Dunkin Donuts and the Swirl/Shot Conundrum

kimny72
kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I like my DD iced coffee with whole milk and a flavor shot. Their flavor shots are low cal and not really sweet at all, just flavor.

I always ask for the shot. I often reiterate - "A shot, NOT a swirl please." I would say about 60% of the time, I get a swirl anyway. Well, several pumps of swirl.

The shot is 10 cals. The swirl is @ 50 cals per pump, depending on the flavor. The problem is they are REALLY generous with the swirl pumps. So my 50 cal coffee becomes probably more like 200.

I assume the issue is that most people order the swirl, so it's just force of habit to pump that stuff out. If I wasn't a lazy *kitten* I could go back and ask them to redo it. I could decide to save money and stop treating myself with DD every once and awhile. I could order my coffee with no flavoring like a big girl. But it's yummy and I can forgive myself for those extra 150 cals because "It wasn't my fault! DD did it!"

Anyway, this happened to me when I lived in NY, and still now that I'm in VA. Is this a vast, national Dunkin Donuts conspiracy? Seriously though, does this happen to anyone else?



***Please note: This post was typed with a humorous and occasionally sarcastic tone. The author does not believe in conspiracies or have any problems with sugar or other debil foods. This post's implicit support of the quality of Dunkin Donuts coffee is unequivocal, and frankly, she doesn't want to hear about from Starbucks supporters. Plus, right now she's caffeinated and on an unintentional sugar high, so she's feisty.
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Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I go to the same starbucks every day, so the starbucks girls all know me and make my drinks exactly how I ask...which is super nice...I do have one I hit sometimes while traveling and they usually don't follow directions correctly...it's kind of crazy, the whole point of going to a chain restaurant is consistent product and it's annoying when they fail.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    Conspiracy satire aside, this sort of thing is a legit source of anxiety for me as a data nerd. Any time I eat out I try to be diligent about what I order and of course log, but I find myself often severely second-guessing the accuracy of the serving size and/or stated nutritional information. My obsession with food scale use is a point of consternation with the Mrs. to begin with, she might actually leave me if I buy a travel scale and start weighing at restaurants (If I had my druthers I would absolutely do this).

    I'm with you on coffee creamer/flavoring - I could drink it black but it's not as good. I have have taken to weighing my creamer and limiting how much I put in my morning coffees.

    FWIW this also reminded me of the conundrum I used to have with Starbucks; years ago I would budget calories to allow for an occasional caramel frappuccino (very manly, I know). There was a certain barista at our regular starbucks who was always flirty and would hook me up with a massive amount of whip to top my frap. While I'll always appreciate the banter and generous whip cream, I wasn't bananas about the extra calories.

    Yeah, I mean that's why I view DD as a treat, because you are guesstimating and the more you guesstimate the more off you could be.

    And it's true - I wonder if they think they are doing me a favor by hooking me up with that sweet sweet flavor swirl :lol:
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    seltzermint555 wrote: »
    This is just making me sad that the closest Dunkin is 40 minutes from where I am.

    Sad sad sad.

    I'm so sorry for your lack of DD :cry: . Location, location, location.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited March 2018
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    I went into a random airport coffee shop and ordered an iced latte with skim milk. I then saw her proceed to fill over half of the cup with half-and-half instead of skim milk. Seriously it was like 2-3 cups of half-and-half. I made her redo it. Not just because of the calories, but I don't want to know what that would have done to my digestive system. And I was getting on an airplane shortly. :#

    OMG. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? Does she do that to everyone? Is that why plane cabins smell bad?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited March 2018
    I always order skinny hot chocolates... I watch like a hawk that they use the right milk!
  • TheFatBrokenGirl
    TheFatBrokenGirl Posts: 22 Member
    We don't have Dunkin Donuts in the UK so I had to suffer Starbucks. I ordered decaf because if I have too much caffeine it makes me feel unwell. I ordered the same thing every time I went. Decaf skinny sugar free caramel latte. Only difference is sometimes it's iced, sometimes it's hot. I'd end up with decaf maybe only about 50% of the time and the full sugar syrup about maybe 60% of the time. Hell sometimes I'd even end up with non skinny, although less common. I'd even confirm at the end to make sure they made it decaf (since the other things I didn't want but could live with). "Is this decaf?". I'd always get a yes and a nod. It was definitely not always decaf. Only once the barista had ever said "Omg no, sorry. I'll remake it!". It began to not be worth the roulette of will this drink make me want to puke after 30 mins or not so I stopped going there. It's not even just one store that is the problem. If I switch to another I'd still encounter the same issues. Costa is less problematic with decaf issue but it still happens if I'm distracted and not paying attention to barista. I watch to make sure they put that little decaf pod in the machine, something you can't do at Starbucks.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Closest DD to me, 4 hours and 3 minutes, 243 miles. Needless to say, I have never had DD. And I do feel deprived about that.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    I always order skinny hot chocolates... I watch like a hawk that they use the right milk!

    Yeah, my lazy *kitten* is at the drive thru so I'm a glutton for punishment :lol:
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    TheFatBrokenGirl wrote: »
    We don't have Dunkin Donuts in the UK so I had to suffer Starbucks. I ordered decaf because if I have too much caffeine it makes me feel unwell. I ordered the same thing every time I went. Decaf skinny sugar free caramel latte. Only difference is sometimes it's iced, sometimes it's hot. I'd end up with decaf maybe only about 50% of the time and the full sugar syrup about maybe 60% of the time. Hell sometimes I'd even end up with non skinny, although less common. I'd even confirm at the end to make sure they made it decaf (since the other things I didn't want but could live with). "Is this decaf?". I'd always get a yes and a nod. It was definitely not always decaf. Only once the barista had ever said "Omg no, sorry. I'll remake it!". It began to not be worth the roulette of will this drink make me want to puke after 30 mins or not so I stopped going there. It's not even just one store that is the problem. If I switch to another I'd still encounter the same issues. Costa is less problematic with decaf issue but it still happens if I'm distracted and not paying attention to barista. I watch to make sure they put that little decaf pod in the machine, something you can't do at Starbucks.

    See, that to me is way worse because caffeine can be a dangerous thing for some people!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    TheFatBrokenGirl wrote: »
    We don't have Dunkin Donuts in the UK so I had to suffer Starbucks.

    We do... I'm in Yorkshire and we have some!
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Closest DD to me, 4 hours and 3 minutes, 243 miles. Needless to say, I have never had DD. And I do feel deprived about that.

    Is it silly that I nearly snorted my tea out my nose at the thought that you know exactly how far it is to your nearest DD?
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Closest DD to me, 4 hours and 3 minutes, 243 miles. Needless to say, I have never had DD. And I do feel deprived about that.

    I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I pass 3 of them on my way to work and there's a 4th about 1/2 mile up the road from my office. They're everywhere around here.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Closest DD to me, 4 hours and 3 minutes, 243 miles. Needless to say, I have never had DD. And I do feel deprived about that.

    Is it silly that I nearly snorted my tea out my nose at the thought that you know exactly how far it is to your nearest DD?

    I googled it. ;)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited March 2018
    AngryViking1970 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Closest DD to me, 4 hours and 3 minutes, 243 miles. Needless to say, I have never had DD. And I do feel deprived about that.

    I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I pass 3 of them on my way to work and there's a 4th about 1/2 mile up the road from my office. They're everywhere around here.

    We have Dutch Bros like that. And I <3 Dutch Bros. So, there's that.
  • PowerliftingMom
    PowerliftingMom Posts: 430 Member
    Funny thing is there are 3 DD's within only a few miles where I live and I detest the place lol :neutral:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    They got rid of some of the shots too.

    Also, my friend who works at DD told me it's 2 pumps for a small, 3 for a medium, 4 for a large, so you can ask them to put just one or two instead.

    Unfortunately I don't really care for their black coffee so I often end up getting more calories in my drink when I go there (they're all over here too).

    I like Starbucks better honestly, plus you put your own sugar and cream in, so you have more control.
  • GOT_Obsessed
    GOT_Obsessed Posts: 817 Member
    We don't have Dunkin Donuts here. At least not anywhere near Manitoba but we have several Tim Hortons. For several years my Timmies standard was med 2 cream, 1 sugar. Then as I started calorie reducing I managed to wean myself to med 2 cream. So it's all good now and my new go to standard.

    About a month ago I pulled up to the drive thru, ordered a med. 2 cream, and pulled up to the pick up window. The girl goes "2 cream, 1 sugar". I said "sorry, but I ordered 2 cream." (we totally apologize for everything in Canada regardless if we are at fault by the way)

    She checked her screen and goes "oh I have 2 cream, 1 sugar but I must have punched it in wrong. I will get a 2 cream." I thanked her, paid and drove away. After I drove away I started to think that I may out of habit ordered the 2 cream, 1 sugar it out thinking. Ooops! I felt bad for being wasteful and making her possibly take the blame. But my coffee was dam good!
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Am I the only one here, that if I am going to spend macros on a donut, wants Krispy Kreme?
  • ZoneFive
    ZoneFive Posts: 570 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Am I the only one here, that if I am going to spend macros on a donut, wants Krispy Kreme?

    The only time I've ever enjoyed a KK is when it is less than a minute off the conveyor belt. Other than that it's been a greasy flavorless lump to me. I'm from the NE (USA) and grew up with Dunkin so that's my idea of a donut.

    And those donuts are the reason I don't go into Dunkin any more -- the aroma of those donuts bids fair to override any good sense I have and make me leave with a box of Munchkins instead of a coffee.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    edited March 2018
    ZoneFive wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Am I the only one here, that if I am going to spend macros on a donut, wants Krispy Kreme?

    The only time I've ever enjoyed a KK is when it is less than a minute off the conveyor belt. Other than that it's been a greasy flavorless lump to me. I'm from the NE (USA) and grew up with Dunkin so that's my idea of a donut.

    And those donuts are the reason I don't go into Dunkin any more -- the aroma of those donuts bids fair to override any good sense I have and make me leave with a box of Munchkins instead of a coffee.

    Thats why you have to go when the "HOT" sign is on! I am born and raised in the SE. I did not know what a dunkin donuts was until my late teens when they started to come in.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    PowerliftingMom wrote: »
    Funny thing is there are 3 DD's within only a few miles where I live and I detest the place lol :neutral:

    I feel that way about Starbucks. My city is SMALL and we have 11 Starbucks, thirteen if you count smaller ones in a university and in a hospital.

    Some of these answers are making me feel whiny for saying how sad I was that Dunkin is 40 minutes from me. I go there all of the time, and will go later today! haha
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    Can you ask them to give you the flavor shot "on the side" so you can add it yourself? That way you can control the amount? I do that with my coffee. I get it black, add my packet of Sweet N Low, then take it to work and add my own creamer (via measuring spoon) so I KNOW for sure what I'm ingesting is accurate. I know it seems anal and complicated, but its really just one extra step of adding the creamer myself.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,223 Member
    I feel your pain.

    But I feel it differently. I like my latte plain and nonfat: Coffee and skimmed milk, that's all.

    Way too many places are simply unable to absorb or accept the idea that anyone could want a latte without some sweet flavory gunk in it, so they put it in anyway by reflex (usually vanilla syrup).

    I hate sweet hot coffee. Grrr. This is not hard: Coffee, skimmed milk.

    If I catch it before I hit the road, I'll ask for a remake . . . politely, to maintain my rep as a sweet li'l ol' lady (mostly). ;)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I feel your pain.

    But I feel it differently. I like my latte plain and nonfat: Coffee and skimmed milk, that's all.

    Way too many places are simply unable to absorb or accept the idea that anyone could want a latte without some sweet flavory gunk in it, so they put it in anyway by reflex (usually vanilla syrup).

    I hate sweet hot coffee. Grrr. This is not hard: Coffee, skimmed milk.

    If I catch it before I hit the road, I'll ask for a remake . . . politely, to maintain my rep as a sweet li'l ol' lady (mostly). ;)

    I can imagine! I hate mayo with the fire of a thousand suns. When I get a sandwich at a deli, I like a lot of tomato to make it juicy. They always repeat, like they can't understand, "Um, no mayo? Are you sure? Do you want some dressing on it? Or butter maybe?" And I say, no just extra tomato please. And they look at me like maybe it's an undercover sting or something!

    I also like hot coffee with just a little milk or maybe cream in it. But iced coffee I like with a little somethin' somethin'. :drinker:

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