Dunkin Donuts and Rhode Island

[menton1]

It seems that a previous thread (now locked) was playing up the conjoinment of Dunkin Donuts and Rhode Island-- I know there is a stadium that bears the name in Providence (Mainly a result of a large outlay of cash) and that these DD stands are ubiquitous throughout the state;

However, Dunkin Donuts were started in Boston, Mass in the early 1950s... there are actually more DD per capita in New Jersey than in RI. And lastly, a corporate name on a stadium means little other than advertising-- Continental Airlines, a Houston-based carrier, has an arena in New Jersey... So the DD and RI connection is mostly a myth, I feel. Being in 36 states (according to their AR), indulging in DD is hardly a RI experience...

Actually, if you are talking regular coffee, Dunkin Donuts makes a pretty damn good cup of Joe. They have a rather large office coffee bean delivery side business and they seem to be rather quality oriented in the stuff that I have sampled from offices that use them.

I do not agree. i have almost never had a decent cup of coffee in any DD; it is very, very weak. Their whole bean coffee is fairly tasteless as well. I prefer the Starbucks ilk of coffee. I know lots of folks swear by the coffee at DD, but they just like very weak coffee, in my opinion. No gusto, little flavor. (Their bagels suck, too!)

[Chris Amirault]

Not sure what you're arguing with here, menton1. Comparing Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts is like comparing Taco Bell to Chili's: two different things entirely. DD's roast is quite intentionally much lighter than Starbucks.

In my foodblog (a "previous thread, now locked"), much to Daddy-A's horror, I drank an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts; Jason replied to say it isn't so bad for big corporate coffee. I posted a short agreement with him, saying,

Besides, not drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee will get you tossed out of the state. Just like trying to get sauerkraut on your weiner.

Joke-making, and not myth-making, going on there, dude.

[birder53]

My nephew is currently attending Northeastern in Boston. He grew up in Valley Stream, NY and spent much of his highschool days gadding about NYC. On a recent visit and walking tour with him, he stated that DD was the official coffee of Boston and the natives do not like Starbucks. He is a Starbucks fan, as am I. However, the three Starbucks we passed during our walk were filled to the gills! I haven't encountered lines like that at any other Starbucks. Either the good folks of Boston are changing their tune or all the out-of-towners were filling up on Starbucks. Since DD started in Rhode Island, is this some kind of a New England thing to prefer DD to Starbucks? Personally, I've never had a decent cup of coffee from DD. I guess it's a good thing that both places have opened up all around to give more of us a choice.

I did notice on my trip to Maine this year that you cannot find Starbucks north of Freeport. We did manage to find good coffee at the Northport Landing Gallery on Rt. 1 between Camden and Belfast. If I had wanted to, I could have gotten DD north of Freeport.

[menton1]

I did notice on my trip to Maine this year that you cannot find Starbucks north of Freeport.  We did manage to find good coffee at the Northport Landing Gallery on Rt. 1 between Camden and Belfast.  If I had wanted to, I could have gotten DD north of Freeport.

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According to starbucks.com, there are locations in Waterville, Me and Bangor, Me, both well north of Freeport. But yes, Starbucks is very fussy about opening a location and has careful demographic requirements for their stores. In the very rural areas of Maine, it's doubtful that they would ever open a Starbucks.

As far as being the "Official" coffee of Boston, that sounds like there was money involved. Thats about all the word "official" usually means in those cases.

[Chris Amirault]

I think that people mean "official" in the colloquial sense. For example, Tim Horton's is getting driven out of RI, and Bess Eaton too, because of many Rhode Islanders' devotion to DD. It's not like NYC where there's a significant culture of independent coffee shops serving takeaway coffee in those blue and white "Greek" cups. In most doctors' waiting rooms, at the dept of motor vehicles, in cubicles throughout downtown -- most folks not only drink DD coffee but see it as an affiliative gesture with others who do.

[menton1]

No, it's hardly just a colloquial adjective. It's all about writing a big check. There are tons of "Official" products for the Olympics. Texaco is the "Official" oil co, Visa is the official Credit Card, and Coke is the official beverage of the Olympics. Means zero. Advertising hype. And big payoffs. Nothing to do with quality or popularity.

DD has written a lot of checks in Rhode Island, starting with the stadium in downtown Providence. But, as I mentioned, DD is in 36 states and hardly a RI phenomenon. And there are more DDs per capita in New Jersey than in RI, and, although popular, they are more of a place that you see and stop impulsively at rather than a destination. Starbucks is after a different customer, and part of the Starbucks MO is that their customers intentionally seek their locations. Those doctor's offices would make a far better impression on their patients if they served Starbucks, believe me.

[Chris Amirault]

I think that people mean "official" in the colloquial sense.

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No, it's hardly just a colloquial adjective.  It's all about writing a big check.  There are tons of "Official" products for the Olympics.  Texaco is the "Official" oil co, Visa is the official Credit Card, and Coke is the official beverage of the Olympics.  Means zero.  Advertising hype.  And big payoffs. Nothing to do with quality or popularity.

DD has written a lot of checks in Rhode Island, starting with the stadium in downtown Providence.  But, as I mentioned, DD is in 36 states and hardly a RI phenomenon.  And there are more DDs per capita in New Jersey than in RI, and, although popular, they are more of a place that you see and stop impulsively at rather than a destination.  Starbucks is after a different customer, and part of the Starbucks MO is that their customers intentionally seek their locations.  Those doctor's offices would make a far better impression on their patients if they served Starbucks, believe me.

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menton1, you misread me. I didn't say that "official" was only a colloquial adjective, as you claim. I was trying to say that I think the term is meant colloquially in this discussion by many of us. It certainly is by me. Of course, you are absolutely right that corporations pay big bucks to be named the official sponsors of things (though, if the ProJo was right, DD had to be pressured into supporting the money pit that is the Civic Center, and the naming was inadequate compensation for same, but I digress). That's not what I was talking about.

I was talking about the ways in which many Rhode Islanders identify as "Dunkin Donuts coffee drinkers." This may happen in other states, too (though what you write here seems to suggest otherwise), but it certainly happens here. A few years ago, the ProJo reported that more drive-through purchases were made at DD in the state of RI than at all other fast food restaurants combined. That sense of affiliation with a brand, to the point of ritualizing it into daily habit via the drive-through, is what I meant by "official." That doesn't mean it's exclusively a RI phenomenon -- but no one is claiming that.

I don't know what your doctor's office is like, but mine never serves any coffee! I was talking about the coffee that people bring in.

Finally, I guess we'll have to disagree about the impression you cite: most typical Rhode Islanders I know would spit out a heavily roasted Starbucks -- and choke on the price to boot!

[OwnReward]

OOH, I just love a discussion of specific generalities...

For my two centes: Dunkin for iced coffee (with cream), starbucks for coffee that I can drink black with no need for lightener and sweetener. Price-- who worrys over the difference...as long as it's under two bucks for a cuppa, I'm fine...the other concotions are dessert, not the morning kick in the pants

Along with the 'official' debate, who decided that a "regular coffee" means with cream and sugar?

And to add amother element: Anyone try the nw McDonalds coffee? where does it fall in the spectrum?

Karen

[birder53]

I just want to clarify on my statement about DD being the "official" coffee of Boston. My nephew was just making an observation based on what he has seen in the 2 1/2 years he has been living there. I 'm sorry if it came across as Boston having a deal with DD to make it an official coffee for the town.

[menton1]

Finally, I guess we'll have to disagree about the impression you cite: most typical Rhode Islanders I know would spit out a heavily roasted Starbucks -- and choke on the price to boot! 

A/ Unless you have done a scientific survey, you would have no real way of knowing what "most" Rhode Islanders prefer;

B/ 12 oz coffee at Dunkin Donuts: $1.53

12 oz coffee at Starbucks: $1.50

Obviously, price is not an issue...

[Chris Amirault]

Uncle.

[Mitchell]

I think that people mean "official" in the colloquial sense. For example, Tim Horton's is getting driven out of RI, and Bess Eaton too, because of many Rhode Islanders' devotion to DD.

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During last weekend's visit to Rhode Island, I was surprised to see so many Tim Hortons. I had seen a few in Maine, but there are none in NH or VT.

Wonder why??

I like both Dunkin' and Starbucks coffee. I just use little cream in DD and quite light with Starbucks.

I haven't tried the "new" McDonalds. McD's coffee wasn't bad before the switch. Several years ago, it was undrinkable.

[menton1]

During last weekend's visit to Rhode Island, I was surprised to see so many Tim Hortons. I had seen a few in Maine, but there are none in NH or VT.

Wonder why??

Tim Horton's is owned by Wendy's. It seems that Tim Horton was a well-known pro hockey player in Canada, and the chain used to be called "Bess Eatons". TH does have over 2,000 stores in Canada. I suppose Bess Eaton had no stores in NH or VT when the chain was sold to TH. TH does seem to be holding their own in RI with Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops, according to their AR.

[OwnReward]

During last weekend's visit to Rhode Island, I was surprised to see so many Tim Hortons. I had seen a few in Maine, but there are none in NH or VT.

Wonder why??

Tim Horton's is owned by Wendy's. It seems that Tim Horton was a well-known pro hockey player in Canada, and the chain used to be called "Bess Eatons". TH does have over 2,000 stores in Canada. I suppose Bess Eaton had no stores in NH or VT when the chain was sold to TH. TH does seem to be holding their own in RI with Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops, according to their AR.

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Tim Horton's bought out the bankrupt Bess Easton, which was originally based in Westerly RI. A unique small coffee/donut chain that had assorted Bible verses imprinted on their cups. A nice idea if you are at the Sunday Morning coffee hour after church, but not on my coffee cup.

[Jason Perlow]

I do not agree. i have almost never had a decent cup of coffee in any DD; it is very, very weak. Their whole bean coffee is fairly tasteless as well. I prefer the Starbucks ilk of coffee. I know lots of folks swear by the coffee at DD, but they just like very weak coffee, in my opinion. No gusto, little flavor. (Their bagels suck, too!)

To each his own. I don't like Starbucks coffee for the most part because they over roast it to the point where you get the nastiest burnt aftertaste and you pretty much need to have some sort of latte to mellow it out -- I mean, you can't really get a regular American-style cup of coffee over there. Sometimes you just want a donut and a regular cup of coffee -- and I don't consider a diluted shot of their extreme-espresso roast with some milk added an American coffee. I want Bunn-O-Matic.

That being said I tried one of the seasonal holiday flavors of Starbucks yesterday - they have Egg Nog, Gingerbread, and Peppermint. I tried the Egg Nog latte with a double shot -- not bad at all. If you get the Egg Nog one, they use actual Rosenberger's (click) Egg Nog, right from the quart container, and mix it with the latte milk. The gingerbread flavor is just some kind of artificial syrup, as is the peppermint.

Next time though, I think I'll get the egg nog latte with Chai (which they offer), so I can avoid their coffee entirely. But I'll feel extremely gay doing it.