Are Dunkin' Donuts Customers Ready for Cold-Brew Coffee?

Dunkin' Donuts continues to contend with Starbucks for the affections of the caffeinated public: The chain is currently testing cold-brew coffee in select locations across the Northeast, according to The Street.

Starbucks rolled out its own cold-brew, which is steeped for 20 hours, in March 2015 and first began testing it the summer prior in the Boston area. Dunkin' Donuts' trial run of the cold brew has already rolled out in Springfield, Massachussetts, according to WWLP, and will also be available in both Portland and Bangor, Maine.

Reached for comment, a Dunkin' rep issued the following statement:

We’re always looking for new ways to offer innovative menu items for customers to enjoy, so we have introduced Cold Brew coffee, made in small batches and served daily at some restaurants in Maine and Massachusetts. The limited test will help us gather valuable feedback to determine whether Cold Brew fits within our long range plans. Once the test is complete, we will carefully review feedback from both customers and franchisees before making any determination about a possible national rollout.

In other Starbucks-like initiatives, Dunkin' recently launched a mobile order and payment system through its app, though it's currently only available at select stores. It also launched delivery in Dallas in partnership with DoorDash, and is testing a number of new menu items, such as some rather intriguing Belgian waffle sandwiches  — including a fried chicken version — which will be available in select Florida stores for the time being.