Dunkin' Debuts Croissant Doughnut That Totally Isn't a Cronut Knockoff. (Right.) Dunkin' insists its new pastry mashup is no copycat.
By Kate Taylor
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Dunkin' Donut's croissant-donut hybrid may sound familiar, but the chain insists it's no copycat Cronut.
The coffee and doughnut chain is launching a "Croissant Donut" nationally for a limited time this November, reports the Associated Press. The item will be added to the menu starting Nov. 3.
But don't call the pastry another Cronut-knockoff. "Are we copying a specific bakery in New York? The answer is no," John Costello, Dunkin's president of global marketing and told the Associated Press.
Related: Crumbs's Comeback Begins With Grand Reopening and Pastry Mashups
We're bringing together two of your favorite flavors next month. Any guesses? pic.twitter.com/nFlTl51cY6
— Dunkin' Donuts (@DunkinDonuts) October 28, 2014In any case, New York baker Dominique Ansel's famed Cronut is far from the only doughnut-croissant mashup on the market. Today, you can find Crognets, Croughnuts, doissants, cro-crèmes, doughscuits, brioughnuts and wonuts. Cupcake chain Crumbs, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, offers the "Crumbnut," and debuted the "Baissant" (bagel meets croissant) upon its repoening. The Cronut non-knockoff has gone from a slightly scandalous and trendy treat to a pastry shop mainstay.
However, if the Croissant Donut causes even a slight stir, Dunkin' could use the boost. The chain, which reported better-than-expected quarterly profit last week, recently announced that achieving the low-end of its U.S. comparable sales growth target of 2 to 3 percent in 2014 would be a challenge. Dunkin' previously cut its outlook for the year in July, due to increased competition from fast-food rivals and the negative impact of high milk prices on Baskin-Robbins profits.
Related: If You Fry It, They Will Come. Cronuts and the Business Case for Imitation.
