DUNKIN' DONUTS; GOOD COFFEE, DECENT DONUTS
Written: Mar 09 '04 (Updated Dec 31 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Consistently good coffee
Cons: Not the best health choice place.
The Bottom Line: A Dunkin' Donuts is like an oasis, on a city or country road, after a long drive.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: Dunkin' Donuts |
We have a Dunkin' Donuts in our town and most towns around us. I have been going to them for years. At one time their menu was basically donuts and coffee. Over the years they have expanded because of competition and demand for different items.
We have been to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park Maine many many times. It takes us about ten hours. We know we are almost there when we pass the Dunkin Donuts in Elsworth. This is also where we would get our coffee for early leaves back home. We have done this over the last thirty five years. It's been that same dunkin donuts. Once again we know we are almost home when we pass the Dunkin' Donuts in Freeport NY.
THE FRANCHISE
Dunkin' Donuts is owned by Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants. Also controlled by this parent company are Togo's and Baskin-Robbins. I read on their site that "Dunkin' Donuts is the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, serving more than 2 million customers a day.
There are over 5,500 Dunkin' Donuts worldwide. In the U.S. there are approximately 4,000 Dunkin' Donuts locations in 39 states. Internationally, there are approximately 1,500 Dunkin' Donuts locations in 31 countries."
If you have about $450,000 to play with and a net worth of $900,000 plus some other details, you too can open one of these places. Wow!! $450,000, that's a lot of donuts.
Based on growth rate, financial strength and stability as some rating factors, Dunkin' Donuts ranks as #8 out of the Entrepreneur Top 500 ranked franchises. It moved up from a previous #24.
THE RESTAURANT
You can barely call these place a restaurant in that most of their business is takeaway. Most I know have about six to ten tables for two with chairs. Some have little booths Most have one or two children's high chairs.
Expect to see tile floors, fluorescent lighting, large paned windows letting in a lot of day light, and a walk up counter. The table are generally clean but many times there will be coffee rings and powdered sugar on one or two of them. There is no table service. Just go up to the counter, get your selections and grab a table. I have found that it is a rarity that I walk up to a DD counter and not find a line. They usually aren't long but they are to be expected.
The restrooms in most I have been to are clean and stocked. The fact is that I don't know what our local DD restrooms look like. When near home we don't eat at the place. This fine luxury is only done when on the road and rarely even then.
Dunkin' Donuts are usually found on busy streets and road junctions. Some parking lots are a good size, however I have to note that many more are small. It's the place for a quick cupa.... and a rest stop when on the road.
Everything is ordered off sign boards. There are more and more each year as the menu expands. Behind the counter is a display of donuts in labeled bins. The same can be said for the selections of bagels.
Both the bagels and donuts are made fresh every day.
DONUTS
Lets get to the donuts first. They used to be big and full off fillings. It seemed to me that the donuts started getting smaller and smaller and the filling less and less. I have seen them get larger and more full now that Krispy Kreme is in town.
Though the donuts aren't much more than batter and oil with some kind of sugar in, around, or on top of them, I have never had a full or bothered stomach from the stuff. They are tasty and the jelly and Bavarian Kreme are my favorites. They have a long list of choices. They are said to have 52 different selections. I cannot say I have ever seen that number in the stores I've been in, however their list is still impressive.
These are some selections I know of. Apple and spice, Bavarian Kreme, Chocolate Glazed, Boston Kreme, Glazed Donut, and my favorite the Jelly filled Donut. Others include the Strawberry Donut, French Cruller, Apple Friter, and Eclair. Most of these sell for about .79 while a couple of the special ones are a few cents more. In our area $3.99 gets you a half dozen or $5.99 for a dozen.
Munchkins
These little round balls, some filled with jellies, are the quick bite substitute for the regular donuts. These will be found at every religious social you may ever go to. At least it seems that way to me. These bite sized things are easy going down and disappear from a box very quickly. These are popular with kids and adults alike.
BAGELS
Though their bagels are not as good as our local bagel shop, they aren't bad either. They tend to be a bit doughy and chewy. I have also found that buying them late in the day means you may get one that's a bit hard too.
The Salsa bagel that they have in some stores is spicy and an excellent choice with chive flavoured cream cheese. Other bagels sold are the plain, sesame, poppy, and cinnamon raisin that happens to be the most popular in our household. Other choices are salt, everything, garlic, onion, sour dough and wheat bagels.
Different flavoured cream cheese selections are veggie, chive, strawberry and smoked salmon. These were pretty good but a bit on the sweet side.
These bagels with the toppings as they call the cream cheese, sell for $1.49 in the NY area. If you just had one with butter or jelly it's just $.89
Muffins and More
Muffins are available in a couple of different flavours too. Our place in Freeport NY has scones. Not all do. The scones are excellent. Great taste, favour, and texture. They really are a favorite for my wife and me. You must try the Maple Scone. It's really really good!!
Breakfast at DD's
Dunkin Donuts have hot breakfast choices like egg and cheese, $1.59 or add a meat like sausage and up the price to $2.59.
Other combos are listed on the walls. Two donuts and coffee at various sizes sell for $2.29, $2.57, and $2.85.
Breakfast sandwiches can also be shared with a coffee at $2.69, $2.97, and $3.25 I haven't tried these but my wife has. She has gone back for more.
Bagel with cream cheese and coffee combo's are for sale too. It's just about the same price as donut combos.
DA COUGHY
Da Coughy as some of us NYC and Long Island peeps call it, is good. It's the coffee that has kept me coming back to their franchises over and over. It was always consistently good. It does seem that recently it hasn't been quite the same, not as rich.
Their regular coffee offerings are Original Blend, Hazelnut, French Vanilla, and original decaf. These can also be purchased in whole bean form in pre-measured bags. These beans smell soooo good when you open them!
Today for the first time ever I tried a DD Cappuccino. As called in their lingo it's a Dunkaccino. It was EXCELLENT!! It had full rich flavour in every sip. I will also say that its temperature was extremely hot. I think too hot.
They also have other coffee like espresso and lattes. They advertise a Latte as "a lot like a cappuccino but with more steamed milk and a dolop of froth." These come in different sizes too.
MORE REFRESHMENTS
In the summer, sales of iced coffee go up as do the Pepsi Brand and Tropicana products that may be stocked in a self serve refrigerator. DD's offer Coolatta's too, another summer favorite, though I have never tried one.
Another relatively new way of serving their coffee is in the Cup O'Joe boxes. They will fill up one of these boxes with your favorite coffee and you are all set for a small group. It's very convenient and helps keep the coffee hot.
Also on sale are personal sized thermo mugs with the Dunkin' Donuts logo. I really like their coffee and the donuts are decent.
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Friendly's / Cold Stone Creamery / Dunkin' Donuts / Krispy Kreme / Ralph's Famous Ices / Baskin Robbins
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Recommended:
Yes
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