Dunkin’ Is Really and Truly Dropping the ‘Donuts’ From Its Name

Welcome back to AM Intel, a round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

Dunkin’ Nothing

It was only a matter of time: Dunkin’ Donuts’s weird experiment to remove the “Donuts” from its name at a growing number of test locations has morphed into the official decision to remove it from the company entirely, effective in January 2019. Just the “Donuts,” not the actual doughnuts; the company lays claim to being the country’s largest doughnut retailer, even if the powers that be no longer want to focus on the sweet confection in the branding. Per an announcement from the company, it’s part of an effort to “modernize” and position DDs — er, Ds — as more of a “beverage-led” brand. But this is Massachusetts, where TD Garden will always be the Garden, and what even is the “Xfinity Center”? (It’s Great Woods or the Tweeter Center, depending on your age.) Bostonians already have their chosen Dunkin’ Donuts abbreviations, from Dunks to Dunkies to DDs, and an official name change doesn’t really have a bearing on what people actually call a place. In any case, reactions are mixed.

A Bit of Nostalgia

In other New England baked goods news, here’s some nice reminiscing about the now-defunct local chain Pewter Pot Muffin House.

Out-of-Town Expansions

Boston-and-beyond restaurateur Michael Schlow continues to open non-Boston restaurants (he’s mainly focusing on Washington, D.C., these days, it seems.) Next up? A sushi restaurant called Nama down in D.C., right next to a location of his Alta Strada restaurant. In other familiar faces heading south, Will Thompson (Yvonne’s, Drink, Brick & Mortar) has just opened a Miami bar called Jaguar Sun. And Nantucket-based casual pizza chain Oath, which has been expanding a bit around the Boston area and beyond, opens its second New York City location tomorrow.

What Is Cheese Tea?

Confused by stories like this recent one about local tea shops serving something called cheese tea? Here’s an explainer on the increasingly trendy drink that is slowly picking up steam in parts of the U.S., having originated in the night markets of Taiwan almost a decade ago.

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