FOR THE PERSONAL ATTENTION OF Mr. Jon Luther. CEO Dunkin’ Brands.
Dear Mr. Luther!
In response to the many comments on this site about whether to permit local franchisees to retain their local kosher certifications, which will have to be sacrificed if local franchisees have to add meat products to their offerings, I make the following suggestion.
This suggestion will increase your Brand’s value, while enabling local franchisees to maintain their kosher certifications, keep and grow their customer base, and improve D.D.’s good will and good standing in the community. Think soy while reading my proposal!
PROPOSAL: Require all franchisees to serve the national D.D. menu, BUT allow franchisees to use meat-substitutes where local market demand makes this a profitable alternative.
BACKGROUND:
Our local franchisee Jim Willard, who owns a D.D. store at Tuckerman, Potomac MD. in deference to D.D.’s national menu standards, will lose his kosher-eating customers if he has to drop the kosher certification that his store now enjoys.
Kosher meat products are expensive to serve. The requirements are stringent. Jim Willard chose not to serve meat products in order to get kosher certification. Now I understand that Dunkin’ Brand’s growth strategies require all D.D. stores to serve the full D.D. menu which includes meat products.
DISCUSSION:
Jim Willard could offer the national D.D. menu, AND not lose one customer, if he is permitted to use kosher-certified meat-substitutes. An added benefit is that Jim’s and other stores which follow suit, could open their business to a vegetarian customer base, and could gain good will for their stores as well as Dunkin’ Brands. The potential increase in good will is as large as the widespread national mood towards “wellness” consciousness! People are becoming more particular about what they eat.
The major cost to Dunkin’ Brands is the investment that your quality assurance team will make in developing recipes for preparing meat-substitute products. But given the wide spread popularity of such products, it won’t be rocket science to come up with a solution that is consistent with Dunkin’ Brand’s standards.
BENEFITS.
My main interest is in seeing that Jim Willard retains his kosher certification so that I can continue to take my grandsons out to eat for a treat at Jim’s store. My neighbors share my interest. Many are members of the largest Orthodox synagogue in the Washington DC metro area, Beth Sholom. Being Orthodox Jews most live within walking distance of Beth Sholom, and therefore within walking distance of Jim’s store. They and their families want to continue to eat at Jim’s store.
The benefit to Jim Willard is no lose in customer base. In fact he will likely increase revenues – his kosher customers will buy more product, and he will attract veggie customers – and he will be more competitive with the Starbucks around the corner by being a Dunkin’ Donuts store noted for being very customer-centered in serving healthy products.
You as the CEO of Dunlin’ Brands will then be in the happy position of:
- increasing overall revenues for your system (and royalties)
- helping your franchisees increase profits (Kosher customers will pay more for the value added products with meat-substitutes – and veggie customers will be added to the base)
- increasing the good will value of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., and thereby further increasing the value of the D.D. franchise opportunity
- living up to Dunkin’ Brand’s corporate values of being customer centered and of giving back to the community.
Just Bring it to Fairfield, California, Population 105,000+.
DD- I am not Jewish but as an evangelical Christian I have a tremendous love and respect for them. As far as this franchise, since it already had been kosher I believe it should be allowed and encouraged to stay kosher for the sake of its local community. It would be a foolish business move to forsake its costumer base as well. I don’t think any sales would be lost for lack of a sausage either. Everyone know that the main attraction at DD isnt even the great donuts but the coffee. I for one would go out of my way to support a kosher establishment. I beg and implore you to keep, encourage and maintain the kosher status of the franchise and others. It would behoove you to do so. Please. and Thanks.
QUICK QUESTION….I LOVE DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE!!!I PURCHASED GIFT CARDS THROUGH MY CHILDS SCHOOL. ONLY 2 OF THE 5 LOCAL DUNKIN DONUTS SHOPS WILL HONOR THEM. WHY??
HOPE CLARK
I live in Mytle Beach SC. And I go to DD every morning to by coffee for myself and my boss. But I have noticed that it doesn’t taste the same as it does when I go home to NY and then I come back. So I had ask someone that is in the food industry about this and he told me that it is not DD coffee it’s S&D coffee. I followed up with this with another person that is in the food industry and he ask the S&D person and it is true. He also stated that he (S&D) supplis most of the DD in the South. So what do you think about that. As of right now I have stopped getting coffee from DD. I will drive 10 miles longer to buy Starbucks. I don’t know how DD can get away with this. But I am going to make a big stink over this one.
Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the most sorriest donut I ever experienced in my life !!!!!!!
its Hard ,,,,,,,,,It`s dry,,,,,,,, very little glaze ….. It is very Sorry all around ..
how can this franchise stay in business >>>?? I give It a >>>>>>>> – 0
I am a DD Store Manager in MA, to the guy that complains that the store was low on donuts at 7pm, most DD’s recieve their products from a Central Plant that delivers the donuts daily twice. To have all donuts til close would be very costly, I do agree that the store should have had the express dozen available at all times. TO the person who recieved the hard bagels, call the store, go back, take action, if you don’t alert the store manager of the issue how can he or she offer the chance to make your experience a better one. They would gladly have baked you fresh bagels (ready in 11 min’s) or gave you value coupons to make it right. And to the person who got the rubbery sandwich, That sucks it’s just plain gross. Most likly what happened is that the egg had sat in the holding unit to long. I couldn’t agree more this is very upsetting, all you have to do when you order is ask for the product to be made fresh not from the holding unit (which dunkin says can hold product up to 30 min). To any of you who wait in line for excess of 2.5 min COMPLAIN dunkin standard says that all orders (including sandwiches) must be completed in 2.5 min any orders taking longer than this are unexecptable both to management and to the customer! In my store if you wait longer than 2.5 min then you get somthing free on your next visit and my apolgy. Not all DD are the same all operators and owners are a little different. I have seen the best and probably some of the worst. I feel for those of you who have experienced the worst! Feel free to make complaints at http://www.dunkinbrands.com
Thank you to all the loyal customers
Eric Murphy
Store Manager
Townsend MA
Why can’t I find ANY DD franchise that carries non-dairy products, such as non-dairy creamer??? Lactose intolerance is a problem for many thousands of coffee drinkers. The corporate people give me onlyplatitudes “how important your comments are”. But Istill can’t buy coffe in DD unless I bring my own creamer! Wake up..DD, you are losing business!
great coffee, but the radio commercials with the two screaming guys is quite annoying. i am sure that i am not the only one that feels this way
you should get a new ad agency…your 20 year old target demo is going to starbucks anyway…and your dreadful commercials, both TV and radio, are annoying to adults like myself
how do you get the address for jon luther
We need Dunkin Donuts in California, I am from the East Coast and I really miss Dunkin Donuts. Please come soon as I don’t like Starbucks Coffee. Thanks.
GO SOX
Attn: Mr. Jon Luther – Buyer Beware – I purchased several gift cards this Christmas and plenty of other DD things from the Shrewsbury, MA DD in Shrewsbury center.
I have my receipt for $138. I passed out the 4 gift cards to family members. One day later, one of the cards was used at DD at Tatnuck Square in Worcester, MA. The person was told that there was only $1.44 on the card and the person thought that was odd because the card was never used. The younger brother also had his gift card, also from me, with him so the order was purchased with that gift card. That card was OK. I was made aware of the incident at dinner on Christmas and I visited DD Shrewsbury and was told to go to Tatnuck DD and speak to the manager. I took the ride and was told the Manager was not in and to call her the next morning, which I did do. She, Vanessa, blew me off…and I smelled a rat. She took my phone number and said that the owner would call me. That was 12/26/07. I called your DD 800 number from the back of a gift card, several times, and was promised a call by someone at DD who would try to straighten this out.
Never heard from anyone there, nor the DM, nor the owner. It is not the $25. My time is worth more than that. My pocket was picked and someone at Tatnuck Sq. DD stole the card as well as the receipt which was handed over with the card to the counter person. I am not done with this grievance. Something needs to be done about this robbery by the crooks at Tatnuck Sq. DD.
Hi I went to a local Dunkin Donuts on 1/5/08 which is located on Grand Concourse and 185th Street, Bronx, NY. The time was 4:12 pm I purchased a Milky Way hot chocolate and a bagel and cream cheese. There were two young ladies working behind the counter. After making my purchase I sat down to enjoy my order. All of a sudden the music was turned up on full blast with many HIP HOP songs. I was appauled. I have never seen such unprofessional practices. Something should be done about this I will never return to this location ever again and have told others not to return there. I left a message to complain at the corporate office as well. I would like feedback on this.
I live in Oceanside Ca. and would like to know how come there is no Dunkin Donuts in north county where I live? It sure would be nice to have one local to go to. Thank you for your time. Gayle Kersey Saxton
Move back to the east coast if you miss dd that much!!!
i have been stopping at your store on Roswell Rd. in Atlanta at least once a week for several years The coffee is superb. Lately, it is obvious that the franchisee has changed. The serivice is now horrible with the worst attitude of any similar establishment. The prices for the same items are different each week. Your inspectors need to pay a surpise visit to this store to witness the deplorable condition. I love the coffee dearly, but have decided to bypass this store untill and unless there is a positive attitude change and a return to business ethics soon.
hi my name is tamara
i had recently started working at dunkin donuts on march 16,2008 on south queen street , york p.a it was horrible it was my 1st day n they excpeted me to learn everything that day but the main reason why i am writing you is because i did not no the mangers where aloud to touch the employee’s he asked me to make a coffee and add cream in it and i accidently put whole milk in it i didnt know you were aloud to touch your employee’s im very concearned if you could please contact me back and get this matter straightend out they will be hearing from my lawyer Thank You Sincerely Tamara
My wife and I visit the Phillipsburg New Jersey (Westbound Rt.22) location on a daily basis. The staff frequently gets our order wrong. My wife has complained to the owner many times, and has also contacted Dunkin Donuts Corporate. At a minimum, we visit this location in the morning and again in the evening. We order two large coffees and two extra large coffees. My wife can’t drink cream (it makes her ill), and must not drink caffeinated drinks due to a heart condition. I place the order and race to the drive-up window to watch them prepare our order, only to see them pour regular coffee and cream into my wife’s extra large cups. If there is a line I can’t get to the window and see them prepare the order. I take the lid off and many times it’s obviously cream, not milk. Sometimes, I see them preparing it incorrectly, and the employees get angry when I point it out and insist they prepared it correctly. Remember, I watched them prepare it. Purchasing coffee at Dunkin Donuts has become a stressful event. Often times, especially on the weekends, we visit this location thee or four times a day. We go there so often, many of the employees recognize my voice and tell me to just drive around. There is a handful employees that always get my order correct. My bill is $8.35 and I always let them keep the change from $10.00. $10 a trip, two trips a day equals $7,280 dollars a year. This is the minimum, and does not reflect what my three daughters purchase and the two or three cups I purchase from other stores during the day (while I’m working). My employees purchase gift cards for Dunkin Donuts, because they know I go there so often. They joke that I always have a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee in my hand. I don’t want coupons, I don’t need an apology, I want what I order, without having to worry my wife is going to be ill, or worse, have a caffeine induced heart attack. Here is the bottom line, get this situation rectified once and for all, or lose my business for good. Please give me the courtesy of letting me know if you want my continued business.
Dear Mr. Luther,
I live in MI and recently visited one of your stores. I purchased (1) french cruller wih chocolate frosting for .85 cents. Since when, does a donut cost .85 cents and it didn’t even TASTE as good as when they were half the price. What have you done to my most favorite donut in the world? You are charging MORE and have lost the delicious recipe/taste. WHAT A DRAG!
Mr. Luther:
I am disgusted and frightened to learn that Dunkin Donuts pulled its Rachel Ray advertisement due to pressure from certain right-wing groups about alleged Arab scarf. I can’t belive this is true, but it appears to be. Your company states that it is pulling the ad due to the “perception of misconception.”
The only perception of misconception is in the minds of some very shallow and frankly paranoid people. These are the same people who see “666″ as a notation fo the devil, that 9/11 was an Israeli conspiracy, that JFK was not killed by Lee Harvey Oswald and that the government is building a secret super highway.
When anyone or any company caves into the fear-mongering, hate-filled, charlatan rantings of people who have agendas that are antithetical to American values and tradtions, I call that appeasment. These hate-mongerers tried the same tricks with Disney and Ford, protesting their policies that essentially gave Gay people the same treatment as non-Gays. Disney and Ford learned the hard way. Decent, serious and freedom-loving Americans will not tolerate this sort of negative pressure and debasement.
By your company’s actions you have fed into that hate machine. I am very surprised at your actions. These people are a distinct minority and I doubt very much they would have any significant impact on your company’s sales. But, I know what will.
And here is where the roll-back starts. I own a company that spends, according to my accounting staff, an average of $982.21 per month at Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins. In addition we have handed out gift certificates to DunkinDonuts and Baskin Robbins over and over again to recognize achievement. Finally, we work with small companies all over the country and frequently use Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins products at our conferences and meetings, as do they.
No more. As of this morning my company will not authorize any costs associated with DunkinDonuts or Baskin Robbins. We have $320 left in gift certificates which we will donate to charity (unless we can get the money back). We are switching to Starbucks, Haagfen Daaz and Dairy Queen. We will encourage the same from our vendors, suppliers and clients.
This is going to add up Mr. Luther. I would say conservatively your company is going to lose about $25,000 a year from my actions this morning. And, my employees are equally disgusted by DunkinDonut’s actions.
This may not seem like a great deal of money to a $5.2 billion dollar outfit. However, I feel certain that many other AMERICANS will find your company’s actions unacceptable and will boycott your products.
More than that is the symbolism. For many people of my generation DunkinDonuts is one of the shining international symbols of America. Wherever you are, if you are in a DunkinDonuts you get great products, excellent service, clean bathrooms and something else — a little touch of what America is all about: honesty, caring, pride and integrity. DunkinDonuts.
You disappoint your customers and your country Mr. Luther.
Dunkin Donuts has caved in to the right wing nut cakes on the Rachel Ray commercial. I sure hope those folks buy a lot of their product because I and my friends are boycotting their stores.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING A DUNKIN DONUTS TO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA… I GREW UP EATING DUNKIN DONUTS WHEN I WAS IN GEORGIA AND TRULY MISS A DUNKIN DONUT. IF I COULD FIND ONE NEAR BY AT LEAST, I WOULD DO POSSIBLY ANYTHING JUST TO HAVE A DUNKIN DONUT.. SO PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND FOR THE NEWER GENERATIONS GROWING UP, DON’T LET THEM NOT EXPERIENCE A DUNKIN DONUT. ITS THE BEST DONUT IN THE WORLD!! =) THANKS.. PLEASE DO IT NOW!
Dunkin Donuts has by FAR the WORST customer service in the world.
How can they treat their customers so bad.
It takes 25 minutes to get a cup of coffee on my way to work and they still get it wrong. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
good site iwbelc
my mother and I went to dd on ridge rd and little rd in port richey fl on jan 27, 2009 at 10:38pm.was very shocked to say the lease, they had two different kinds of doughnuts to offer us,boston cream and frosted vanilla. whats wrong with this, that is a dunkin donut shop and no donuts. what are those people being paid for, if they wont make donuts. very disappointed! sondi spence
my mother and I went to dd on ridge rd and little rd in port richey fl on jan 27, 2009 at 10:38pm.was very shocked to say the lease, they had two different kinds of doughnuts to offer us,boston cream and frosted vanilla. whats wrong with this, that is a dunkin donut shop and no donuts. what are those people being paid for, if they wont make donuts. very disappointed! sondi spence
WHEN WILL WE GET A DD IN SUN CITY CTR FL WE SURE COULD USE ONE?????
Today,Monday 4/27, my friend and I went to two of your sites on Long Island and encountered some of the absolute WORST customer service either one of us have ever encountered! In the Riverhead site we ordered hot coffee and Iced coffee and handed in our $1.00 coupons we found in the paper. The associate looked at us and said it is one coupon to a customer rather nastily. So we agreed to pay seperately. Then in a separate transaction, we wanted to use the 2for.99 coupon for donuts. She said that we could not. We left the Riverhead Site not happy. We then went to Hampton Bays a few hours later and came upon you Hampton Bays site. We went in and ordered donuts- no problem there., but I ordered a Coolata to be informed that “the machine is broken” by a rather surly young man. No apology extended for the inconvenience. He never asked if I wanted anything else. When my friend handed him her coupon for the donuts he looked like a deer in the headlights! He became a shade impatient when she was looking for the change to give him and started drumming his fingers on the counter! Huge mistake!!! My friend recently retired from her job as an assistant manager of an 8 million dollar a year shoe store and my present position is Senior Store Manager at a 10 million dollar clothing store in Riverhead! I have designed customer service programs still used by my company! The lack of customer service in 2 of your sites is a total disgrace! We were recently in your new Southold donut shop and things could not have been more wonderful! Food is not a given. If your people cannot provide good customer service, they should not be working for you!
Hi!
I live in Vista, California. I love being able to buy Duncan Donut coffee in our stores now. It would be really wonderful to be able to drive to a DD shop for a DD brewed cup of coffee & a DD donut. My family & friends are hoping you are planning to open a DD shop in our area – Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad or Oceanside.
terrible costumer service and bad attitude from employ name angelica at new milford ct store some body teach her how use the sistem and respect the custumer please or send her home
Мне интересно, сколько средств вложили в раскрутку этого блога. Кто как думает?
Побольше бы тематической информации, и будет респект полный.
Полностью все усироило меня в этом блоге, нашел все что хотел. Везде бы так делали.