Dunkin’ Donuts steals thunder from Starbucks

Dunkin' Donuts is finding new and creative ways to try to steal attention — and business — away from rival coffee shop Starbucks.

Both chains are on a bit of a building spree/turf war in the Dayton area — Dunkin’ Donuts has new stores in the works in Riverside and Vandalia, Starbucks has proposed new stores in Beavercreek and Springboro. And this week, the two corporate coffee-shop giants exchanged a few figurative punches in their nationwide loyalty programs.

According to Nation's Restaurant News' web site, NRN.com, Dunkin' Donuts waited until last night, on the eve of today's Starbucks' rollout of its new loyalty program, to unveil its new mobile app and a "DD Perks Rewards" promotion to help customers get a free drink faster. The latest version of the Dunkin' Donuts app allows users to pay with a virtual DD Card using Apple Pay at participating locations, as well as to earn loyalty offers and rewards and give gift cards, according to nrn.com.

Starbucks, meanwhile, says that starting today, its 12 million or so Starbucks loyalty members will start earning two stars for every dollar they spend, rather than earning one star per visit. The company also upgraded its mobile app to include more personalized features.

We haven’t heard the last of this little kerfuffle between two coffee-shop behemoths.

By the way, we talked today with Pat Gilligan, the franchise owner of Dayton-area Dunkin' Donuts, who said he's poised to request a building permit this week for his new location on Woodman Drive near U.S. 35 in Riverside, news of which this news outlet brought you in February. Meanwhile, we told you yesterday about the new Starbucks proposed for Springboro that is on the city planning commission's agenda tomorrow night, on Wednesday April 13.

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