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Photo by Toby Srebnik |
As
a South Beach foodie-who-writes, I adore sitting back and
watching my electronic mailbox fill with invites to glitzy media
dinners, so many that I’ve become blasé — even the recent
opening of DeVito’s South Beach, presided over by Danny DeVito
himself, failed to raise my pulse rate (although devouring the
trays of delicious hors d’oeuvres probably did raise my
cholesterol). With so much fancy food, drink and
celebrity-gazing right here on South Beach, it’s impossible for
any food event, no matter how tempting, to lure me to the
mainland.
That was
true until a few days ago, when I clicked open my latest e-vite,
revealing instantly recognizable hot pink and orange balloon
letters. Yep — what lured me across the MacArthur Causeway onto
U.S. 1 (during rush hour, no less) was the grand opening of a
Dunkin’ Donuts! But this was not just any Dunkin’ Donuts — this
was billed as the “Dunkin’ Donuts of the Future.”
So, I’ve
seen the future, and it nestles between a Mattress Giant and a
Jenny Craig, in the Grove Station Shops at 2720 S. Dixie
Highway. This Dunkin’ Donuts is chocolate brown with a burgundy
awning. Inside, hanging lamps softly glow in Dunkin’ Donuts
colors of pink, gold and orange. Every inch of the place is
covered in color, including sunshine yellow walls decorated with
huge illustrations of donuts. Upbeat music plays constantly, and
there’s free WiFi. This Dunkin’ Donuts location is unlike any
other, says Fred Guttenberg, who owns it, along with five other
Miami-area franchises, with Fresco Development Group partners
Andrew Faber and Scott Ball. “There are a few larger
free-standing ones, but we’re showing that this can be done in
1,000 square feet, in a shopping plaza, have a new look and
offer new products.
Indeed,
at this Dunkin’ Donuts of the Future, croissant sandwiches no
longer play second fiddle to the donuts and coffee. Shiny ovens
turn out little round pizzas, steaming hot cheese-stuffed
flatbreads and other new products designed to make this Dunkin’
Donuts a full-service, all-meal eatery. “There is less of an
emphasis on donuts and more on the beverages and the other
product openings,” added Faber.
It all
came about when the trio went to a Dunkin’ Donuts convention
last year and heard the new look explained. Faber turned to his
partners and exclaimed, “That’s going to be in Coconut Grove.”
The store closed in April for renovations, reopening last
Tuesday. Eventually, all Dunkin’ Donut shops in America will
look like this, but the process will be gradual, as new stores
are built and old ones remodeled, he added.
Ball
emphasized that he’s not in competition with that “other” place
— Starbucks. “We believe we provide a better experience than the
Green Box,” he said. “Starbucks helped Dunkin’ Donuts; they
created a coffee culture. But Starbucks has a unique, upscale
demographic. Dunkin Donuts is for the average American, the
Average Joe. You know our slogan — ‘America runs on Dunkin’!” he
added.
I left
toting my VIP bag. Unlike the one I was given at Nicky Hilton’s
South Beach condo/hotel party last year (remember the
short-lived Nicky O’s?), which contained a discount card for a
private jet flight, this one held a Dunkin’ Donuts baseball cap,
a Dunkin’ Donuts travel cup, a few coupons and — at my request —
a dozen donuts, which I offered to take the next morning for a
taste test to my favorite South Beach Starbucks, at Ninth and
West. True to Scott Ball’s prediction, Starbucks people and
Dunkin’ Donuts people are very different. At Starbucks, I had
few takers. Yet every worker in my building eagerly gobbled up
my proffered donuts. Yep, America does run on Dunkin’, even if
it listens to jazz at Starbucks.
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