Starbucks vs Dunkin'

Starbucks heavily focuses on creating a premium 'third place' environment for customers to lounge and work, driving higher average ticket sizes. Conversely, Dunkin' has historically focused on speed, convenience, and everyday value to capture the traditional morning commuter crowd.

Dunkin' is significantly older, having been founded in 1950 under its original name, Open Kettle, in Quincy, Massachusetts. Starbucks was founded much later in 1971, opening its first store in Seattle's famous Pike Place Market.

While Starbucks dominates the American West Coast and premium international markets, Dunkin' remains an absolute juggernaut on the East Coast. In fact, Dunkin' historically operates more individual store locations in the dense metro areas of New York than Starbucks does.

In 2018, the massive Massachusetts-based coffee chain officially dropped 'Donuts' from its branding to simply become 'Dunkin''. The rebrand was done to reflect their modern menu shift, which now heavily prioritizes beverages over their traditional baked goods.