Dunkin’ Donuts rolled out a promotion Wednesday in two Florida markets that allows customers who use Foursquare to get a free doughnut after a half-dozen "check-ins" at the same store.
It’s the first time Dunkin’ Donuts is offering the Foursquare location-based social network promotion in the United States. Other brands such as McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants and Chili’s Grill & Bar also have introduced Foursquare promotions in hopes of driving traffic.
The Dunkin’ Donuts promotion covers 128 Tampa Bay and 106 Orlando locations. Dunkin' Donuts, a division of Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands Inc., said it chose Tampa Bay and Orlando to debut the Foursquare promotion because the chain's Twitter accounts proved successful in those central Florida markets.
Customers get a free doughnut when they check in with the Foursquare app during a sixth visit to a Dunkin’ Donuts store. The free doughnut special will unlock and customers can show store staff the unlocked special on their smartphone.
The free doughnut comes with the sixth visit at one specific location, not across multiple Dunkin’ Donut stores, the chain said.
“If we give away a dozen doughnuts per location per month it’s certainly a success,” said Toby Srebnik, a Dunkin' Donuts spokesman with Boca Raton, Fla.-based Tilson Communications.
A doughnut typically sells for 85 cents.
Dunkin’ Donuts is looking at adding other markets for the Foursquare promotion in 2011.
Alan Snel is a contributor to Nation's Restaurant News. Contact editor Molly Gise at [email protected].