The pieces of Dunkin’ that out-of-towners might think help it maintain its popularity are often misinformed hypotheses. It is not the intense sugar-rush that their syrups provide, nor is it the way they keep us on our toes as we gamble whether the first sip will be sweet, sweet paradise or like licking the butt of a cigarette. What is the home that your local Dunkin’ makes for you?

In our present day, our market is increasingly saturated with pumpkin spice and everything nice. Hummus, spam, protein shakes, Jell-O, hot chocolate, hard seltzers, marshmallows and even mac and cheese have sprung from this feverous frenzy.

What will our legacy be? What will we leave behind? The revered and deceased musician J Dilla or Jay Dee, born James Yancey, continues to build on his legacy even after his death in 2006. The revived...