Dunkin Donuts considers afternoon menu items snack food rather than lunch, CEO Nigel Travis said Tuesday.
"We're not moving into lunch. We're in snacking. We never talk about lunch," Travis said told the AP.
According to the Associated Press, the company has grown its sandwich selections to increase business during normally slow mid day hours.
The expanded spread includes fried chicken and various grilled cheese sandwiches - two items that are also part of the business's efforts to further develop its breakfast and snacking offerings. This reflects customers' desires to consume smaller meals throughout the day instead of eating full meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Dunkin Donuts' afternoon menu includes the 580-calorie chicken salad sandwich. There are also various 590 to 660 calorie fried chicken sandwiches whose caloric content change based on the toppings a customer wants to have on the sandwich. The 440 calorie turkey, cheddar, and bacon sandwich is also available, including the recently introduced 360 calorie grilled chicken flatbread sandwich. Travis said sandwiches with less than 400 calories are especially popular among customers because of their healthier attributes. These are dubbed "DDSmart" sandwiches.
Other fast food restaurants have also started offering menu items in lesser quantities. Taco Bell features bite-sized items during the afternoon hours, while McDonald's brings in customers during the day with snack wraps, and smoothies.
A registered dietitian from Rochester, N.Y. told AP that customers ought to view snacks as a "small, satisfying portion of food that can help curb hunger or a craving between meals."
"That is a meal," Lauri Boone said. "I can't think of a good example where I would recommend a 500-calorie snack."
Boone suggested people eat some nuts, fruit, a small-sized yogurt, or trail mix.
Dunkin Donuts launched the grilled chicken flatbread sandwich June 2 according to a press release. The corporation's president of global marketing and innovation said many customers liked the meat creation before it came out.
"Chicken is one of the most popular choices for lunch, and when we launched our breaded chicken last year, the feedback from our guests was incredible," John Costello said in a statement.
