Boston’s only kosher Dunkin’ Donuts closes tonight
Staff at the kosher Dunkin’ Donuts in Brookline’s Washington Square informed customers today that they’d be shutting their doors at end of business — no reason given.
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18 comments
29 October 2007
Yehuda
+0
Lease expired and rent went up. Nothing to do with Kashrut. To the credit of the ownership, staff were reassigned to other D&D locations also under the management of the franchise owner. One interesting piece of this is that at least one of the employees at the kosher D&D worked there (in part) because she didn’t want to handle the pig products served elsewhere (sausage, ham, etc.) Apparently she has been told that she will be allowed to work the register exclusively at her new workplace.
29 October 2007
zev
+0
The reason given or otherwise is rather obvious. Were the Kosher Franchise making any real money he would have opened elsewhere and made a go at it. The fact of the matter is that once again we prove that we cannot properly support our Kosher Establishments.
29 October 2007
sp
+0
zev, it doesn’t say he wasn’t making a profit, but it could be he wasn’t making enough of a profit on that store.
If I can make an average of 100k profit on a non kosher store, and 75K on a kosher store, I might have the kosher store, as it serves a captive market, and I might be satisfied if my non kosher store brought in that amount of money (albiet with possibly less business). but if that profit would drop to 50k do to rent increases, then it might be better to just open another non kosher store.
29 October 2007
Jacob
+0
Do other Dunkin Donuts really do more business per square foot? (Though I guess you have to take the cost of the hashkafah off the top line.) That place was always packed. I’m not sure the community could have “supported” the establishment much more.
29 October 2007
Gary
+0
Plenty of Krispy Kreme stores have closed recently too. Americans are wanting to eat healthier.
29 October 2007
Hana
+0
Don’t forget what the Brookline Consrtucion did in contributing to the downfall of this Dunkin Donuts! It is pathetic that we no longer have a Kosher establishment as such in this area!
Certainly fewer Jelly Donuts for Chanukah now.
29 October 2007
Dani B.
+0
I just called in and complained about the store closing. The women was very understanding and knew exactly what I was calling about when I said I wanted to complain about a store closing. I suggest as many people as possible should call in. The number is (617) 464-3796. Press 0 to speak to an operator and say that you would like to make a complaint about the store closing at 1671 Beacon Street. She said I was the first person to call in.
29 October 2007
Newtonian
+0
While I admit that a bad kosher donut store is better than no kosher donut store, I do think it’s worth pointing out that this wasn’t a very good store. Whenever I’ve been there I’ve been disgusted by the sanitary conditions, and on my last visit at 11:45am on a Sunday they were basically out of donuts, had a half dozen bagels total, some coconut Munchkins and some muffins. When I asked about getting in more, they said that was it for the day.
Krispy Kreme is a bigger loss imho…always a very pleasurable experience.
Since this was the choice of the franchiser, and not some dictum from Dunkin’ Corporate, I doubt complaints will have much effect. Instead, someone in our community could take advantage of the opportunity this creates and open a new donut store.
Gary’s advice, though, is important. People aren’t eating as many donuts as they used to. Health concerns may or may not be at the heart of it, but the real draw of a donut shop is now the beverages and the more substantive menu options, as exemplified by the changing menus at non-kosher Dunkin’ Donuts locations. We’re seeing more interesting drinks like lattes, smoothies, and iced tea, and wider varieties of food like flatbread sandwiches and pizza.
Another critical factor in the success of any Dunkin’ Donuts-style eatery is a drive-thru window. Since moving to Brookline, I’ve rarely gone to any Dunkin’ Donuts since it’s so hard to park near one, and there are no drive-thrus. Construction or not, Washington Square is not conducive to an in-and-out coffee run.
29 October 2007
David
+0
If I remember correctly, the owner of J.P. Licks planned to convert ALL of his stores to non-kosher. Someone (who?) intervened and asked the owner to poll his clientele. As a result, the owner converted only the one in Jamaica Plains.
I’m unsure if a parallel situation applies here. But perhaps if our community were given notice of the potential closing then we would have increased our purchasing power there.
One more note regarding drive-thrus… they’re necessary because Dunkin’ Donuts has specifically moved away from the traditional “coffee shop” model, where you sit at a counter and enjoy a little conversation over a cup of coffee. Starbucks, on the other hand, has embraced the sit-and-stay-a-while mentality, making most of their stores spacious and comfortable. That renders an in-and-out drive-thru less relevant (and also takes the sting out of paying $5 for a coffee).
29 October 2007
Ari
+0
My understanding is that the Jamaica Plains J.P. Licks is still kosher (under supervision). Only the new location in Mission Hill is not under supervision so that they can serve various non-kosher sandwiches…
There were a bunch a kosher DD’s in the Wash DC suburbs of Maryland. Owner of the franchises said that corporate forced him to switch to non kosher but really it was a matter of him not making enough. You figure someone comes in and buys a whole DD meal with bacon, eggs etc and spends $5 vs kosher only stores selling 50c donuts.
30 October 2007
LC
+0
As much as I’m disappointed that a kosher establishment closed, it was not chalav yisroel in any case, and we therefore did not go in.
*I’m* still pining for the day that we’re near one of the 2 (or so I’ve heard) nationwide chalav yisroel Dunkin Donuts.
Someone *should* open a new bakery/coffeeshop around here, preferably chalav yisroel or all pareve, with hashgacha other than the Vaad.
I suspect that dunkin donuts are never going to go chalav yisrael since all stores make their donuts from the same batter for consistency of taste.
30 October 2007
DeisCane
+0
What’s wrong with the Vaad?
1 November 2007
Ori
+0
The Dunkin Donuts mixes are made with powdered milk (chalav stam) and, according to some opinions, powdered milk has a different status than regular milk (Rav Zvi Pesach Frank comes to mind, although I believe his heter was only for a time of great need) . So as long as the other ingredients added in the store (or, I guess, the milk that they use therein) is CY - some people who are makpid on CY will eat there. In Baltimore the 2 kosher DDs have a sign that state that the donuts mixes are made with powdered milk.
Lease expired and rent went up. Nothing to do with Kashrut. To the credit of the ownership, staff were reassigned to other D&D locations also under the management of the franchise owner. One interesting piece of this is that at least one of the employees at the kosher D&D worked there (in part) because she didn’t want to handle the pig products served elsewhere (sausage, ham, etc.) Apparently she has been told that she will be allowed to work the register exclusively at her new workplace.
The reason given or otherwise is rather obvious. Were the Kosher Franchise making any real money he would have opened elsewhere and made a go at it. The fact of the matter is that once again we prove that we cannot properly support our Kosher Establishments.
zev, it doesn’t say he wasn’t making a profit, but it could be he wasn’t making enough of a profit on that store.
If I can make an average of 100k profit on a non kosher store, and 75K on a kosher store, I might have the kosher store, as it serves a captive market, and I might be satisfied if my non kosher store brought in that amount of money (albiet with possibly less business). but if that profit would drop to 50k do to rent increases, then it might be better to just open another non kosher store.
Do other Dunkin Donuts really do more business per square foot? (Though I guess you have to take the cost of the hashkafah off the top line.) That place was always packed. I’m not sure the community could have “supported” the establishment much more.
Plenty of Krispy Kreme stores have closed recently too. Americans are wanting to eat healthier.
Don’t forget what the Brookline Consrtucion did in contributing to the downfall of this Dunkin Donuts! It is pathetic that we no longer have a Kosher establishment as such in this area!
Certainly fewer Jelly Donuts for Chanukah now.
I just called in and complained about the store closing. The women was very understanding and knew exactly what I was calling about when I said I wanted to complain about a store closing. I suggest as many people as possible should call in. The number is (617) 464-3796. Press 0 to speak to an operator and say that you would like to make a complaint about the store closing at 1671 Beacon Street. She said I was the first person to call in.
While I admit that a bad kosher donut store is better than no kosher donut store, I do think it’s worth pointing out that this wasn’t a very good store. Whenever I’ve been there I’ve been disgusted by the sanitary conditions, and on my last visit at 11:45am on a Sunday they were basically out of donuts, had a half dozen bagels total, some coconut Munchkins and some muffins. When I asked about getting in more, they said that was it for the day.
Krispy Kreme is a bigger loss imho…always a very pleasurable experience.
Since this was the choice of the franchiser, and not some dictum from Dunkin’ Corporate, I doubt complaints will have much effect. Instead, someone in our community could take advantage of the opportunity this creates and open a new donut store.
Gary’s advice, though, is important. People aren’t eating as many donuts as they used to. Health concerns may or may not be at the heart of it, but the real draw of a donut shop is now the beverages and the more substantive menu options, as exemplified by the changing menus at non-kosher Dunkin’ Donuts locations. We’re seeing more interesting drinks like lattes, smoothies, and iced tea, and wider varieties of food like flatbread sandwiches and pizza.
Another critical factor in the success of any Dunkin’ Donuts-style eatery is a drive-thru window. Since moving to Brookline, I’ve rarely gone to any Dunkin’ Donuts since it’s so hard to park near one, and there are no drive-thrus. Construction or not, Washington Square is not conducive to an in-and-out coffee run.
If I remember correctly, the owner of J.P. Licks planned to convert ALL of his stores to non-kosher. Someone (who?) intervened and asked the owner to poll his clientele. As a result, the owner converted only the one in Jamaica Plains.
I’m unsure if a parallel situation applies here. But perhaps if our community were given notice of the potential closing then we would have increased our purchasing power there.
One more note regarding drive-thrus… they’re necessary because Dunkin’ Donuts has specifically moved away from the traditional “coffee shop” model, where you sit at a counter and enjoy a little conversation over a cup of coffee. Starbucks, on the other hand, has embraced the sit-and-stay-a-while mentality, making most of their stores spacious and comfortable. That renders an in-and-out drive-thru less relevant (and also takes the sting out of paying $5 for a coffee).
My understanding is that the Jamaica Plains J.P. Licks is still kosher (under supervision). Only the new location in Mission Hill is not under supervision so that they can serve various non-kosher sandwiches…
There were a bunch a kosher DD’s in the Wash DC suburbs of Maryland. Owner of the franchises said that corporate forced him to switch to non kosher but really it was a matter of him not making enough. You figure someone comes in and buys a whole DD meal with bacon, eggs etc and spends $5 vs kosher only stores selling 50c donuts.
As much as I’m disappointed that a kosher establishment closed, it was not chalav yisroel in any case, and we therefore did not go in.
*I’m* still pining for the day that we’re near one of the 2 (or so I’ve heard) nationwide chalav yisroel Dunkin Donuts.
Someone *should* open a new bakery/coffeeshop around here, preferably chalav yisroel or all pareve, with hashgacha other than the Vaad.
I suspect that dunkin donuts are never going to go chalav yisrael since all stores make their donuts from the same batter for consistency of taste.
What’s wrong with the Vaad?
The Dunkin Donuts mixes are made with powdered milk (chalav stam) and, according to some opinions, powdered milk has a different status than regular milk (Rav Zvi Pesach Frank comes to mind, although I believe his heter was only for a time of great need) . So as long as the other ingredients added in the store (or, I guess, the milk that they use therein) is CY - some people who are makpid on CY will eat there. In Baltimore the 2 kosher DDs have a sign that state that the donuts mixes are made with powdered milk.
article about new kosher staten island dunkin donuts
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a782/News/New_York.html