Flawed to perfection!

Dunkin Donuts, which opened its first outlet in Hyderabad at Inorbit Mall in Gachibowli, is sticking to the ‘The Flaw Mantra’, which, according to President and COO Dev Amritesh, is what most of their offerings are based on

Dev Amritesh moved to Dunkin Donuts when it was first launched in India three years back by Jubilant Foods Network Ltd that also owned the much popular Domino’s Pizzas. At the time of the shift he had already gathered hands on experience in the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment with Domino’s. But the major challenge that came his way was how to make a morning breakfast place in the US relevant in India where eating out does not happen before 11 am.

From a form of leisure activity, eating out has become a necessity of a kind. And QSRs are increasingly becoming effective in delivering quick meal options during work breaks, in the middle of shopping, etc.Dev and his team initially let the brand experience the response that it was getting and didn’t do much in terms of change for a year and a half.

“We always knew India didn’t want just coffee and donuts. We realised that consumers were looking for an in-between solution of the formal coffee shops and the QSRs that they were used to seeing. They didn’t feel at home in the cafes and they felt QSRs were too basic. We needed to make Dunkin Donuts complex, yet did not want to go the gourmet way. If they wanted an elaborate menu, they would rather go to a fine dining restaurant,” explained Dev.

It was during this deliberation that they came up with the solution. They decided to bring in the concept of flawed. “We thought let’s start from the top of the pyramid and focus on evolved consumers, and created concepts that defied the normal. If you look at youngsters of the day, it’s cool to be flawed, and there is a celebration of the flaws actually.”

This understanding gave way to the Spiked Ice Tea that has been flavoured with spices from across the world. There’s an It’s a Mistake Doughnut, which has chilly guava on white chocolate and is indeed a delicious mistake, The Tough Guy Burger made of bagel and chipotle sauce, cheese, mustard sauce, onion rings, pickled jalapenos, lettuce and whatever yummy and out of this world thing you can put in – you can love it or hate it, the Naughty Lucy Burger, with the melted cheese filled patty that reveals amazing flavours with each bite and the wicked wrap, the soft multigrain tortilla that actually wraps in an unimaginable combination of raw mango, jalapenos, crunchy nachos, chipotle sauce.

There are the Stuck on You, Go Ba Go Nu, No More Blues, Hug Me, Breakup Party Éclair – on the donut menu.The first Dunkin Donuts store in Hyderabad at Inorbit Mall is its 55th outlet in India. Dev said, “For Jubilant, the Dunkin Donut deal is touted to be the largest deal with 500 stores all over India on the anvil, and 100 restaurants in the next five years.”

In the US, Dunkin Donuts runs on donuts, lots of coffee, tea and sandwiches. For India, Dev and his team introduced the burgers. “The US is an AM market and India is a PM market. We had to make changes accordingly. But the soul of the brand – ‘Non-Pretentious for Everyday People’ - has remained. We don’t judge our customers.

This is a place you can walk in your bermudas. The interiors are also done with similar image. There is art that represents the aspirations of young India. Our stores are bright and colourful,” shared Dev. The small store inside Inorbit Mall opened to huge crowds. Dunkin Donuts will be launching another store shortly on Road No 3, Banjara Hills.