Dunkin' Donuts Is Testing Out a New Name

Get ready for plain ol' Dunkin'.

dunkin' donuts
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A general view of the atmosphere during the Valentine's Day With Dunkin' Donuts Heart-Shaped Donuts held at Dunkin Donuts on February 12, 2016 in Encino, California.

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For the past 67 years, if you wanted a donut, there was only one place to go—Dunkin' Donuts. Now, the Canton, Massachusetts-based company is making initial steps towards a historic change. 

Earlier this week, Nation's Restaurant News reported that Dunkin' Donuts will be renaming a few select locations, starting in Pasadena, California. Those stores will be called only "Dunkin'"—all traces of "Donuts" will be dropped from the signage (but not from the menu). 

The renaming is part of a larger effort to redesign the chain. They plan to simplify the menu, among other changes, starting sometime in 2018. At that point, they may consider making the new name permanent.

The company assured panicked donut fans everywhere that the name change really wasn't that big a deal. 

"We have been referring to ourselves simply as Dunkin' in our advertising for more than a decade, ever since we introduced our 'America Runs on Dunkin' campaign," a spokesperson said.

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Dunkin' (see, that didn't hurt so much) also says that the new name shows they're about more than just donuts—like coffee. They told the AP that the name change was "part of our efforts to reinforce that Dunkin' Donuts is a beverage-led brand and coffee leader."

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