Not Fake News, But Fake Butter: Worcester Man Wins Settlement With Dunkin' Donuts

WORCESTER, MA — A man with apparent super tastebuds, or an ingredient-testing lab at his house, got some money from Dunkin' Donuts for proving the chain had served "butter" that wasn't really butter.

Worcester-area man Jan Polanik received a settlement relating to two lawsuits filed in Suffolk Superior Court in March that accused some 20 Dunkin' Donuts franchises throughout Central and Eastern Massachusetts of using a butter substitute on its bagels, reports the Boston Globe.

Polanik's suits argued that he ordered a baked product with butter but instead received a butter substitute between June 24, 2012, and June 24, 2016. It is not clear as to why Polanik continued to order the baked product with the butter-like fake-out for such a long period of time if he had realized this falsity.

A lawyer for Polanik admitted the complaint was "minor" but said he sued to stop such deceptive practices, reports The Boston Herald, which added that the attorney for Dunkin' Donuts said it has since changed the "butter-serving protocol."

The terms of the settlement are not known yet because it hadn't yet been filed with the court, reports Newsday.

In Dunkin' Donuts' menu descriptions on its website, the bagel selection does not indicate butter content but rather focuses on the bagel and cream cheese option.

Unlike Fabio, Polanik could clearly believe it was not butter but could not accept it.

Photo Credit: George Pickow/Hulton Archive/Getty Images