Dunkin' Donuts says 'embarrassing mistake' to blame for 'whites-only' offer

A Dunkin’ Donuts franchise was left red-faced and apologetic after a mistaken offer of free coffee for white customers only.

According to WJAR-TV, a Dunkin’ branch in Cranston, Rhode Island accidentally sent out a Facebook post inviting “White Cranston” to a celebration at the location.

Kelsey Chester, a field marketing manager for Dunkin' Donuts, explained the error occurred as the post had been copied and pasted from a similar giveaway at a store in White Plains, New York.

The employee responsible for the Cranston post failed to delete the word “White” but had replaced “Plains” with “Cranston”, leading to the unfortunate wording.

Chester explained: “It's an unfortunate mistake, it's an embarrassing mistake. Dunkin' as a company obviously is very excited for this opening for the people of Cranston, all the people of Cranston.”

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Despite the unfortunate mix-up, the celebration went ahead and the first 100 customers in the store were entitled to a free coffee.

Regular customers of the branch were satisfied with the explanation given for the mistake, as one explained that the area is so racially diverse that such a post wouldn’t have been made intentionally.

Customer Shelley Ramsey said: “It's too racially diverse in there and it's just, that's just not how that's not how things roll.”

In the United States, there are over 8,500 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across 41 states, and a further 3,200 internationally.

An employee at one Dunkin’ franchise store previously sparked debate after giving a female customer $1 for “MILF Monday”.

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