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Dunkin' Donuts opens first store in California

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R

RBH

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0902_dunkin_donuts_line_970-630x420.jpg


In a state where Dunkin’ Donuts shops are nearly as common as a dropped R, this may be difficult forcoffee drinkers to fathom: Johnny Hooper happily waited more than 31 hours to get an iced French vanilla coffee and some Munchkins.

Hooper’s marathon coffee break didn’t take place in Massachusetts, but in Santa Monica, Calif., where Dunkin’ Brands Group on Tuesday opened the second of hundreds of restaurants it plans for California. Another Dunkin’ opened in Modesto, Calif., the previous week.

“I’m originally from Connecticut, so I’m a big Dunkin’ Donuts fan,” said Hooper, who was first in a long line of people forgoing sleep in Santa Monica so they could revive themselves with coffee from the Canton-based company.

Even after the opening-day phenomenon, customers still stood in long lines through the week. Some brought books to help them pass waits as long as two hours Thursday night. The wait to buy coffee and doughnuts at the Santa Monica store Friday was as long as 45 minutes, according to Ace Marrero, a Brentwood filmmaker originally from New Jersey.

“It’s kind of mad in here,” Marrero said by phone from the restaurant. “I might get a Boston Kreme donut. That’s my go-to.”

There are many transplanted New Englanders in the general area of Santa Monica. The seaside city was the longtime hideout for James “Whitey” Bulger. And it is the home to Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub, a Boston-themed bar.

Californians with Northeast roots appeared to made up a significant part of the line waiting for the grand opening of the Dunkin’ store in Santa Monica. Even the local franchise owner, Gary Haar, comes from New Jersey.

Richard Larson, an engineering systems professor at MIT who studies queueing and enjoys Dunkin’ Donuts, said it didn’t take an expert to understand why people would line up. The first people in line, he said, could brag about it to their friends through social media (they did, under the hashtag DunkinLA). And then there’s the shared experience: Patient customers could socialize with other people near them in line.

“I think if an In-N-Out Burger opened in Boston, you’d have lines going around the block in less than a day,” Larson said, referring to the popular hamburger chain with 290 locations across the Southwestern United States.

Expansions of popular food chains into New England support that point. Krispy Kreme created a sensation in 2003 when it opened a store in Medford. Additional Krispy Kreme shops opened in other Massachusetts locations to similar fanfare, but all have since closed.

More recently, customers waited for hours to place orders at the first drive-in Sonic restaurant in Massachusetts, which opened in Peabody five years ago. The Oklahoma City-based chain estimated that 54,000 customers ordered from its menu of milkshakes, burgers, and hot dogs in the Peabody restaurant’s first 10 days of operation.

In California, Dunkin’ Brands is launching a major invasion that will start with five full-service coffee shops planned this year. The company hopes to open nearly 200 stores by 2020 and as many as 1,000 locations eventually.

But Dunkin’ still has a long way to go: Starbucks dominates the coffee business in California with more than 2,500 stores.
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Video: http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...nkin-donuts/pX2wRMv5QHld3apwsbfXwI/story.html
 
A

acheron_xl

Member
They're not that great. I was totally psyched when they started opening around here, but then came to realize that they're only so-so, and a bit overpriced. If you have access to a small, independent bakery, I can't imagine Dunkin will blow your socks off. If given a choice, KK is a superior option.
 
C

Cptkrush

Member
This is such an odd thing for me to read since I'm on the east coast. They just opened the third Dunkin' in a 5 mile radius and are building a fourth at the entrance to my neighborhood. Enjoy, California-GAF; their stuff is pretty good for a chain imo
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Best hot chocolate and egg with sausage bagel I have ever tasted was at Dunkin' Donuts. Sooo good.
 
R

RevoDS

Junior Member
WorldStar said:
that's not the first store

we used to have em up until 2002

i used to eat em all the time back in the day
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They used to have a monopoly on coffee in Quebec back in the day as well. Now they're nowhere to be found and we're left with Tim's inferior donuts :'(

Come back, DD, we love you!
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
WorldStar said:
that's not the first store

we used to have em up until 2002

i used to eat em all the time back in the day
Click to expand...

This isn't even the start of their comeback in California. There was already one at Camp Pendleton.
 
K

Korey

Member
I always wonder, where do these people who camp out in lines at night put their camping gear when the doors open? (for conventions, black friday, movies, etc)
 
W

WorldStar

Banned
TAJ said:
This isn't even the start of their comeback in California. There was already one at Camp Pendleton.
Click to expand...

yeah, so this thread is fail for multiple reasons

its not the first store ever in cali

and its not even the first store if you only count the comeback

lol
 
B

bounchfx

Member
maybe it's because I grew up on the east coast, or lived within 30 of these, but.... why the fuck would you ever do this? it's not even good!
ffff

/opinionslol
 
R

RBH

Member
D

DarkFlow

Banned
I guess after reading it's the first "traditional" store. Meaning it's not inside a hotel or on a base. Still a misleading title.
 
O

Oscar

Member
All of the Dunkin Donuts here in TX are basic as hell. They're like the 7-Eleven of donut shops, I'll take a local joint where a committed donut baker puts in work.
 
F

forgeforsaken

Member
acheron_xl said:
They're not that great. I was totally psyched when they started opening around here, but then came to realize that they're only so-so, and a bit overpriced. If you have access to a small, independent bakery, I can't imagine Dunkin will blow your socks off. If given a choice, KK is a superior option.
Click to expand...

They used to be better when the stores made the donuts at the shop. It's been some time since they've done that though.
 
L

lednerg

Member
Krispy Kreme are a one hit wonder. Dunkin isn't gourmet food or anything, but they get a lot of things right. The breakfast sandwiches are better than your typical McMuffin fare. The quality of their coffee depends on the franchisee and if they're skimping on the coffee grinds to save a buck. That's probably not going to be the case with these new shops in CA.
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
DarkFlow said:
I guess after reading it's the first "traditional" store. Meaning it's not inside a hotel or on a base. Still a misleading title.
Click to expand...

Camp Pendleton is basically open to the public so I don't see why it wouldn't count.
They're the only base in the county that doesn't check our IDs against a vendor list at the gate when we get there. They just check that you have a valid license and ask you where you're going. Someone at an event center there told me anyone can come to their brunches if they just show up and say "I'm going to Iron Mike's." I'm sure someone could just tell the gate guard "I want to get some Dunkin' Donuts.".
 
kutthoat5150

kutthoat5150

Member
It was packed at the one here in Modesto when it first opened a couple weeks ago but its died down plenty since then. Me and my friends made it a priority to visit the local donut gem the same day dunkin opened which coincidentally is right across the street.
 
Q

QP3

Member
Dammit, now all I want are some donut holes! Why OP!?
Being a New England native living in San Diego.
 
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