The Iconic Coffee Chain That Boomers Choose Every Time

It's no secret that different generations can have vastly dissimilar dining habits. And while younger people consistently surprise others with their eclectic preferences, the elders often stick to the classics. This may account for the fact that Dairy Queen is one of the most popular fast food chains overall among baby boomers, and it may also be the case when it comes to their preferred coffee shop. According to YouGov polling, Dunkin' Donuts, one of the oldest nationwide chains that is still operating in America, is the boomer generation's favorite coffee shop.

Dunkin' has an impressive 70% popularity rating for those born between 1946 and 1964, landing in the top 10 of dining brands overall in terms of how well-liked they are. What makes this even more noteworthy is where Dunkin's primary competitor landed on the same list. Starbucks, a chain that outsold Dunkin' by $17 billion in 2025, only has a 43% popularity rating among boomers, meaning it doesn't even make it into the generation's top 60 brands overall. In fact, while the poll notes that both millennials and Gen Xers also favor Dunkin' over Starbucks, the disparity between the two chains is much lower among the younger generations than it is for the older demographic.

So baby boomers are generally more likely to indulge in a Dunkalatte than they are to get a Frappuccino, but why is this the case? Well, the most obvious reason is one we touched on earlier: the chain's remarkable history and staying power. Dunkin' first opened its doors back in 1950, and over time grew from just one location in Quincy, Massachusetts to the global behemoth as it's known today. This means that many coffee-loving baby boomers spent their youths enjoying Dunkin's coffee and donuts — a habit that stuck with many of them for their entire lives. Also, as the chain grew and became more accessible, the changes it made to its coffee recipe were minor, allowing for even the occasional Dunkin' fan to still get a hit of nostalgia with every sip.

Dunkin's reputation in the growing coffee shop ecosystem has also likely impacted boomers' preference for the shop. While Starbucks has a more bougie, sophisticated allure to it, Dunkin' has marketed itself as a more affordable, down-to-earth option . These factors make it more appealing to working class customers and baby boomers — who often don't hold back their negative opinion of younger people overspending on coffee. Even though Dunkin' is known for being one of the weakest bakery-adjacent chains in America, it's not hard to see why it's so widely beloved by those born in the mid-20th century.