Dunkin'
- Dunkin' added breakfast tacos to its menu on March 22.
- The move comes as McDonald's expanded its test of serving Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Kentucky.
- Taco Bell and Wendy's are also leaning into breakfast.
Fast-food breakfast wars are heating up again.
Today, Dunkin' launched breakfast tacos for under $3 each. The flour-tortilla tacos might seem more at home on Taco Bell's menu. They are stuffed with scrambled eggs, melted sharp white cheddar cheese, and fire-roasted corn and topped with lime crema and
"Our culinary team has expertly crafted these breakfast tacos with the vibrancy of spring in mind, delivering a taste sensation that can be enjoyed any time of the day — not just for breakfast," Jill McVicar Nelson, Dunkin's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "These tacos are undoubtedly one of the tastiest savory items we've launched at Dunkin'."
The new menu item comes as the nation's top fast-food chains have leaned into breakfast – including sector leader McDonald's.
This week, McDonald's expanded its partnership with Krispy Kreme. The chain now serves three types of Krispy Kreme doughnuts – the Original Glazed, the Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and the Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled doughnut – at about 160 restaurants in the Louisville and Lexington regions of Kentucky.
Taco Bell is making a push at breakfast, as well.
At a December investor day conference, Taco Bell CEO Mark King announced plans to compete with McDonald's at breakfast and lunch.
King called breakfast and lunch a $1 billion sales opportunity and pointed to a slide showing McDonald's as its main competitor.
"We have to commit" to breakfast to beat rivals like McDonald's, he said.
Wendy's, which introduced a new breakfast menu three years ago, told Nation's Restaurant News this month that breakfast sales have surpassed sales targets of $3,000 per week per restaurant.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski knows that breakfast is a key part of its success.
In his first earnings call as CEO in February 2020, he told investors: "Breakfast is the only daypart in the industry that's seeing traffic growth. We have to win at breakfast," he said.
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