Hey Dunkin', It's Still August

It's still three and a half weeks until Labor Day, but major food brands are already itching to foist fall coziness upon us as if it isn't still 90 degrees outside. The root of this antsy behavior is, of course, the brands' assumption that we've all been sitting around lamenting how boring Bummer Summer 2020 has been, restricted by the pandemic, completely unfun. "If only we could experience the flavors that remind us of cold weather when we're kept indoors for a different reason!" these companies imagine us saying wistfully. In fact, it's the brands themselves that want to skip ahead to autumn, not us. Because autumn is when they all get to introduce their bestselling pumpkin-flavored products—something that Dunkin' is doing earlier this year than ever before.

According to a press release, Dunkin' has announced that its fall lineup of drinks and bakery treats will be available starting on Wednesday, August 19, the earliest date this menu has ever debuted. (God, let's hope so.) Featuring a mix of old and new items, the fall menu will include:

• Chai latte (new)
• Pumpkin flavored coffees
• Apple cider doughnuts and Munchkins
• Pumpkin doughnuts, Munchkins, and muffins
• Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
• Cream-cheese stuffed mini bagels (new)
• Steak & Cheese Rollups (new)
• Maple Sugar Seasoned Snackin' Bacon (new)

None of the new items scream "fall" to me, though this is potentially a good thing since the autumnal equinox doesn't happen for six more weeks. Whether or not any customers are ready for these flavors just yet might be a secondary concern to Dunkin'; perhaps the ultimate goal is to be the first major chain out of the gate with the cinnamon-forward confections we associate with a time of year that is, in normal times, fun and exciting. Until Starbucks fesses up to the actual release date of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, anyone actually craving fall flavors in August has Dunkin' to turn to.