Dunkin' Reveals Unexpected 'Popping' New Menu Item for Summer As summer heats up, Dunkin' makes a play to be your go-to refresher.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As summer wages onward, many restaurant chains and fast food joints are rolling out new menu items to help leave customers refreshed and satisfied.
It's been a year of needing to get creative for many chains as loss of sales amid the pandemic has left many struggling to get back to a normal, solid footing.
For some companies, this means bringing back roll outs of old fan-favorite menu items for limited runs, like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut tried earlier this spring, or even offering freebies for special promotions, like Taco Bell's free tacos for vaccinated customers or Wendy's giving out free chicken nuggets for new in-app customers.
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Dunkin' is the latest grab-and-go chain to try something completely unexpected by rolling out a very poppable menu item that customers can add in to any of the brand's iced or frozen drinks.
The new concept is called Popping Bubbles, which are strawberry-flavored bursting bubbles (similar to boba) that will hit menus on June 23.
"As the destination for flavorful beverages to keep folks running all season long, we're kicking off summer with something extra fun by offering our guests Strawberry Popping Bubbles," Vice President of Marketing & Culinary at Dunkin', Jill Nelson, said in a statement. "With an exciting explosion of strawberry flavor, Popping Bubbles are a new way to make favorite Dunkin' iced or frozen drinks even cooler."
Related: Why Dunkin' Donuts Is Removing 'Donuts' From Its Name
Customers who order the bubbles in their drinks will get a special wide-set straw to drink with for a seamless, bubble-drinking experience.
As part of the new release, Dunkin' will also be running a promotion for customers to win free gift cards and other summer-themed giveaways like pool floats and bubble kits.
The promotion, which will run from July 2 to the 31st, will happen through an online game where fans can "pop" a virtual bubble online daily to see if they can win a prize. One winner will even take home a $5,000 cash prize.
Dunkin' went private at the end of last year in a whopping $8.8 billion after being acquired by Inspire Brands, the parent company to big-name food chains like Arby's and Sonic.
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