aren't even drinks with niche flavors or customizations — they're pretty standard coffee drinks for what feels like premium prices.

I don't mind paying good money for an especially delicious cup of coffee, but Dunkin' tends to offer pretty mediocre drinks. This is why I mostly stick to the most basic orders at the chain now, even though those are overpriced as well. Whenever I order something more specialized or expensive, I always feel like I've wasted my money. Ultimately, if you're going to serve food and drinks at the quality level Dunkin' provides, your prices should reflect that, and they currently don't.

Another reason that I've pulled back on ordering the more flavored, intricate drinks at Dunkin' is because many of them are so, so sweet. Even when I ask for fewer pumps of syrup or sweetener, I feel like every drink I order there that's supposed to be somewhat sweet comes out incredibly sugary. Generally, I drink black coffee, but I'm definitely not against a sweeter and creamier cup. That being said, there has to be some balance between the bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness of any additions to the drink, and Dunkin' seems to miss the mark far too often.

I'd love it if the chain could purposefully make a few less-sweet drink options. These shouldn't just be the standard recipes with less sweetener. Rather, they're specially formulated drinks meant to taste good with less sugar. And no, I don't mean that they should contain artificial sweeteners instead, for a saccharine flavor without as many calories — I actually don't care about the calorie count at all. This is all about flavor. I mean that the drinks should literally not be as sweet, period. These beverages could even be specifically marketed as less sweet, which I think could be a popular category.

The Dunkin' nearest to my home, the one I go to most regularly, is my safe space. They know what I want there, and they always prepare my coffee perfectly. But when I go to any other Dunkin', I know I'm sort of rolling the dice. Will they give me more ice than coffee? Will the coffee taste strangely burnt or watery? Will they add sugar even when I specifically say I want my coffee black? In my experience, Dunkin' has a problem with consistency, even when it comes to the most basic of its offerings. Another one of my typical drink orders at Dunkin' is a plain iced green tea, and I've had more than a few orders come out tasting bitter and stale, despite seeming like a pretty dependable menu item and normally tasting just fine.

I would love to see Dunkin' deliver better consistency with its drinks, especially as it continues to charge such high prices. If I'm paying that much, I want to ensure that my drink actually tastes good and that it's made properly and that my food isn't stale or otherwise subpar. After all, you shouldn't have to know every tip, trick, and hack to get a successful order at Dunkin'.