Culinary Innovation Intern - Summer 2026

Job Summary

Join Dunkin’s Culinary Innovation team and gain hands-on experience in developing exciting new menu items for our U.S. restaurants! As a Culinary Intern, you’ll play an active role in the ideation, benchtop development, and consumer testing of innovative bakery and beverage offerings.

You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams, including Commercialization, Marketing, Operations, and Consumer Insights, to help shape the future of Dunkin’s menu. Throughout the internship, you’ll be challenged to think both creatively and technically, refine your problem-solving and communication skills, and gain real-world experience in our innovation-to-market process.

If you’re passionate about culinary arts, food science, and product development this is the perfect opportunity to build your skills in a fast-paced, collaborative environment!

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage project tasks & timelines by scheduling day-to-day meetings.

• Present project updates to Culinary and cross-functional team members.

• Support product development, including tastings, consumer testing, and operational validation.

• Complete a capstone project with a final presentation to Culinary and Marketing leadership.

• Participate in innovation brainstorming and ideation sessions.

• Assist with kitchen and lab organization, including product ordering and maintaining a clean work environment.

Education Requirements

Min/Preferred

Bachelor’s Degree or in progress

Description

Culinary Arts or Food Science

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS or ABILITIES

• Proficiency in Zoom/Teams, MS Office Suite, and general computer skills.

• Strong organization and time management skills.

• Effective communication and teamwork abilities.

• A proactive, can-do attitude with a willingness to learn.

• Ability to taste and analyze all menu items.

• ServSafe certification preferred but not required

Competencies

Impact of Decision

The impact of decisions by this position to the overall objectives and long-term goals is best described as:

Limited to task-related activities

Autonomy

The level of autonomy given to this position is best described as:

Work is under general supervision; Work is reviewed for adequacy and accuracy throughout the assignment

Complexity and Skills

The following statement best describes the complexity of problems and the skills required to solve them:

Solves routine problems of limited scope and complexity, following established policies and procedure

Depth of Knowledge

The depth of knowledge in the given field for this position is best described as:

Limited to task-related activities

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

EEO-1 Statement

It is the policy of Inspire Brands Inc.™ (“IRB” or the “Company”) to treat all employees and applicants for employment fairly and to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national original or ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship, military service or veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all employment practices including recruiting, hiring, placement, pay, promotions, transfers, training, leaves of absence, and termination.

Inspire Brands, Inc. expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employment harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, national original or ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship, military service or veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Improper interference with the ability of IRB’s employees to perform their expected job duties will not be tolerated.