Dunn Brothers helps donate food to people in need

Dunn Brothers Coffee shops are taking part in a program that provides meals to people in need each time a customer takes a photo in the coffee shop’s locations, including the Quad Cities. The coffee shops began partnering with the GiftAMeal program on Monday, Jan. 27, to help fight hunger in the community. Through that […]

Dunn Brothers Coffee shops are taking part in a program that provides meals to people in need each time a customer takes a photo in the coffee shop’s locations, including the Quad Cities. The coffee shops began partnering with the GiftAMeal program on Monday, Jan. 27, to help fight hunger in the community. Through that partnership, local Dunn Brothers shops will help provide meals to families in need through River Bend Food Bank. 

GiftAMeal is a program that provides a meal to someone in need. Here’s how it works: When guests share a photo of their purchase using a special QR code available in its coffee shops, Dunn Brothers donates a meal to a local food bank — at no extra cost to the customer. This effort also shines a light on the growing issue of food insecurity in the area and the ways businesses such as Dunn Brothers can play a vital role in addressing it, according to GiftAMeal leaders. All 50 Dunn Brothers locations – including two in the Quad Cities –  are taking part in the GiftAMeal program. The local Dunn Brothers are located at 787 Middle Road, Bettendorf, and 4520 E, 52rd St., Davenport. “People have been really thrilled about this. … This is helping us give back in a bigger way, but still locally,” said Alexis Gillette, vice president of marketing for Dunn Brothers. Since the GiftAMeal partnership began about a week ago, she said Dunn Brothers sites have been able to donate almost 2,000 meals to local food banks across the country. “This (partnership) is just picking up traction. So, I can’t wait to see it peak,” she told the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal in an interview Tuesday, Feb. 4. Ms. Gillette added that patrons visiting Dunn Brothers locations around the country like the partnership because they have discovered they don’t have to make a purchase to help donate food in their local communities. All they have to do is share a photo using a special QR code available in coffee shops. The food donation partnership is also moving forward on the local front. “It’s been going really great. Our customers are excited about it,” Lynne Waterman, manager of the Dunn Brothers shop in Davenport, said Tuesday. She added that the Davenport site has been busy putting the QR code for GiftMeal on cups, bags and places in the business. Since its inception, the GiftAMeal program has helped provide more than 2.3 million meals to people in need. It has provided food to more than 130 food banks across 38 states. Its partnerships with many restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses not only help local food banks, it is also good for business. GiftAMeal leaders say that businesses helping the program experience a 32% increase in tip size; 39% increase in customers loyalty; and 20% increase in ticket order size. “We are incredibly proud to partner with GiftAMeal to launch a program that directly supports local communities in such a meaningful way,” Dunn Brothers Coffee President Scott Harvey said in a news release. “Every day, we fall in love with creating the perfect cup of coffee, and with every cup, every welcome at the drive-thru window, and every handshake in our neighborhoods, we see the joy it brings and the positive impact it has.” GiftAMeal CEO Andrew Glantz added in the release: “Partnering with Dunn Brothers Coffee is an incredible opportunity to expand our impact and fight food insecurity together. Their commitment to community aligns perfectly with our mission. Every meal shared through this partnership will provide critical support for local food banks, helping neighbors in need while creating a meaningful experience for Dunn Brothers Coffee guests.” Formed in 1987, Dunn Brothers Coffee operates 50 outlets across Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. It is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.