Mercy For Animals celebrates another major victory as Dunkin’, the second largest coffee chain in the United States, eliminates the plant-based upcharge at all locations.
LOS ANGELES — Dunkin’, the second-largest coffee chain in the country, has removed the upcharge for plant-based milk at its 9,500+ locations. This decision follows discussions with Mercy For Animals’ corporate engagement team and follows similar moves by Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Scooter’s Coffee. With Dunkin’ now on board, four of the largest coffee chains in the nation now offer plant-based milk at no additional cost.
Studies show that nearly 90% of people from some areas of East Asia, 80% of Native Americans, 65% of Africans and African Americans and 50% of Latin Americans experience some form of lactose intolerance. Plant-based milk alternatives are crucial for the millions of Americans who cannot or choose not to consume dairy.
“Mercy For Animals applauds Dunkin’ for this landmark decision,” said Jennifer Behr, corporate relations manager at Mercy For Animals. “Plant-based milk upcharges create barriers for those who cannot or choose not to consume dairy, making this a win for equity and sustainability.”
Mercy For Animals worked closely with Dunkin’ to encourage and inform the company about the importance of eliminating the upcharge. By making plant-based options more affordable,
Dunkin’ enables customers to make environmentally conscious choices without extra cost. Removing the upcharge also supports Dunkin’s sustainability goals:
- Dairy production is far more resource-intensive than plant-based alternatives.
- Oat milk production generates three times fewer greenhouse gas emissions, uses 11 times less land, and requires 13 times less water than cows’ milk.
“This is a major milestone for plant-based accessibility,” added Behr. “We commend Dunkin’ for and urge other chains, including Bluestone Lane and Biggby Coffee, to follow their lead. Offering plant-based milk at no extra cost benefits customers and the planet.”
For more information or to schedule an interview with Jennifer Behr, contact Jessica Bohrson at [email protected].
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Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies, and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org.
