Groceries are expensive these days — and your morning latte run might be painful on your wallet, too. Fortunately, another leading coffee chain is cutting costs by making all nondairy milk customizations complimentary.
Dunkin’ is now eliminating additional fees for nondairy milk at locations nationwide, a spokesperson confirmed to Food & Wine. We’re told that the decision, effective March 5, was “guided by guest feedback.” Previously, you might’ve forked over anywhere from 50 cents to up to $2 extra for those shots of almond or oat milk in your seasonal latte.
“This enhances Dunkin’s ability to offer guests a wide range of beverage customizations, allowing them to enjoy quality Dunkin’ beverages — their way — at a great value,” a company spokesperson said.
The move isn’t without precedent — not to mention, increasing industry pressure to nix the fees. A lawsuit filed last March alleged that coffee chains’ surcharges on nondairy milk are discriminatory toward visitors with allergies, according to CBS. The move also comes amid pressure from animal advocacy groups, such as the Center for Responsible Food Business and Mercy For Animals, to eliminate extra charges for plant-based milk.
Likewise, the Boston-based chain isn’t the first to get rid of its nondairy surcharge. Last October, Starbucks announced that it would eliminate all extra charges for plant-based milk at its roughly 15,000 outposts across the country. (In the announcement, Starbucks estimated that the decision would impact roughly half of all café visitors, as nondairy milk is the second-most requested customization.) Regional chains, such as Dutch Bros and Scooter’s Coffee, likewise removed their fees, according to Bloomberg.
It’s hard to imagine a world without available plant-based offerings (and, depending on your locale, a dizzying array of pistachio milks and nondairy cold foams). In fact, Dunkin’ didn’t begin offering almond milk until 2014, with oat milk joining the lineup in 2020.
Between the caffeine boost and a little extra pocket change, we might just have a little pep in our step today.
