The culinary centers of excellence at our brands strive for exceptional restaurant experiences when developing menus. We also work diligently to respond to guest expectations. As an example, we have removed artificial colors in many products across our brands and actively evaluate the feasibility of their replacement in other products.
Providing Choices
To provide options that enable guests to make choices that are right for them, we
serve multiple products across our brands.
Arby’s provides an assortment of options including fan-favorite signature sandwiches, as well as smaller serving-sized items like sliders, which can contain less than 300 calories. The Arby’s Market Fresh offering includes a line of sandwiches and wraps featuring chicken and savory roast turkey paired with vegetables on artisan bread.
In 2021, Baskin-Robbins extended its plant-based lineup by debuting the Non-Dairy Salted Fudge Bar. Building on the excitement of these new items, Baskin-Robbins released its first non-dairy flavor made with coconut milk, Non-Dairy Mint Chocochunk. Not only is this product vegan friendly, but the production of non-dairy flavors reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by approximately 65% compared to traditional ice creams.
In 2020, Buffalo Wild Wings introduced Cauliflower Wings as a non-meat alternative. The wings start with breaded cauliflower, which is fried, and then handspun in any of Buffalo Wild Wings’ sauces. The Cauliflower Wings can also be baked for guests desiring a fully plant-based option.
In 2020, Dunkin’ partnered with Planet Oat, becoming the first national restaurant brand to offer oat milk at 100% of its U.S. locations. Dunkin’ also offers almond milk and coconut milk as non-dairy options. In January 2022, Dunkin’ continued to put a spin on classic breakfast favorites by introducing omelet bites. Served with two per order in a convenient portable tray, these protein-packed, sous vide, cage-free egg bites provide 13 grams of protein per order.
Jimmy John’s offers the Unwich®, which is a sandwich made with tightly wrapped lettuce leaves in place of bread. Gluten-free, customizable, and with fewer calories and carbohydrates than a sandwich on French bread, these sandwiches are packed with hand-sliced veggies.
In 2021, Sonic took its famous tots to a new level by testing Broccoli Cheddar Tots, an alternative to potato tots with a recommended full serving of vegetables in a large order .
Responsible Sourcing
Dunkin’ Coffee and Tea
Coffee is at the heart of Dunkin’s business. Protecting our sourced coffee and the coffee farmers with whom we work enables us to consistently serve our guests the quality coffee they have long known.
As such, we are proud to announce the launch of the Dunkin Drive-To Sustainability Program. Through this new initiative, Dunkin’ is committing to 100% Responsibly Sourced Coffee by 2025. The Dunkin’ Drive-To Sustainability Program is comprised of three pillars: Verification, Partnerships, and Improvement.
Verification
By leveraging our Coffee Policy and third-party verification with Enveritas, we aim to improve standards with U.S. roasters and international licensees, audit our U.S. coffee supply chain to ensure policy compliance, and track key performance indicators toward continuous improvement efforts.
Partnerships
A significant part of Dunkin’s coffee leadership has been built upon a deep commitment to sustainability. We are furthering our ongoing efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives and livelihoods of coffee farmers and producers, while enhancing coffee-growing regions.
Dunkin’ has donated more than $400,000 to Rainforest Alliance, supporting sustainable coffee and tea projects throughout the world. In select international markets, we also offer 100% Fair Trade Certified™ espresso and in Korea we use Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee.
Dunkin’ and National DCP (NDCP) are leading sponsors of World Coffee Research (WCR), a nonprofit collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry focused on boosting coffee sustainability through agricultural science. A percentage of sales from every pound of Original Blend coffee beans sold to Dunkin’ franchisees for use in Dunkin’ restaurants goes to WCR in support of coffee sustainability efforts.
In 2021, Dunkin’ donated $450,000 to One Tree Planted, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to helping the environment by planting trees in countries around the world. With this donation, One Tree Planted successfully planted 450,000 trees in coffee growing regions throughout Honduras and Guatemala, which include areas that are essential to regional environmental stability, increased rural farmer productivity, and the livelihoods of thousands of people.
Additionally, since 2018, Dunkin’ has been a part of The Sustainable Coffee Challenge, a collaborative effort led by Conservation International. The initiative includes companies, governments, NGOs, research institutions, and others aligned around a common goal of transitioning the coffee sector to full sustainability.
Improvement
We actively invest in our supply chain in meaningful ways in the specific communities we buy from, and also invest in initiatives that address bigger challenges facing the coffee sector.
To empower women in coffee, Dunkin’ has donated more than $60,000 toward providing coffee suppliers in Guatemala and Colombia with Equal Origins’ Virtual Learning Journey.
Acting within our supply chain to enhance our suppliers’ abilities to make improvements on sustainability issues, we created a pilot Farmworker Training Project. Consequently, in partnership with the Louis Dreyfus Company, we have trained nearly 100 farmers and farmworkers in the Ocotepeque region of Honduras.
Lastly, over the next three years we will be working with our partners at ofi (formerly Olam Food Ingredients), a global agri-business company, to help 350 coffee farming families in Santa Barbara and Comayagua Honduras become more economically sustainable and better environmental stewards through access to trainings and improved yields.
Tea
In 2014, Dunkin’ introduced Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Iced Green Tea and recently transitioned to 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Iced Green and Black Tea. We recognize the importance of sourcing tea sustainably to continue offering our guests high-quality tea while improving the livelihoods and communities of the producers we depend on.
Across our portfolio of brands, we are continuously working with our suppliers and supply chain partners to ensure our coffee and tea are responsibly sourced.
Animal Welfare
At Inspire we are committed to the humane treatment of animals. We do not own, raise, process, or transport livestock, but we recognize that animal welfare is an important part of a safe and sustainable food supply chain.
Furthermore, our brands require suppliers to follow applicable FDA guidelines related to antibiotic use. This includes the judicious use of antibiotics, under the supervision of a veterinarian, to prevent or treat illness in animals.
Our efforts to better understand expectations within our industry and to evaluate the industry’s capacity to meet our goals continue in conjunction with our suppliers and leading industry associations. Inspire remains committed to monitoring emerging animal welfare practices and research to stay informed about the latest advances in animal welfare, as well as food safety and quality.
Recent progress across our family of brands includes:
- In 2020, Arby’s met its commitment to transition to cage-free eggs.
- Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic’s Fish Sandwiches are made with wild-caught Alaskan Pollock that is sustainably sourced based on the Marine Stewardship Council Certified benchmark.
- As of 2018, any chicken menu items offered in Dunkin’ restaurants are sourced from chickens raised without antibiotics from conception to consumption.
- Approximately 30% of all eggs served on breakfast sandwiches at Dunkin’ U.S. restaurants are from cage-free sources.
- Sonic is continuing to make positive progress in its sourcing of cage-free eggs.