Dunkin’ to scrap non-dairy surcharge in the US following customer feedback

Oat and almond dairy alternatives will be available at no additional cost across Dunkin’s 9,650 US outlets from 5 March 2025 | Photo credit: Inspire Brands

Massachusetts-based Dunkin’ has announced it will scrap its non-dairy surcharge following feedback from customers. 
 

A spokesperson for the US coffee giant told Bloomberg that oat and almond dairy alternatives will be available at no additional cost across its 9,650 US outlets from 5 March 2025. The move will provide greater value for customers opting to customise their beverages, it added. 
 

Planet Oat and Almond Breeze are Dunkin’s current US non-dairy suppliers. 

The decision means that the five largest branded coffee chains in the US by outlets – Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panera Bread, Dutch Bros and Scooter’s Coffee – will all now offer non-dairy to customers at no additional cost. 

World Coffee Portal’s Project Café USA 2025 report shows that 91% of US industry leaders surveyed believe it is important for coffee shops to offer dairy alternatives, with 33% of US consumers surveyed agreeing with the statement that non-dairy should be the default option at coffee shops. 

Almond milk is the most popular dairy alternative in the US, according to 5,000 US branded coffee shop consumers surveyed in September 2024, with 25% typically pairing it with coffee – second only to whole milk (53%). Oat and coconut are frequently ordered by 14% and 10% of US consumers surveyed respectively.