Dunkin' Donuts Franchise Owners Reportedly Settle After Serving Man Fake Butter

“The main point of the lawsuit is to stop the practice of representing one thing and selling a different thing,” the man's lawyer said.
The owners of about 20 Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the Boston area have reportedly reached a settlement in a lawsuit over artificial butter.
The owners of about 20 Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the Boston area have reportedly reached a settlement in a lawsuit over artificial butter.
LauriPatterson via Getty Images

A Massachusetts man has apparently reached a settlement with two Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owners after the chain reportedly served him a butter substitute instead of the real thing.

Jan Polanik filed a class action suit last month against the owners of more than 20 Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Boston, saying he asked for butter on his bagels but got an artificial spread instead, The Boston Globe reports.

Polanik’s attorney, Thomas Shapiro, told the Globe the issue might seem like “a really minor thing,” but said his client sued for the sake of other consumers.

“The main point of the lawsuit is to stop the practice of representing one thing and selling a different thing,” Shapiro said. “It’s a minor thing, but at the same time, if somebody goes in and makes a point to order butter for the bagel ... they don’t want margarine or some other kind of chemical substitute.”

The details of the settlement were not revealed publicly.

Attorney Ryan Cunningham, who said he represents both Dunkin’ Donuts owners, declined to confirm the settlement or provide other details to The Huffington Post on Monday.

A corporate spokesman for Dunkin’ Donuts told HuffPost on Monday that the company is aware of the settlement and has different butter options in place.

“The majority of Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Massachusetts carry both individual whipped butter packets, and a butter-substitute vegetable spread,” the spokesman said by email.

Polanik’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

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