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February 9, 2006

Milking the Dunkin' Donuts Story for All It's Worth

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signage
We received photos of the new Dunkin' Donuts in Carroll Gardens from two faithful correspondents yesterday. The first, at top, came via camera phone from Graham B who generously remarks that, "It's certainly nicer than your regular DD, but not sure if it will live up to the charm of some of the other local cafes." The second photo, as well as the shots of the "brownstonish" interior and DD's "official corporate joseph and jesus garden" on the jump come to us courtesy of Patrick D. We also noticed mention, in the comments on Curbed, that there's going to be some more Double-D action in Williamsburg at the Graham Avenue L stop. "YAAAAAAAAAY HEART DISEASE," exclaims the commenter. Eternal gratification to the one who can supply the first photo.
DD Infiltrator a Former Rez [Brownstoner]
Dunkin Donuts Has a Friend [A Brooklyn Life]
CG Getting Fatter by the Second [Curbed]

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garden




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:05 AM | Comments (37)
Categories: Restaurants

Comments

I think we can now do without the Joseph & Jesus statute. I can say that because I'm Catholic, so don't jump all over me :)

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:06 AM

wait- what?? there's a Jesus in the Dunkin Donuts patio?

Posted by: lc at February 9, 2006 9:11 AM

This is a real shame, the pizza place that was there, Leonardo's was a Brooklyn classic, brock oven pizzas, better than Girmaldis!
They sold no slices, (whole pie only) no deliveries (to go only), cash only. .. oh yeah and they usually closed the place for the month of August .... classic brooklyn itanlian joint .... why do we need a stupid DD every three blocks in this city. They clearly trying to be like Starbux in that way ...........
flash forward: the year 2020: we're all shopping at McGapCitiSoft buying a browser with our fries, oh and a mock turtle neck with a savings account to go ...
many of the interesting things about Brooklyn seem to be leaving, along with its soul.

Posted by: chuckdwawa at February 9, 2006 9:17 AM

That's what development and "gentrification" get you...if people and small cafes know an area is good and the population starts growing, do you really think chains don't notice? I wonder how many others will follow.

Besides, despite the complaints, a ton of people will probably go to D & D. That's just the way of things.

Posted by: Anon at February 9, 2006 9:30 AM

Dunkin' Donut's a sign of gentrification? Don't think so.
Just evidence that corporate chains or franchises are becoming more ubiquitous everywhere in USA and just because live in older urban neighborhood don't think you can hide or escape totally from it.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:38 AM

Wasn't there a thread a while ago where it was established that Leonardo's closed because the owner(s) wanted to get out of the business? Or was it a different pizzeria?

I'd rather see a good-quality local business than a chain, but I don't think that's what always gets pushed out. Here in Park Slope, DD pushed out Dee Dee Donu_s. It was really crass and aggressive how they did it. But the donuts at Dee Dee weren't much good. (Not that DD's are the best, but they beat Dee Dee.)

And Starbucks -- people love to hate SB, but I remember NYC before Starbucks moved in in the early 90s. There were a precious few places you could get a good cup of coffee, and a whole lot of lousy diner and street-cart options. Even the cafes in the Village made lousy cappuccinos that were more overpriced than SB's, I'm sorry.

I'll patronize a good local over a chain any day, but I don't have a moral obligation to have a bad coffee and donut.

Posted by: linusvanpelt at February 9, 2006 9:43 AM

Jesus and Joesph enjoy their morning coffee and donut in the garden next to Dunkin Donuts. Only in Carroll Gardens.

check it out

http://291.com/ddcg.html

Posted by: pd at February 9, 2006 9:46 AM

As a CG native, I don't see DD as big problem. I think there are enough loyalist CG residents who will continue to patronize the smaller independent stores, and goodness knows there are enough visitors on the weekends to keep everybody happy and in business. As we know, Leonardo's chose to close the pizzeria, and they made an economic decision to rent to DD...just like everyone else does nowadays...it's all about $$$.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:47 AM

Loved Leonardo's but it like Hanley's was a local hang out, with customers sort of a burden for the old gaurd. They had these fantastic expresso machines there, that never seemed to be working or for sale. The space could have been so much more. Then to put a Dunkin Donuts there? If they put a Dunkin Donuts in Marty's old place, then fine. But my real grief, is that its just a lost opportunity for someone with real imagination. There are too few of those side gardens, and so far every place ( besides the GC Yacht Club), has just squandered them away with bad food and atmosphere i.e. Hanley's and Sonny's or whatever its called now at Smith and Union.

Three downs down past Citibank and the florist is another coffee joint. If you ever wanna interact with the locals, stop in get a Manhattan Special and ask umm about what's going on upstairs.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:57 AM

If you're choosing SB - you're choosing bad cup of overpriced coffee.
I don't hate Starbucks or even that they seem to be everywhere or chains...
I just don't like their coffee or understand how people have been suckered into paying so much ....clever marketing image appeal I guess.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:58 AM

I agree anon 9:47. I rarely eat donuts, but when I do, I prefer an independent chain, as I've never really cared for DD. Krispy Kreme is another story, however.

But with Jesus and Joseph overlooking me, maybe I'll change my mind. Bless the donuts!

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:59 AM

anon 9:58 -- I'm not trying to shill for Starbucks. (There are even better chains, like Peet's.) But before they came the alternatives were mostly overboiled bilge water. (Cheap overboiled bilge water, but still...) There are definitely better alternatives now, but I'm not sure they would exist, or exist in such numbers, if Starbucks had never moved in.

My point was just, local is better, all things being equal, but all things are not always equal.

Posted by: linusvanpelt at February 9, 2006 10:05 AM

No deliveries, cash only, closed for 1/12th of the year...wow cant figure out how they would have gone out of buisness...
It is so silly - the newer residents of CG and vicinity w/ disposable $$ should be a dream come true to someone running a quality, unique prepared food biz like this (working long hours to pay the mortgage doesnt leave much time for home cooking) and offers the opportunity for real high margins (look @ Gimaldi's). The downside is that other retailers are going to recongnoze this and it will force your rent up. But if you actually try you should come out ahead. Doesnt sound like Lenardos put much effort into success.
Places like Dee Dee Donuts dont even try - I mean when was the last time the place had been cleaned?? How can you feel bad for retailers like this.

Dont know much about regular coffee but in terms of espresso (which does require some talent) although not really good Starbucks does make a passable espresso (especially with the super-automatic machines) - which is much more than can be said for about 95% of local shops.

Posted by: David at February 9, 2006 10:14 AM

Anon 9:57: I'm Anon 9:47. I agree with your feeling "its just a lost opportunity for someone with real imagination." That space had great potential. However, I would hazard a guess and say that Leonardo's is charging an exorbitant rent that would have scared away anything smaller than a chain. Also, Sonny's is no longer Sonny's...it's now called Smith Union Cafe, and I'm almost sure that Alan Harding (Patois) had a hand in that changeover.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 10:16 AM

Am I the only one here that thought Leonardo's was at best mediocre?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 10:32 AM

Leonardo's pizza was "OK." It was one of the few places in its day that had a brick oven, but now brick ovens are all over the place. Nonetheless, I've had better pizza elsewhere...and out of my own oven, as well.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 10:44 AM

I thought Leonardo's was blah (and people, he WANTED TO RETIRE.. sheesh) and I like DD coffee.

The beat goes on.

Now can someone tell me where I'm supposed to send my kids to school if we move to Ft Greene?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 10:45 AM

Leonardo's Pizza was good in that I could walk there, have a beer and antipasto and pizza in the sun.

Anyone ever see the steel door in the front room open? It looked like it lead to some fall out shelter.

Also lets not forget that the building its in is one of the ugliest in CG. Although walking down Court a few weeks ago, I heard two women comment how beautiful the building built on top of Key Food was. Point is taste is very a fickle science in CG.

Posted by: pd at February 9, 2006 10:52 AM

Just for the record, Leonardo's did start delivering a few years ago. It was a great place to get a Friday night pizza on a spring or summer evening and eat outside w/ the kids running around the garden. Inevitably we'd run into another PS 58 family and the kids would play together. Sadly, however, we walk by the building every day and my kid is completely excited about the prospect of donuts in the neighborhood (and Donut House doesn't really have much). Like alot of other families, we'll probably indulge the kids and shop there on occasion.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 11:04 AM

The Donut House was really a donut house 15 years ago. It consisted of the counter then it became the diner.

What is up with Me and My Egg Roll? How do they stay business? Is it a front? It used to be the only game in town.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 11:12 AM

I prefer DD to SB anyday. And that coocoo's next coffee place (or whatever it's called) a few doors over has weird hours and you always feel out of place going in there. However, I agree that with a side garden it could've been a cute place like the Fall Cafe or something - I am not thrilled at having a coffee place with neon sign and nean overhead lights. Why does DD have to be so abrassive in its decor? If they really are in the fight against the SB invasion, shouldn't they be doing a little more to the interior decors?

Posted by: Alexuma at February 9, 2006 11:26 AM

I love Dunkin Donuts. Call me low-end but they have much better coffee and cocoa then Starbucks.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 12:04 PM

I agree that building was nothing to write home about.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 12:05 PM

Agreed here that DD has decent coffee compared to SB dreck. They now make more money on their coffee than donuts.
But possibly because donuts have gone downhill - and only have few varieties available...not like olden days when they had lots of good choices.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 12:09 PM

My two cents:

Dunkin Donuts makes good coffee.

I would not complain if a Dunkin Donuts opened near me, say on Nostrand north of Eastern Parkway.

If you like making pizza at home, check out www.pizzamaking.com

Posted by: Hal at February 9, 2006 12:23 PM

Jeeziscripes, it ain't supposed to taste good! It's freakin coffee! Whaddya think the sugar's for?

Posted by: pop at February 9, 2006 12:38 PM

Anon 10:45: I two wonder where do you send your kinds in FG? I know they have Brooklyn Tech HS. However, I am unsure of the middle schools in the area.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 2:15 PM

To the guy who let his kids RUN AROUND in the outdoor patio of a resturant...

Make then sit down and shut up, its a public resturant and your little angels are probably annoying everyone else but you. Resturants are not kid vacations. That would be Carroll Park with a fresh Crapamocha from Dunkin Donuts - carry one

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 2:52 PM

Speaking of Jesus and Joseph, do people remember the front yard -somewhere between CG and Park Slope that had what looked like Jesus in a phone booth?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 5:15 PM

a lot of FG'ers sent their kids to PS 261 in Boerum Hill. Used to be easy to get a variance (I know, my 2 kids went). My youngest is in 5th grade now, so not sure how easy/hard it is on the K/1st grade level. I've heard some rumor that PS 20 and PS 11 (in FG itself) are getting better, but don't know for sure. If you're intent on using public schools and you work the system (legitimately), you can get your kids into good schools in Brownstone Bklyn -- commutable from FG. I've done it, lots of families have done it. Once you get here and ask around you'll figure out the ropes, too. Schools change and improve so not buying a house based on nabe schools is unwise, I think. Consider schools on a regional basis, and luckily, in Brownstone Bklyn, the region is pretty good with public elementary schools (now middle schools and high schools are another matter, but even then, you can get your kids into Manhattan if you need to--my eldest is an 8th grader at MS 104 on 20th street near Stuy Town.) And there are more middle school choices popping up.

Posted by: KCF at February 9, 2006 5:17 PM

To the cranky poster above: you have clearly never been to Leonardo's between 5pm and 6 when it's basically empty and Lenny and his sister (whose name I don't know) were extremely easygoing about kids not staying in their seats (and no other customers to bother). I mean, the pizza is served with paper plates and plastic utensils that we always threw away ourselves - do you also complain about the kids at McDonald's? But, I do agree with you that when kids are in restaurants they should sit in their seats and behave -- that's part of why Leonardo's garden was a nice change (in those empty early evening hours). So how about not assuming from a careless expression what kind of parent I am (or whether I'm some "guy", which I'm not). You have one big chip on your shoulder.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 5:19 PM

Long gone are the days when you couldn't get breakfast of a good cup of coffee in Carroll Gardens. There are a plethora of restaurants, coffee shops, bakery shops on all the main commercial streets and a few more on the "corner only retail" streets.

And if you think that the coffee is overpriced and/or bilge water, in the local non-chain places; nothing is stopping you from brewing a cup of coffee at home. It will only cost you pennies and probably taste better.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 5:24 PM

i have a question. am i mistaken or did leonardo's just have jesus? i think dunkin' donuts upgraded to the gracious comforts of both j & j.

Posted by: james at February 9, 2006 5:34 PM

nope , that's the original from Leonardo's

Posted by: Anonymous at February 9, 2006 5:37 PM

I like DD coffee and there Latte's. Taste soo much better the SB and cheaper...

Are we all forgetting it's also a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream...

Everyone's kids will be there for an ice cream cone...

Posted by: Alex at February 9, 2006 7:24 PM

Schools in ft greene: check insideschools.org for your choices. Many fg'ers somehow manage to send their kids to BNS (d 15 magnet with excellent rep). Others like ps 20. There are 2 superior middle schools in d 13, one on Adelphi St (ms 113 I think) and one in P Hts (park place community school, can't think of #). But, you know, this will probably change. For example there is middle school choice now, advice I've heard is apply to one top choice in each district, who knows what the story will be in a few more years.

Posted by: jwnyc at February 9, 2006 9:05 PM

My 2 cents.

DD coffee is good.

Children should NOT be running around the restuarant!
Sorry I don't know where to send them to school.

Keep the change.

Posted by: anonymous at February 9, 2006 9:59 PM

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