Dunkin’ Donuts is ubiquitous in Boston. What’s not: The way each separate location, or franchisee, chooses to do business.

A Boston Reddit thread that’s drawn some eyeballs over the last 24-hours. The topic: iced coffee. User jdubs6490 just wanted to know if he was “a typical New Englander” or “a crazy person” for drinking ice coffee in the winter. It only took a few user comments before the conversation went on a tangent, per usual.

The topic: Dunk’s pesky recent habit of charging for “hot cups,” or the extra styrofoam layer buffering hands from the scalding or freezing liquid beneath.

User joMEEPdan kicked things off with this: “Not at all locations! Some places add on an extra 15 cents if you get the extra cup.”

So, people started talking about Dunk’s hot cup policy and whether or not charging for the privilege was allowed. Seeing that there’s a handful of Dunks within a block radius of BostInno’s Faneuil Hall office, I headed out to see what was up, beginning with the location at 20 North St.

The second Dunkin Donuts I went to was on State Street, around the corner from the office. I ordered the same thing as before – medium iced, cream and sugar and a turbo shot. This time, it only cost me $3.15, significantly less than location No. 1. This location did not charge for hot cups.

I thought two trips was enough, but the office thought one more location would be ideal (an caffeine odyssey I paid for later; see above). So, I took my talents to the Dunk closest to the Government Center T stop. Ordered the same thing. There, it cost $3.46 – no charge for hot cups.

OK, back to my first Dunkin Donuts excursion …

It was crowded around 10:40 a.m. when I walked in. After waiting in line for a few minutes, I ordered a medium ice coffee, cream and sugar, with a turbo shot. Cost me $3.68. After I was handed my order, I asked for a hot cup. Stephen Henderson, the employee who took my order, handed me one without asking for an additional charge. More on this later.

Because a line had formed behind me, I decided to wait five minutes or so before speaking with the manager. When the rush cleared, I asked for the manger, Shivendra Shrestha.

“What’s the policy on charging for hot cups?” I asked.

He said his Dunks location charges 15 cents per cup. When I asked if it was a uniform policy across the board, for all Dunkin’ Donuts locations, Shrestha told me it depends on the franchisee. So, in other words, it’s up to the owner of a specific branch to dictate hot cup policy.

Shrestha, however, said that the Dunks he manages is rather relaxed when it comes to dishing out hot cups. Case in point: my order. I wasn’t charged an additional 15 cents after requesting a hot cup. I wouldn’t have known such a policy existed had I not asked.

If a customer has 15 cents to spare after placing his or her order and paying with cash, Shrestha explained, Dunks will ask for it. However, if someone doesn’t have the change, no sweat.

I confirmed this with Henderson behind the counter. He showed me a sign at the counter that let’s customers know about the additional 15 cents charged per hot cup – I failed to notice it when I ordered my ice coffee. Henderson wasn’t concerned about not charging me.

So, there you have it. Dunks are allowed to charge for the styrofoam hot cups, if the franchisee wants to do so. How strictly the policy is enforced, though, seems to depend on the location.

Perhaps more salient still: Prices for the exact same item seem to vary rather widely between locations, even those extremely close by.

Next time you’re jonesing for a fix in our neck of the woods, you’ll know where to go.

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Image via theyoungurbanprofessional.com