Brian noticed something interesting on the menu at his local Dunkin’ Donuts. While customers can buy a single bagel for 99 cents, they’re slightly more expensive by the half dozen.

“Last time I did the math $.99 * 6 = $5.94, not $5.99,” writes Brian. Yes, even a few days later, that math holds up. “Why is Dunkin Donuts punishing anyone who wants 6 bagels?”

There is a discount for buying a dozen bagels, though. Maybe the extra five cents covers the cost of putting the bundle of bagels in a box or bag.

In some areas (like New York state, home of the Consumerist, where bagels are serious business) a toasted bagel is subject to sales tax as a prepared food item, and a bagged half-dozen bagels is not. Brian didn’t tell us where he lives. If the price difference were calculated to account for sales tax, shouldn’t the single bagel price come out to $1 even with tax? Or in this debit card era, does that even matter anymore?

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