Dunkin’ quietly pulled its popular Beyond Sausage Sandwich from thousands of locations, devastating me and countless plant-based meat lovers across the country.
Saturday was Dunkin’ day. Most weekends for the past year, my husband and I have strapped our twins into their car seats and driven them to a park chosen for its proximity to Dunkin’ (the park is nice, but our priority is Dunkin’—not innovative playground equipment). But on the morning of June 12th, tragedy struck.
I ordered our regular—two Beyond Sausage Sandwiches (hold the egg and cheese) and two oat milk lattes—on the Dunkin’ app. When I walked in, only our lattes sat on the counter. I waited for close to ten minutes expecting the sandwiches to appear, but they never did. Finally, the manager explained that the store didn’t carry Beyond Sausage patties anymore. He might as well have slapped me across the face.
I asked if it was a production glitch, just a temporary disruption in the supply chain. No, it was permanent, he said. And no, he didn’t know why.
How could this be? I wanted to shout. This sandwich has Snoop Dogg on its side!
Instead, I asked for a refund. But because the order was made through the app, the store couldn’t process it. The manager offered to reimburse me with sausage sandwiches, but we’re vegan. So, donuts were also out. The only currency left was hash browns. Ultimately, I walked out with close to a dozen bags.
My kids—angry as any toddler forced to wait in the car—were wailing by then, and I joined them. Hash browns are great, but they were a pale imitation of the breakfast we’d planned on.
Joking aside, Dunkin’s decision to pull its premiere plant-based item from thousands of locations across the US—without explanation—isn’t a mere inconvenience, it’s a step backwards for farmed animals and the planet. The Beyond Meat Sandwich isn’t just tasty, it helps drive down the demand for cheap meat by making it easier for everyone—vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike—to choose plant-based.
Dunkin’ hasn’t revealed why Beyond Meat isn’t on most of its menus anymore, but in the last year the company boasted record sales, crediting the plant-based sandwich for its success. Something that’s good for the planet, for animals, and their profits shouldn’t be a tough business decision.
Please join me and World Animal Protection in asking Dunkin’ to reinstate its Beyond Meat Sandwich. Together, we can make this a temporary setback and give my Saturdays meaning again.