Dunkin Donuts Grand Re-Opening Today!

I got the call from Ellen at about 10:30, seeing if I was going to want coffee later, and if so would I want to hit the Dunkin Donuts that was re-opening today? Well I always need coffee - it's one of the few vices you get to keep as you approach middle age. Besides, I had to see what the new Dunkin Donuts would be like. They shut everything down months ago, shrouded in secrecy. They announced they would be back, in some new incarnation.... some day. It was all very weird. I had a strange feeling I'd show up and there would be masonic symbols on the walls and all of the employees would be wearing special rings and perhaps they'd try to get me to take their personality test... Instead, what we saw was largely a mimic of several other successful American food brands. For starters, like Kentucky Fried-in-so-much-damned-grease-you-won't-believe-that-crap-is-really Chicken, you can see them trying to switch over to an acronym ("DD") rather than actually saying, "Dunkin Donuts." So instead of a name that makes people think of donuts, "DD" is going to make them think of large breasts. Along that same vein, like McDonald's, they are including items in their menu that have never been associated with donuts and coffee. "DD" now also sells fancy sandwiches, and they have a real coffee station - not just the metal tin of coffee, brewed in 5 gallon at a time vats like they used to be. I myself got a large iced coffee. I was actually asked how I wanted it - a rarity these days, as you are forced to take it like they make it - and had it with cream. Finally, they are definitely shooting for the coffee house market, and do a lot of what Starbuck's does: Arty murals, the aforementioned barista station... I thought it was weird that they didn't put in the comfy couches, as I thought that would have been a natural for chasing Starbuck's. Perhaps that just wasn't done at the location I went to. It will be interesting to find out if they put in free wi-fi - if so, they stand a good chance of becoming the popular hotspot they're hoping to. They do still have donuts, mind you. I got a dozen for the office, telling the girl, "give me one of everything that's actually a donut." That way, I don't get muffins, I get a wide selection, and I don't stand there for an hour and a half saying "uh" between every donut choice. Because with their grand opening, there was a LONG LINE. And anyone who has the audacity to order a dozen of anything, and take their time despite all the people behind them, really, truly, needs to be killed. Anyway, give them a look and tell me what you think. It may be a bit of a generic look, perhaps not as "bold" as shutting down for several months to rebrand would suggest, but it is definitely an interesting direction they're taking. Though I will always think of the 1970s Dunkin Donuts as the way they should be. Dennis Leary and me will probably be the only ones who feel this way, but there it is. [I should point out there's swearing in the above Dennis Leary clip, but we're all grown-ups, right?]

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)

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