9/21/2004 05:52:36 PM|||Scott Lewis|||

Dunkin’ Donuts is banking on the theory that having thousands of commuters pass by your store twice a day is a good thing.

Kadar Sodagar will have the chance to find out when his new store opens today in the CTA station at 4800 W. Lake St. at Cicero. Sodagar’s store is one of five stores opening this month in CTA stations and another seven scheduled to break ground this fall.

“This is the first major concerted effort to open a significant number of Dunkin’ Donuts stores in CTA stations,” says Mike Lavigne, director of development for Dunkin’ Donuts. “The reasoning is simple—our product line is a good fit for their customers.

“Part of our decision to develop stores in CTA stations was driven by studies showing that more than 30 percent of breakfasts are eaten away from home--how much easier can we make it than by meeting customers on their way to work!” Lavigne said. “We actually hope to see CTA commuters twice a day in the CTA stores—once on their way in to work, and again on their way home,” Lavigne added.

“Quality concession areas help to anchor CTA stations in the surrounding neighborhoods," said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown. "We are pleased to partner with Dunkin’ Donuts to bring new investment into these communities.”

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|||110462367614312362|||Dunkin' Donuts seeks to sweeten the daily commute with a dozen new stores opening in CTA stations4/26/2005 3:40 PM|||Hugh|||>...said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown. "We are pleased to partner with Dunkin’ Donuts to bring new investment into these communities.”

I guess that was easiest for her. I'm sure it was easier for Chairman Brown to sign one master agreement with a multi-national corporation than it is to vette tenants in each neighborhood.

What the CTA is doing is not supporting investment in the neighborhoods, it is the opposite. It is treating the residents of Chicago as consumers. The DD franchise opportunities web site list opportunities in Chicago for investors with:

"$750K liquid /$1.5M net, Minimum 5 unit development."

You might think a coffee shop or donut shop might be an avenue out of poverty for some of my neighbors, but no. The deal with DD is not creating wealth in our neighborhoods, it is sucking cash out of our neighborhoods.

http://www.dunkin-baskin-togos.com/data_entry/AvailableMarket.asp?S=IL

Here in Chicago the taxpayers are paying to rehab the CTA stations, and it now appears that largely what we are doing is subsiding a build-out to suit a large multinational. I would love to know what kind of signing incentives Allied offered the CTA up front.

I don't know any of my neighbors who said, "Gee, what I would really like from my public transportation system is to be able to buy the exact same cup of over-priced weak coffee and the exact same fat pills, no matter which EL stop I am at."