Dunkin’ Donuts (DNKN) is ramping up its fight against McDonald’s over breakfast.
The fast food chain is changing the format of its menus to entice more consumers to get breakfast from its stores as opposed to at McDonald’s (MCD), the chain has confirmed.
Dunkin’ will unveil new overhaul counter menus and drive-thru windows at its 8,500 U.S. stores in order to compete with McDonald’s, which unveiled all-day breakfast last October. Bloomberg first reported that the chain will no longer emphasize combo meals in the new menus, which it has been working for nearly 18 months.
Dunkin’ Donuts told Fortune it started transitioning to the new menu boards on Wednesday and that it expects all U.S. locations to unveil them within a week.
On a recent call with investors, CEO Nigel Travis said “revitalized burger players” have been affecting Dunkin’ Donuts’ sales. “The competition is fierce and getting fiercer,” Travis reportedly said. “Many of our guests want something more. They have plenty of options from which to choose to get their morning coffee and afternoon pick-me-up.”
The new menu will emphasize beverages, which offer a higher profit margin for the chain, Bloomberg noted.
“It’s an area we want to grow,” Scott Hudler, the company’s vice president of global consumer engagement, told the publication. “Owning the coffee space is going to allow us to drive more transactions.”
“Dunkin’ Donuts’ new menu boards offer our guests a more contemporary, brighter, easier-to-read menu with attractive fonts, imagery and video content, to create an overall warmer, more modern design,” Hudler added in a statement. “The menu board layout is designed to strategically emphasize Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee and beverage varieties as well as our sandwich options all served any time of day, making it easier for guests to personalize their order.”
While Dunkin’ Donuts is adding more items to its menu to attract breakfast customers, so is McDonald’s. Fortune recently wrote about how the chain is offering low-calories options to its California customers.
Earlier this month, the burger chain announced a new sandwich, the Chicken McGriddle, which includes a fried chicken patty served between two pancake buns with maple syrup.
