"america runs on dunkin" news and stories

Interesting map over at Bostonist. It shows the number of Dunkin' Donuts locations within a 5 mile radius of the downtown area. Seems that there are 50 of them! Of course, that was when this map was posted on April 26. I'm sure another dozen or so have opened up since then. It sort of gives you a comforting feeling, if you live in Boston. Not sure how many Starbucks locations there are.

Speaking of Dunkin Donuts, have you seen the new ad with Rachael Ray. Ugh. Are they trying to drive customers away? I don't need her to come up to the counter and order a bagel and coffee and give an insincere "delish" to get me to come in. I already like the place.

So I was drinking a nice hot cup of Dunkin' Donuts hot chocolate the other day (probably one of the last of the season as the damn temps keep going up and up), and I noticed their newish logo (on the right). It needs work.

I mean, I love the slogan, "America Runs On Dunkin'." It's not only catchy, but it firmly establishes DD's national presence very quickly. And the logo is a clever idea. But let's take a look at the four panels one by one and see if we can make the logo even better.

Other than the fact that the company was started here in 1950, of course.

When I was a kid growing up in New England, I thought that America had always run on Dunkin'. In my small world, I thought that there were Dunkin' Donuts shops all around the world, from Chelsea (in Massachusetts) to...well, Chelsea (in England). But it was more of a regional thing. The rapid expansion across the country didn't really start until the past five or 10 years. In fact, there still aren't that many Dunkin' Donut shops on the west coast.

This Boston Phoenix article tells how the company started and how it became such a big part of New England's blue collar community. Now they're putting their coffee in stores and going after the Starbucks and Krispy Kreme crowd too. Krispy Kreme isn't doing too well around here (let's face it, the donuts are overrated), while Starbucks is still opening around 300,000 new places a day and changing the look of their cafes. Let the coffee wars begin continue!

Have you ever had a food or drink item that hit the spot perfectly? Something that was the perfect thing at the perfect time? I had that yesterday.

For some reason I decided to take the train into Boston yesterday and walk around in 9 degree weather (and it was windy so the wind chill blah blah blah). It was, um, really cold, and by the end of the day my feet were killing me and my face, ears, and lungs had gotten a workout from the weather. And that's when I saw the Dunkin' Donuts at the train station when I arrived for my train. I thought to myself, "I gotta have a hot chocolate." I got a medium, and it was one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had. It was the true definition of "hitting the spot." It was quite an enjoyable train ride home.

The hot chocolate has an almost chocolate/vanilla taste. When you were a kid did you ever get a Hoodsie (that's chocolate and vanilla ice cream for you folks who haven't had one) and mix the two together so they were one and then eat it? That's what it tasted like, only hot. More chocolate for sure, but with a lighter flavor in the background And it's really creamy. I like it.

Should someone in a wheelchair be allowed to use the drive thru windows at fast food places and coffee shops?

That's the question in Weymouth, MA. Donald Hayes has to use a motorized wheelchair, and he used to go to his local Dunkin' Donuts every morning to get coffee at the drive thru window, but then the establishment stopped serving him, since he wasn't in a car. They cite safety concerns, and a spokesman says that they don't have a corporate policy regarding wheelchairs, even if it is a "motorized vehicle."

Hayes is thinking about suing the coffee and donut giant (and one lawyer says he has a case since the place isn't wheelchair accessible), but says what he really wants is to be able to get his coffee every morning at the window.

Readers, what do you think?