dunkin donuts coming to the highlands area

[Robin Garr]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17285&p=132118&hilit=dunkin#p132118

Mmmm...donuts...

This morning at 5:00 AM, the Dunkin Doughnuts on Bardstown Rd. opened. For those of us from the "East" it is nice to have a familiar place to get our sugar calories. They are open till 11:00 PM and there is a drive thru for those wanting a faster experience on the way to work or home.

The local FRANCHISEE doesn't have their own FB page but they do have a local Twitter Account: @LouisvilleDunks. The Franchisee is a native of Metro Louisville and moved back from Paducah to get this store along with her husband. Tasha also found an old high school friend with experience in food service to be the General Manager.

Stop in and tell them hello and welcome to the local food scene.

I have already asked for chocolate cream filling and maple iced raised doughnuts instead of cake ones. They have indicated a great willingness to respond to customer needs and desires. Don't be bashful, ask.

I have been under the impression that Thornton Oil had the DD rights in Louisville as they have had them in their C-stores for years. I realize this is a free-standing store but what will be any different about the donuts?

I can't speak about the donuts but the coffee will probably be much better. The DD coffee at Thornton's is awful and tastes nothing like DD coffee from up north. I'm betting it's the brewing process. They probably don't do training at a gas station the way they will at the DD location.

You know they are a "chain" with 10K stores in 32 countries, including stores in the much hated "Walmart". Another evil corporation gets a toe-hold on Bardstown Road.

To my understanding, Thornton's does not own an exclusive franchise for the area. DD sued them a while back and won back the rights to provide a franchise for stand alone stores (after some waiting period which seems to have expired). Not 100% sure on that.

Stand alone DD use the Tim Horton's "made fresh" model. The doughnuts are made in small batches through out the day instead of in an overnight batch so they are fresher (though they use frozen dough as the basis, so...). They are cooked, glazed, frosted, filled, topped etc. at each store as needed to meet demand. DD claims customers were unable to tell the difference between the made from scratch donuts and the premade frozen donuts, but I unfortunately wasn't asked to participate so I can't say. I can say that they have to be better than the made in a commissary and shipped to stores to sit all day long doughnuts currently peddled by Thornton's. I can say I like Tim Horton's doughnuts and they are also frozen and this model allows for a lot of customization by the individual stores.

Also, a typical DD offers a wide variety of muffins, bagels, sandwiches, cookies etc. not found in Thortons as well as very good fresh brewed coffee and coffee drinks.

A stand alone DD won't be as good as a top notch local bakery, but should be head and shoulders above what you find here today with the DD name on it. I read somewhere that DD is requiring franchisees to commit to opening a minimum of 5 stores. Wonder where the others will go.....

I haven't had better coffee from a fast food joint than DD.

To my understanding, Thornton's does not own an exclusive franchise for the area. DD sued them a while back and won back the rights to provide a franchise for stand alone stores (after some waiting period which seems to have expired). Not 100% sure on that.

That's the way I've heard the story... Thornton's was of the opinion that they had all the franchise rights. DD had a different opinion. Couple of lawsuits later and DD was able to sell the free standing rights.

I've heard rumblings in the real estate world of the additional locations. But I don't want to post something that isn't solid yet.