Pioli helps open a Kansas Dunkin' Donuts

[PatsFanSince74]

...
Pioli opening up a DD in KC? Genius. In that region of the country, a salad is a wedge of iceberg lettuce with bleu cheese and bacon bits. God love 'em!

Funny you should mention that...I was overcome this weekend, when buying Memorial Day steaks at the grocery store, for a good old-fashioned, Amurrican hunk of Iceberg Lettuce smothered with creamy ranch dressing...sometimes the urge to feel those completely tasteless, green leaves crunching in your mouth is just too hard to overcome!

 

[MetalBleachers]

Funny you should mention that...I was overcome this weekend, when buying Memorial Day steaks at the grocery store, for a good old-fashioned, Amurrican hunk of Iceberg Lettuce smothered with creamy ranch dressing...sometimes the urge to feel those completely tasteless, green leaves crunching in your mouth is just too hard to overcome!

I agree: every once in a while, a "salad" that's more like crunchy dressing really fits the bill.

 

[efin98]

Yes, but I think they closed down after a few years. Apparently New Englanders don't have a taste for hot glazed doughnuts...

After a period of aggressive expansion, the Krispy Kreme doughnut chain falls on hard times, particularly in New England - The Boston Globe

Tastes had a factor but it was really costs to operate them were the nail in the coffin- up to four times the costs of running a DD, with an almost $2 million start up cost and low profit margin if any doomed the stores.

 

[Nikolai]

Yeah, KKreme is a case study in bad growth. But I agree with you on their donuts...MMM MMM. And, I will observe that you are no doubt one of the very few denizens of a Krispy Kreme establishment even to know what "nonplussed" means let alone use it correctly in a sentence about the company's product line!

LOL

Krispy Kreme is also struggling in areas of the south. In the areas of Florida where I lived, most people I talked with felt that the company's donuts had been overrated by word of mouth, and that the taste fell far short of expectations.

It is true that the doughnuts generally are the subject of a lot of hype, to which I have no doubt contributed. When I lived in Canada, I talked them up quite a bit, and generally the Canadians I know really did like them, but as others have mentioned here, that overly sweet taste doesn't agree with everyone's palate.

I just accept that the only time I get Krispy Kreme is when I head back to the old stomping grounds. No biggie, though, because 1) it's not something I did or should eat very much and 2) I live about five minutes from a Tims right now, and that works just fine for me.

 

[Nikolai]

After a period of aggressive expansion, the Krispy Kreme doughnut chain falls on hard times, particularly in New England - The Boston Globe

Tastes had a factor but it was really costs to operate them were the nail in the coffin- up to four times the costs of running a DD, with an almost $2 million start up cost and low profit margin if any doomed the stores.

I don't doubt the high start up cost. It was a rather big production when they introduced Krispy Kreme in Newington, CT back in 2002.

Then again, I definitely think the product did not quite match the hype nor could it overcome the kung-fu grip that DD has on New England. The lines were out the door here in CT for the first three months, but it dwindled down to almost nothing within six months. I would walk in and see full racks of doughnuts and bored employees.

 

[efin98]

I don't doubt the high start up cost. It was a rather big production when they introduced Krispy Kreme in Newington, CT back in 2002.

Then again, I definitely think the product did not quite match the hype nor could it overcome the kung-fu grip that DD has on New England. The lines were out the door here in CT for the first three months, but it dwindled down to almost nothing within six months. I would walk in and see full racks of doughnuts and bored employees.

I can see a drop off in many places but where there wasn't so much as a drop off as a leveling out to a normal level of service there was the previously stated money problems.

DD's iron grip isn't so iron- they have competition. Starbucks is here with a huge presence, with a centering around the college and financial and technological areas. Hell their presence has a direct affect of producing DD's espresso and latte menu. Honey Dew Donuts has been around for years and has grown despite DD's iron grip, they are poised to expand further in the near future.

 

[Nikolai]

I can see a drop off in many places but where there wasn't so much as a drop off as a leveling out to a normal level of service there was the previously stated money problems.

DD's iron grip isn't so iron- they have competition. Starbucks is here with a huge presence, with a centering around the college and financial and technological areas. Hell their presence has a direct affect of producing DD's espresso and latte menu. Honey Dew Donuts has been around for years and has grown despite DD's iron grip, they are poised to expand further in the near future.

Interesting. They closed a few Starbucks where I live here in CT (now there are only 2 within a 20 minute drive), and there are a couple of small family doughnut shops here (plus 1 Tims), but nothing to really challenge DD.