Reportor Nancy Crevier from Connecticut’s Newtown Bee describes a phenomenon taking place at the local Dunkin’ Donuts. Groups of people are choosing the restaurant to gather and start their days. From a group of young mothers to the town’s senior citizens, Newtown citizens are meeting at the Dunkin’ Donuts for more than just coffee and breakfast.
The work place offers a certain sense of familiarity, and home is where the heart is, but sometimes another space offers the comfort and camaraderie beyond what is found in either work or home. Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, in his book The Great Good Place, refers to such a gathering spot as a “third place.” Sometimes it is a place of peace and quiet, sometimes very social, music and games adding to the conviviality of the place. It might be a place to read or write in solitude or the kind of joint where a warm smile and a soft-spoken word accompany the service.
This series of occasional feature stories about such places, which we will call “Regulars,” will take a look at the gathering places of Newtown, and what makes them special to the people on either side of the counter. Because it is a place where so many people start their day, this series will start with a familiar establishment tucked into the corner of the Queen Street Shopping Center. Dunkin’ Donuts is a hive of activity from early morning until the moon is high in the sky. The bright florescent lights and cold metal chairs are overlooked by more than a few townspeople who claim this locale as their own.
Jeff Dymerski, who has owned the franchise since 2001, says, “Each day it is amazing how many regulars there are. We see them and we know what to make for them when they walk in the door. Our relationships with our regulars is fairly personal.”Mr Dymerski knows which bunch of guys is going to gather bright and early each day. Mid-morning, he says, he can count on a certain group of young mothers and their toddlers to cluster about the tables. He recognizes many of the middle-schoolers who make it a point to grab a hot chocolate or buttered bagel after school and would be shocked if the corner table by the door wasn’t home to the usual gang of older gentlemen every afternoon.
“We know their families,” says Mr Dymerski, of the people he and his staff can depend on seeing every day. “We know when they go on vacation and when they’ve been sick.”
It is a combination of things that draws people to hang out at the bustling business, Mr Dymerski believes. “The name, ‘Dunkin’ Donuts,’ pulls people in. They know what to expect. The staff is another draw; they know everyone’s coffee and how they like it. And we try to be fast. I definitely see [Dunkin’ Donuts] as a meeting spot.”
The moral of the story? Serving the customer well is more than just fast service. It’s offering them a sense of community as well.
Source: Newtown Bee