Dunkin’ Donuts is stealing a page out of high-end baker Dominique Ansel’s marketing book, opting to bake a limited number of donut-croissant hybrid confections every day for a premium price of around $2.49 each.
Ansell, as any New York City foodie knows, is the father of the Cronut, about 200 of which are baked every day and sold for $5 each, and no more to two per customer, to the customers who queue up before Dominique Ansel Bakery opens at 8 a.m. A different flavor of Cronut is offered each month from the chef’s single bakery, and Ansell says the pastries require about three days to prepare.
Dunkin’ stresses that its new product is called the Croissant Donut. The product will be offered for a limited time beginning Nov. 3. It did not reveal how many would be offered every day.
The product will be served in a special container, a “special white branded gift box” that holds a single Croissant Donut, Dunkin’ said.
To introduce the Croissant Donut, Dunkin’ said it would launch a “sampling tour vehicle” in Northeastern cities. The new item will be paired with Dunkin’s new Dark Roast Coffee.
Consumers who join the chain’s DD Perks loyalty program by Nov. 19 can win a year’s supply of the Croissant Donut.
Dunkin’ is hardly alone in copying Ansell. This summer, Jack in the Box featured a Croissant Donut as a breakfast selection, and may independent bakeries have added hybrid baked goods that combine the doughnut with everything from waffles (the Wonut) to croissants.
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