Dunkin' Donuts Takes Aim at McDonald's Donut Sticks

• Dunkin' is throwing shade at McDonald's Donut Sticks on Twitter. 
• On Monday, Dunkin' posted a mockup of donuts in a McDonald's-style box, commenting: "@McDonalds came out with Donut Sticks, and we just released the blueprints to our new donut packaging..." 
• McDonald's launched Donut Sticks nationally in late February, following Dunkin's 2018 launch of Donut Fries. 

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Dunkin' Donut is throwing shade over McDonald's Donut Sticks. 

On Monday, the donut and coffee chain tweeted: "What a weird coincidence... @McDonalds came out with Donut Sticks, and we just released the blueprints to our new donut packaging..." 

In an image included in the tweet, Dunkin's donuts are packaged in boxes reminiscent of McDonald's burger packaging. 

"This was just for fun in reaction to competitors imitating our success with Donut Fries; a good-natured reminder that America runs on Dunkin' coffee and donuts," a Dunkin' representative said in a statement to Business Insider. 

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McDonald's did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dunkin's tweet. 

McDonald's added Donut Sticks to the menu in late February, after testing the breakfast-only menu item in 2018. 

Read more: McDonald's is debuting another new breakfast item, and it reveals a massive shift in the fast-food chain's strategy 

The Donut Sticks are similar in many ways to Dunkin's Donut Fries, which the chain rolled out nationally as a limited-time offering in June. According to Dunkin' Brands CEO David Hoffman, Donut Fries "quickly became one of the best-performing limited-time offer bakery items in recent brand history."

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Both Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's are battling for breakfast dominance. 

McDonald's recently started adding new breakfast items to the menu for the first time in years, as rivals eat into the fast-food chain's breakfast sales. By making Donut Sticks available only at breakfast, the chain aims to build customer loyalty by becoming part of people's morning routine.

Dunkin', meanwhile, is attempting to build up its drinks business as it moves beyond donuts. Earlier this year, the chain rebranded to "Dunkin'," dropping the "Donuts" from its name as it doubles down on espresso-based drinks. 

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