Dunkin' Donuts to launch 99-cent menu in Chicago

Dunkin' Donuts to launch 99-cent menu in Chicago, hand out free gift cards to draw customers

• On 5:04 pm EST, Friday November 6, 2009

CHICAGO (AP) -- Dunkin' Donuts said Friday it will launch a new 99-cent menu at 500 Chicago locations on Monday and hand out 20,000 gift cards pre-loaded with $2 each to lure customers.

The 99-cent menu includes a sausage, egg and cheese wrap; bacon, egg and cheese wrap; egg and cheese wrap; raspberry danish; hash browns; and a pack of five Munchkins.

The coffee-and-donut chain, based in Chicago, said it would give out the gift cards at commuter stations, downtown plazas and other pedestrian-friendly areas in Chicago and its suburbs, starting at 7 a.m. on Monday.

The dollar menu concept among fast-food chains has been extremely popular, particularly amid the economic downturn. Some analysts say dollar menus are a necessity for chains hoping to compete with the likes of McDonald's Corp. and others.