Free. Coffee. We just wanted to lead with those words to help out anyone tempted to ignore the rest of this article in continued protest of the chain formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts. As part of, ahem, Dunkin's effort to rebrand itself as a beverage-focused restaurant, it's launched some brand-new espresso drink offerings. And to lure us all in, there will be free samples this Friday and Saturday, plus more deals to come.
Starbucks loyalists, or those who like to stick to Dunkin' for its drip coffee, this is your chance to open your hearts and minds to the new menu items made with "new state-of-the-art espresso equipment for optimal espresso bean extraction" and a "stronger and more robust flavor profile," as the company's press release puts it. Skip the fancy words and just head over to the place on Friday for a free 4oz cup of Caramel Flavored Iced Latte from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (while supplies last). On Saturday, you can get a free 4oz cup of White Chocolate Flavored Iced Latte from 10am to 2pm.
You can also skip the chocolate and caramel, and instead pony up $2 for a medium latte or cappuccino at any time of day from November 19-25. If you decide to venture out of the house on Black Friday (November 23), you can do so with a free Lyft ride (for up to 25,000 users) to a Dunkin' with the promo code SipDunkin. Once you're there, power through that shopping hell with an extra espresso shot in any drink for $0.50, because apparently November 23 is also National Espresso Day. That sounds like an excellent antidote to all that Thanksgiving tryptophan, anyway.
Lastly, Dunkin' hopes to get you out of that oh-god-it's-winter-and-dark-at-3pm funk from November 26-December 30 with medium lattes and cappuccinos for $2 from 2-6pm. By January, we'll be totally hooked on them and probably too desperate to notice when the price goes up.