For those who find themselves stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts at all hours of the day – and munching on doughnuts, bagel sandwiches and other breakfast foods for every meal as a result – it’s now lunchtime.
In mid-June, Rhode Island became the test market for the “Dunkin’ Panini,” the coffee-and-doughnut chain’s first foray into the midday meal.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
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The jump from breakfast to lunch was the logical progression for Dunkin’ Donuts, said John Gilbert, the chain’s vice president of marketing.
“We’re definitely a market leader in breakfast,” Gilbert said. “But getting growth from breakfast has become more and more difficult. We started to realize we could grow our brand beyond breakfast by selling a lunch product.”
The paninis are made freshly on a press. While not technically “fast food” – they take between three and four minutes to make – Gilbert said they are designed for people who are on the run.
“The average lunch hour is now 19 minutes,” Gilbert said. “So many people eat on the road, and the Dunkin’s are so convenient. We believe the convenience factor might overcome any concern people have about Dunkin’ doing lunch.”
Those busy travelers will have three varieties of panini to choose from – meatball, steak and cheese and chicken fajita. Gilbert said the paninis are portable and fit easily in the hand, allowing those who eat behind the wheel a less messy option.
And because Dunkin’ Donuts franchises tend to be less busy in the afternoons, staff will have more time to prepare the new products.
“Lunch isn’t as busy as breakfast for us, so that’s good news,” Gilbert said. “This isn’t a bag of fries or a burger, this is a higher quality product.”
The 239 Rhode Island-area Dunkin’ Donuts are the only places the paninis will be sold during the test phase.
“We picked the Providence market for typical test market reasons – you look for markets that have the ability to be replicated,” Gilbert said. “We thought Providence was a market that was representative of New England.” The test marketing will last between six months and a year.
“We’re pretty optimistic it’s going to work though,” Gilbert said.
Rhode Island has proven successful test-marketing ground for the chain in the past – in the early 1970s, the company introduced the Munchkin as a test in the Rhode Island market.
Providence is a big enough market to conduct a successful test here, Gilbert said. The state’s propensity for producing successful restaurateurs also prompted Dunkin’ to launch the panini here, he said.
“Providence is home to some of our best restaurant operators in the system, and the paninis will add a layer of complexity to that,” he said. Development plans for the new lunch line were in the works for more than a year.
The paninis will retail for between $3 and $3.29. Franchisees set the prices and will serve the sandwiches during all operating hours.
The company has also rolled out a new ad campaign, “12 Hungry Men” in the Providence television market to promote its lunchtime fare.
