NEW YORK — Outage tracking service Downdetector recorded a rise in user reports of problems with Dunkin’ beginning around 12:19 p.m. EDT on Monday, with the majority of complaints centered on the mobile app, login difficulties and ordering functions.

The monitoring platform posted an update noting that user reports indicated problems with Dunkin’ and invited feedback on the impact. Breakdowns of submitted issues frequently highlighted the app as the primary point of failure, followed by login problems and a smaller share related to ordering. Such spikes on Downdetector reflect crowdsourced data rather than direct confirmation from the company and can signal anything from a widespread technical disruption to localized network issues, high traffic or problems limited to specific platforms.

Dunkin’, the American coffee and doughnut chain that rebranded from Dunkin’ Donuts in many markets, relies heavily on its mobile application for rewards programs, mobile ordering, payments and store location services. Interruptions to the app can affect customers who prefer contactless ordering, those attempting to redeem points or apply promotions, and users simply trying to check wait times or menu availability before visiting a location. Physical stores typically continue operating during digital disruptions, though some customers report longer lines when app-based orders decline.

Independent status checkers produced mixed results during the same period. Some monitoring tools registered the Dunkin’ website as reachable with normal response times, while user-generated reports on outage maps remained elevated for the app. This pattern is common when backend services supporting mobile authentication or order processing experience strain even if the public-facing website remains accessible.

No immediate public statement from Dunkin’ detailing the cause or expected duration appeared in the hours following the initial spike in reports. Companies in the quick-service restaurant sector often investigate such incidents by examining content delivery networks, authentication systems, payment gateways and third-party integrations before issuing updates through official channels or social media accounts. Resolution times vary depending on whether the issue stems from a software deployment, capacity limitation, regional connectivity problem or broader infrastructure event.

Digital ordering has become a significant channel for Dunkin’ and similar chains. Customers use the app to customize drinks, schedule pickups and earn loyalty rewards. When the application fails to load, process logins or complete transactions, many users turn to in-store ordering or competing coffee providers. The inconvenience is especially noticeable during peak morning and afternoon periods when volume is highest.

User reports of this type often surface first on social media and specialized trackers. Individuals describe symptoms ranging from complete inability to open the app, repeated login failures, spinning load screens or error messages during checkout. Some note that website ordering continues to function while the mobile experience does not, pointing to platform-specific rather than total system failures. Others report intermittent success after force-closing the app, clearing caches or switching networks.

Recovery advice commonly shared among users includes restarting the device, ensuring the latest app version is installed, attempting access via mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or waiting for automatic restoration. Persistent problems sometimes resolve after an app update or server-side fix. Customers who experience payment charges without corresponding orders are typically advised to contact the company’s support channels with transaction details.

The Monday reports arrived without an accompanying company status page update visible in public channels at the time of the elevated complaint volume. Media coverage of similar past incidents involving coffee chains has shown that digital disruptions can generate temporary frustration even when store operations remain largely unaffected. Franchisees and corporate locations often continue serving walk-in and drive-thru customers while technical teams address backend issues.

Dunkin’s app serves as a key loyalty and convenience tool across thousands of locations in the United States and internationally. Features such as order-ahead, rewards tracking and personalized offers depend on stable connections between the mobile client, authentication services and store systems. Any disruption that interrupts that chain can reduce the volume of digital orders and increase reliance on traditional counter service.

Outage trackers such as Downdetector aggregate reports in real time and display percentages by problem type. For Dunkin’, the concentration of submissions around the app and login categories during the elevated period provided an early indicator that mobile functionality was the primary pain point. Geographic heat maps, when available, can further clarify whether issues are concentrated in particular regions or more broadly distributed.

In the broader context of quick-service digital platforms, Monday’s reports fit a familiar pattern: a noticeable uptick in user submissions, public discussion on tracking sites, and a period of uncertainty until either the problem resolves or the company provides clarification. Similar spikes have occurred across the restaurant and retail sector when high-traffic periods coincide with software updates or infrastructure strain.

Customers seeking coffee or baked goods during such episodes often adapt by visiting stores in person, using alternative ordering methods if available, or choosing other brands temporarily. The combination of mobile dependency and high concurrent usage makes these platforms sensitive to performance variations. Ongoing investments in system redundancy and monitoring aim to reduce both the frequency and duration of disruptions.

As of the latest available user reports, the elevated complaint volume on Downdetector began in the early afternoon Eastern time and prompted the service to flag potential problems. Whether the underlying cause was a brief technical glitch, a capacity constraint or an issue limited to specific user segments remained unclear without further official information.

The episode illustrates the dual nature of modern restaurant operations. Traditional in-store service continues to form the core experience, while digital channels expand convenience and personalization. Maintaining consistent performance across both environments requires ongoing attention to capacity, testing and rapid response capabilities.

Viewers and customers monitoring the situation typically look for official updates via the company’s website, app notifications or verified social accounts. In the absence of an immediate statement, the volume and type of user reports on independent trackers remain the most accessible public measure of service health. Subsequent monitoring determines whether reports subside quickly or persist long enough to warrant a formal explanation.

For now, the combination of elevated Downdetector submissions focused on the app, the lack of an official company confirmation at the time of the spike, and the continuation of physical store operations defines the scope of the reported disruption. Customers experiencing issues are directed toward basic troubleshooting steps while technical teams work to restore full mobile functionality.

CHICAGO — Specialty baker Sweetmore Bakeries has acquired Fantasy Baking Co., a Sylmar, Calif.-based manufacturer of private label and branded sweet baked foods.

Financial terms of the transaction, announced Aug. 25, weren’t disclosed. Sweetmore said Fantasy Baking’s product roster includes cookies, fruit-filled bars and dessert bars and extends into protein and breakfast bars, dry blends, and ice cream ingredients and inclusions, along with organic, high-protein, non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher recipes and solutions.

Chicago-based Sweetmore said the acquisition marks its sixth production facility and first on the West Coast, expanding its manufacturing footprint to cover the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest and West and bolstering its position in the cookie and baked bar categories.

“Fantasy Baking gives us a true West Coast manufacturing footprint and deeper category capabilities that strengthen our ability to serve customers’ various product needs nationwide,” said David Veenstra, chief executive officer of Sweetmore Bakeries. “Between their R&D bench strength and their reach into better-for-you trends, this addition makes Sweetmore an even stronger strategic national partner.”

Launched in 1979, Fantasy Baking brings more than four decades of formulation expertise, supported by its own in-house R&D lab, Sweetmore said, adding Fantasy’s products and capabilities are well-aligned with better-for-you and functional snacking trends.

“For over 45 years, the Fantasy Baking team has built our business on doing right by our customers — innovation, quality and service our partners can rely on,” said Russ Case, CEO of Fantasy Baking. “Joining a like-minded partner like Sweetmore allows us to continue this tradition while providing access to scale and resources that will enable Fantasy to serve a broader audience and expand its capabilities.”

Now through six bakery divisions, and with about 500 employees, Sweetmore produces baked foods — ranging from biscotti, brownies, cinnamon rolls, cookies and danishes to dessert bars, Mexican pan dulce, muffins, granola, baked bars, icings and fillings — for the retail in-store bakery and foodservice channels nationwide.

The company started in 2019 when private equity firm Shore Capital Partners recapitalized and boosted investment in Main Street Gourmet, an Akron, Ohio-based wholesale baker supplying in-store bakeries, restaurants, warehouse clubs and convenience stores. Shore Capital then began a series of acquisitions that included Greensburg, Pa.-based specialty wholesale bakery Biscotti Brothers (serving in-store bakeries) in November 2020 and Fond du Lac, Wis.-based premium pastry maker Meurer Brothers Bakery (serving in-store bakeries) in November 2021, with the three bakeries uniting under the Sweetmore Bakeries banner in mid-2022.

That was followed by the purchases of Smyrna, Ga.-based wholesale cinnamon roll manufacturer Sweet Eddie’s (serving retail and foodservice channels) in May 2024 and Phoenix-based Azteca Bakeries, a wholesale manufacturer of Mexican pastries and baked foods, in January 2025. Then in May 2025, Chicago-based Shore Capital recapitalized Sweetmore through a special purpose vehicle to support further growth. 

Average earnings in Jersey did not keep up with the rate of inflation for the year to June, according to new figures.

Statistics Jersey said in June 2026 earnings per full-time equivalent employee was 4.1% higher than in June 2025.

However, once adjusted for inflation – currently at 2.8% for the island, external – Statistics Jersey said earnings rose by 1.2%, representing a real-terms pay cut.

The Index of Average Earnings June 2026 report, external said the overall increase was lower than the preceding five-year annual average of 5.6% per year and “slightly lower” than the long-term annual average of 4.2% per year for 1991 to 2025.

It also highlighted average earnings in real terms increased by 0.9% in the private sector and 2.9% in the public sector over 12 years.

However, it said, over 25 years, average earnings in real terms in the public sector decreased by 3% while they increased by 1.2% in the private sector.

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Ministers have announced where more than 70,000 social and affordable homes will be built in England over the next 10 years as part of an initial allocation of almost £10bn in a bid to address the housing crisis.

Funding has been granted to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, and Liverpool. An additional £6bn was previously announced for London.

It is the first part of a wider plan to build 300,000 social and affordable homes, under the government’s £39bn social housebuilding programme.

Housing charities welcomed the news but said it was still not enough to meet demand, while the Conservatives said it was an “unfunded spending commitment”.

Social housing provides affordable homes at a low cost, managed by social landlords. It includes affordable rented properties as well as low-cost home ownership, such as shared ownership, and can be provided by local authorities and housing associations.

Earlier this year, before he became prime minister, Andy Burnham had called for the entire £39bn affordable housing budget for England to be spent on homes for social rent – which means the cost of the unit is about half that of market rents, and there are strict criteria for who can apply for it.

“I would actually devote all of it to social housing,” Burnham told The Social Housing Podcast in May.

But of the new homes announced on Monday, 60% would be for social rent.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook told BBC Breakfast he did not accept Burnham had failed to meet his previous commitment, saying the government had taken a “pragmatic approach” and wants to “get money out the door”.

He said the next tranche of funding would be more focused on council houses – which are usually also classed as homes for social rent.

It is understood ministers decided against giving councils more of the funding announced in the first tranche because they did not believe councils would be in a position to build the required number of social homes.

Plans to restrict zero-hours contracts will create barriers to opportunity by making it more expensive for companies to employ young people, retailers, business leaders and the hospitality trade body have warned.

The government intends to give new rights to all workers on zero-hours contracts, which at present do not specify a minimum number of hours of employment. The reforms would force companies to give staff a guaranteed number of hours a week reflecting their workload, to provide reasonable notice of shifts, and to pay workers for shifts that have been “cancelled, curtailed or moved at short notice”.

The British Retail Consortium, UKHospitality and the British Chambers of Commerce warned that the move could “worsen the jobs crisis”, pointing to the possible consequences for the number of Neets, the one million young people not in education, employment or training.

The three bodies called on the government to delay implementation so that a “proportionate” approach can be developed, and to set guaranteed hours at eight hours a week or fewer so that the rules target “genuinely low hours work”.

The measures sit under the Employment Rights Act 2025, and ministers have been consulting on the detail since June. The consultation closes on 25 August.

An official impact analysis of the plans found they could impose costs of up to £3 billion a year on employers, with companies facing extra red tape, higher staffing costs and lost revenue. The analytical note published alongside the consultation puts the direct cost to business at between £350 million and £2.9 billion a year.

The analysis found that sectors such as hospitality and retail, which have already borne the brunt of increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage, would be worst affected. It also warned that the plans would make it harder for employers to respond to changes in demand, with potential knock-on effects on revenue and investment.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Government must stamp out exploitation, not flexibility, with employment reforms that close loopholes, not doors to opportunity.

“With more than a million young people out of work, education or training, we need policies that encourage businesses to hire and create pathways into employment. Get this wrong, and we’ll close off opportunities for the very people these reforms are intended to help.”

Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality can deliver jobs in every postcode, but the reforms as they stand will add yet more cost, reduce flexibility for staff who need it and impact job opportunities for young people.”

Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “These guaranteed hours reforms risk being hugely counterproductive for growth, damaging recruitment and investment. For many employees and businesses, zero-hours contracts are a valuable and legitimate form of flexible work.”

The Confederation of British Industry said that higher national insurance contributions, increases to the living wage, new costs associated with the Employment Rights Act and wider pressures from energy bills, taxation and borrowing costs were all squeezing recruitment and investment budgets.

“The same challenges that are holding back growth are hurting young people and their ability to enter the labour market,” Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI chief executive, said. “For it to work, growth must be at the heart of the youth employment strategy. Treating them as two separate challenges, and assuming the businesses can deliver opportunities without growth, will result in more young people falling into unemployment and inactivity.”

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the HR trade body that has previously warned of unintended consequences from the reforms, found that 65 per cent of employers using zero-hours contracts expect their HR and management costs to rise as a result of the changes, while 31 per cent anticipate that they could have to make redundancies. A further 33 per cent expect to increase their use of self-employed contractors or other temporary and casual workers, raising concerns that efforts to tackle insecure employment could simply shift workers into other forms of non-permanent work.

A government spokesman said: “We are committed to ending exploitative zero-hours contracts, where workers bear all the financial risk when hours, shifts and earnings are unpredictable.

“These reforms will give workers in every postcode greater income security and predictability of hours. We have not made final decisions yet as we have been consulting since June to make sure we get the detail right.”

Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.

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