Dunkin’ Donuts Intensifies Westport “Coffee Wars”

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News

Monday, July 09, 2007

Jim Crain expects his new Westport Dunkin’ Donuts to be the upscale gem of his growing network of shops. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ed Kiersh for WestportNow.com
By Ed Kiersh

Hold on to your lattes because Dunkin’ Donuts is about to make Westport possibly coffee ground zero in the nation’s “coffee wars.”

The town’s already intense cappuccino conflict will take another competitive turn sometime in the next two weeks when Dunkin’ opens its latest coffee emporium across from Shaw’s supermarket on Post Road East.

But this new shop will not be just another ordinary Dunkin’ with 20 varieties of calorie busters and iced cappuchinos. This one, dubbed “2015,” will be definitely upscale with granite counters, Wi-Fi, supreme pizzas, and flatbread paninis.

Norwalk-based Cain Management Inc., the owner of 24 other Dunkin’ shops in Norwalk, New Canaan and the rest of Fairfield County, feels Westport is the ideal marketing site to test the revamped upscale version of these fast food donut bastions.

“After corporate tracking and our own traffic studies, we definitely feel Westport is a totally different trade area, a place to reach out to an evening audience and to market our new image,” said Jim Cain Jr., 28, Cain’s operating partner.

“We’re going to have satellite TV and radio, all part of our upscale look,” adds Cain, admiring the brown, yellow and white walls with images of outsize coffee cups and donuts.

“Coffee is the new battleground. McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, everyone is in on it, and we are getting ourselves on the map with this approach.”

Cain insists coffee is the lifeblood of his growing archipelago of sit-down shops. The Cains will open three more shops by year’s end.

There will be seven tables in the 606 Post Road store, a number that was arrived at after the Planning and Zoning Commission decided additional tables would have caused parking congestion outside.

The P&Z also turned down Cain’s request that it operate around-the-clock, but it will be open from early morning to late evening.

Cain maintains that such new offerings as bite-size hash browns and pepperoni pizzas will give the “America Runs on Dunkin’” brand an even greater jolt of adrenaline. Particularly in the evenings.

“We have been experimenting with ‘TurboChef technology,’ a system utilizing old-fashioned heat in a high-speed convection oven instead of a microwave that dries out the product with radiation,” said the confident Cain.

“I’m very excited by TurboChef, the 2015. It’s going to give this plaza much more buzz.”

His next door neighbors at Earth Animal, who have long been mystified by the plaza’s lack of a name (it’s actually Westport Country Estates, but a sign has yet to be installed), agreed that Dunkin’s arrival would spur added business.

Yet John, a sales person who refused to give his last name, said, “We’re concerned about the lack of parking. It’s already a problem.”

Westport Hardware’s owner Richard Velez was even more worried.

“It’s excellent that Dunkin’ Donuts will bring more business,” he said. “I’m just very alarmed about the traffic.

“With Mitchell’s and McDonalds nearby, there are already too many accidents on the Post Road with cars trying to get in and out of these plazas. Dunkin’ could easily cause more problems.”

Posted 07/09 at 12:23 AM

Comments: Comment Policy

A Dunkin Donuts? You mean, there’s an empty retail space in Westport that is NOT being filled by a bank? That’s hard to believe.

Posted by Jeff Gershowitz on July 09, 2007 at 05:15 PM | #

Don’t worry Jeff, I bet People’s or BoA will get a teller in there and an ATM.

Too bad it is on the wrong side of the Post Road to catch the morning commuters heading west/south.

Shall we wager on the over-under of them not making it? (I am in a sadistic mood).

Posted by Matt Murray on July 09, 2007 at 07:49 PM | #

Well this makes 3 Dunkin Donuts within 2 miles of each other,

Its almost as bad a StarBucks turning up everywhere.

ah where’s Devores bakery now.

Posted by Edward Bowers on July 09, 2007 at 10:32 PM | #

This is great...a Dunkin Donuts offering light lunches and WiFi, a nice place to hang out and meet friends and neighbors. Banks offer nothing to our community...I mean, who needs another checking account? There are already close to 30 banks in Westport. I’ll take another coffee joint any day!

Posted by Catherine Cote on July 10, 2007 at 10:59 AM | #

... not to forget about Great Cakes, or anything (still the best)

Posted by John Karrel on July 10, 2007 at 02:07 PM | #

No Starbucks or Dunkins can ever beat the best in town........Coffee An!

Posted by Wally Woods on July 13, 2007 at 11:09 AM | #

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