In October of 2019, Dunkin’ Donuts announced that it was expanding its Beyond Sausage to over 9000 Dunkin’ locations across the US after a successful test run.
Fast forward a few years to 2022 and for most of the country (yes, most – more on that in a moment), Beyond Sausage is no longer on the menu.
So… what happened?
Beyond Sausage Pulled From Menu
In the summer of 2021, about a year and a half after its release, we started getting feedback from the VeggL community that the Beyond Sausage was no longer available at their location. When we started checking our own locations (we have 3 within a couple of miles of us) we noticed the same thing.
It turns out Dunkin’ pulled the sandwich from most of its locations due to weak sales
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To be honest, as someone who was personally excited when Beyond Sausage was announced and then stopped ordering the sandwich myself, I can’t say I’m not surprised.
Problematic For Vegans
The Beyond Sausage at Dunkin’ consisted of a Beyond Sausage patty on an English Muffin with egg and cheese. Yes, you could order it without the egg and cheese. It did not come pre-packaged with the ingredients all together the way Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich does.
However, what you were left with was a piece of Beyond Sausage on an English Muffin. Was it still delicious? I thought so. (Especially when you added hash browns to it!)
But, was it $4 delicious? That was where I struggled.
The cost was an issue because it was the same whether you ordered it with the egg and cheese or without. This even led some creative vegans to figure out that if you ordered the Muffin and Beyond Sausage a la carte, it would actually cost less and then you could “assemble” the sandwich yourself.
We tried this and it did technically work, but it often led to some very confused workers (rightfully so) and ended up being more of a hassle than it was worth.
Plus, we learned from many VeggL users that their location would NOT allow them do this.
This is the reason I wasn’t surprised when I heard there were weak sales. This sandwich was not really meant for the vegan community and I think this was a big contributing factor.
Still Available at Some Dunkin’ Locations
I assumed for a long time that the Beyond Sausage had vanished from all Dunkin’ locations. After all, the sandwich isn’t even listed as an option on their online menu anymore.
Apparently, though, it is still available at a few hundred stores in 10 states – all out west (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Hawaii, Utah, Kansas and Wyoming).
Dunkin’ Getting Sued over Beyond Sausage
While doing my research on the Dunkin’ Beyond Sausage, it seems like poor sales aren’t the only problem that Dunkin’ has run into with their Beyond Sausage Sandwich and the marketing that went with it.
Dunkin’ is being sued by Vegadelphia for use of their trademarked slogan, “Where Great Taste is Plant-Based”. (Dunkin’ used the slogan “Great Taste, Plant-Based)
According to the lawsuit, Vegadelphia also claims that other parts of Dunkin’s marketing campaign, like the font style and background imagery, also closely matched their own.
What Is Vegan at Dunkin’?
So, if you’re not one of the couple hundred locations that still carries the Beyond Sausage, what can you order vegan at Dunkin’?
Well, for vegan drinks, Dunkin’ carries three different varieties of non-dairy milk – almond, coconut and oat. You can also add a Mocha Swirl or many of their flavor shots (for a complete list of all the vegan options at Dunkin’, check out our Dunkin’ Vegan Guide)
Vegan-Friendly Food
Finally, if you want to get a vegan-friendly bite to eat, you can do that as well. Here are a few of the options currently available to you. Again, if you want to see a complete list of all the vegan options available at Dunkin’, head over to our Dunkin’ Vegan Guide where we detail how to order everything vegan at Dunkin’.
- Avocado and Roasted Tomato Toast
- Bagels – Plain, Cinnamon Raisin, Everything & Sesame
- Hash Browns
Final Thoughts
While we loved Dunkin’ making an attempt at adding a plant-based option to their breakfast menu, we just feel they missed the mark on a large audience that could have embraced the sandwich.
Here’s hoping Dunkin’ figures this out and brings back a more vegan-friendly version of a Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich.
