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Dunkin Donuts sells a lot of coffee. One does not have to buy their donuts to keep them in business.
I have lived in the bay area and yes there are more health conscious people than most of the country.
However there are people from all over the world as well as lots of tourists that don't share that mindset. And not every progressive in the bay area fits the stereotype of the folks in say Portlandia. I know that is Oregon but I have also lived in Portland and are a lot of similarties in people in both places.
Remember there are more than 7 million people in the bay area and even if 80% of the people would never touch a donut (which I would doubt) that still gives them 1.4 million potential customers. And I know a lot of health conscious people (including myself) who screw up from time to time.
Dunkin' Donuts opened up their store in Pasadena last year as just 'Dunkin'', seeing as people unfamiliar with the brand are confusing it with its roots as a Donut shop in Quincy MA. (Not quite Boston, albeit that is where corporate HQ is now). DD is far more than Donuts.
Most people from anywhere else in the country hear Dunkin' Donuts and think -coffee-. Which as others have mentioned here is about preference.
They have a variety of breakfast foods- 80% of which have healthier contents than Starbucks breakfast items. Nearly half the calories and sat. fat. Some vegetarian choices as well. Stuff called DD Smart Start which has a set amount of healthy criteria.
Dunkin' Donuts may have two issues in the Bay.
#1- They are a firm working class agency. While considered a triumphant brand with staunch loyalty- many people in SF would look down at spending less than $6 on a coffee, and see chains as an affront to their avant garde lifestyles. Going to DD is more functional than anything else.
#2 - DDs are Franchised. Which means that a franchise owner needs to crack the numbers to make Bay Area prices work, whereas many owners can earn more opening a store in other regions that are still available.
That said, they began their expansion in Los Angeles a few years back and have done very well. LA certainly has more New Yorkers though who are firm believers in the brand.
Dunkin' Donuts opened up their store in Pasadena last year as just 'Dunkin'', seeing as people unfamiliar with the brand are confusing it with its roots as a Donut shop in Quincy MA. (Not quite Boston, albeit that is where corporate HQ is now). DD is far more than Donuts.
Most people from anywhere else in the country hear Dunkin' Donuts and think -coffee-. Which as others have mentioned here is about preference.
They have a variety of breakfast foods- 80% of which have healthier contents than Starbucks breakfast items. Nearly half the calories and sat. fat. Some vegetarian choices as well. Stuff called DD Smart Start which has a set amount of healthy criteria.
Dunkin' Donuts may have two issues in the Bay.
#1- They are a firm working class agency. While considered a triumphant brand with staunch loyalty- many people in SF would look down at spending less than $6 on a coffee, and see chains as an affront to their avant garde lifestyles. Going to DD is more functional than anything else.
#2 - DDs are Franchised. Which means that a franchise owner needs to crack the numbers to make Bay Area prices work, whereas many owners can earn more opening a store in other regions that are still available.
That said, they began their expansion in Los Angeles a few years back and have done very well. LA certainly has more New Yorkers though who are firm believers in the brand.
I moved to San Jose from the Austin area previously. One of the things that immediately struck me was the high concentration of donut shops compared to Texas (more specifically the Austin and Dallas metros). I am back in the Dallas area now, specifically the northern suburbs, and the concentration of donut shops in the San Jose area is much higher than where I am at now. I had worked in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, and San Francisco, and don't recall paying too much attention to donut shops (as I don't typically visit them).
Some people said the health-conscious attitude of SF bay area will undermine potential for a donut shop.
If the donut sellers would simply put up a sign saying these donuts were found in the streets in the tent cities growing there, obviously "deposited" just last night and so still "fresh", among all the other things left by the tent city dwellers....
....then San Franciscans would gladly accept them, just as they accept all the other things in the tent cities, and make no effort to get them out.
If the donuts aren't selling well enough to keep the lights on, they could always rent out the booths. They'd likely get $1850 a month for a two-seater in downtown.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Quote:
Originally Posted by City Guy997S
KK had huge growth funded by the IPO/stock gain. It faded fast when the accounting scandal broke the following year. Lots of stores closed in the next few years.
It is hard to pay rent when your product is cheap and limited menu (both in time span popularity and offerings).
Yeah I know they had this huge splash then big fizzle, but some stores are still open to this day so they must be doing ok still.
When I was in San Fran I wouldn't have bought them. Not for the health aspect, but because that area has a lot of really good bakeries with unique offerings and I would eat there.
Places like Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, etc. are usually more for locals and local working people then for tourists.
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