Hey, there! Log in / Register
Popcorn-free concessionaires sought for Government Center T stop; will Dunkin' Donuts re-bid?
By adamg on Wed, 12/23/2015 - 9:07am
The MBTA is seeking bids from companies that might want to lease 400 square feet of space on the Green Line level of the Government Center stop when it re-opens this spring.
The T also has a 150-square-foot space available on the Blue Line platform.
The spaces do come with some restrictions: No popcorn - the T got tired of cleaning up the stuff on trains and in stations - no tobacco products, no liquor, no check cashing and no ATMs or vending machines. Hot dogs and pretzels on metal sticks that slowly rotate, however, are OK.
The Green Line space is roughly where the Dunkin' Donuts booth was in the old station.
The old Dunkin' Donuts provided welcome relief to riders who couldn't wait to climb the stairs up to the Dunkin' Donuts on City Hall Plaza (or who were already jonesing for more Dunks by the time they descended into the station).
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Might as well sell popcorn
If they're going to open a Dunkies or reopen the "newsstand" that also sold scratch tickets and so had longer lines of gamblers than Churchill Downs on Derby Day, it's not like the cleaning crews are going to have a moment's rest anyway.
Good point. The only people
Good point. The only people who liter more than scratch ticket buyers are smokers.
What is the overlap of those
What is the overlap of those two populations?
World Class Starbucks.
World Class Starbucks. Because if anything MBTA stations need to be gentrified.
What's wrong with an ATM? I
What's wrong with an ATM? I could see why they wouldn't want an unattended ATM with a waiting room taking up the whole space, but it could be convenient to have a small ATM as part of a food counter or newsstand.
Possible reason
MBTA Realty is also launching an ATM space rental program, so maybe they don't want anybody competing with the ATMs from banks paying good money, well, money, at any rate, for locations inside T stops.
Well, damn.
Well, damn. I was looking forward to withdrawing cash to buy popcorn.
More money please
For those not aware, the private ATM business is a small gold mine. Private companies with ATM machines will charge in the vicinity of $3.00 to use it knowing they have you over a barrel. On average half goes to the ATM company and the other half goes to whom-ever allowed placement of the machine. I know because I was involved in the negotiations for such a machine about a year ago. In the end we didn't go for it. Also for those not aware, most of these private ATM machines are now wireless so they do not need a phone line. When you swipe they "phone home." Of course if your bank or network also charges a fee to use a private ATM machine you may be in for a total of $5 easily. In the broader spectrum the profit to the T is chump change but it is still another revenue stream. If they have enough machines throughout the system the daily fees collected could be in the hundreds to thousands. Added up over a year that then can be a decent bit of coinage.
Chinese.
Meat on a stick please.
400 sq feet of space, how
400 sq feet of space, how about a charging station for I-Phones, or a concession stand that sells mugs, harvard t shirts sweaters and compasses for tourists.
How about a Dunkin Donuts
How about a Dunkin Donuts "Express"
One thing I remember about that Dunkin Donuts was the anxiety of trying to grab a coffee or donut without missing your train. If someone opened up an "old school" dunks that only carried coffee and donuts along with ice for iced coffee and maybe tea it would be pretty successful. Nothing that requires a blender, nothing that needs to be toasted, limited decisions. Heck I would even say do glazed donuts, chocolate donuts, Boston Cream, plain and a rotating 5th "special" and thats it.
There might be something in the franchise agreement to have to provide all the different options. If there is one I would suggest that Dunkin look into relaxing the restrictions for zones that are saturated with DD and owned by the same owner. At Government Center you could easily make a possible greenline Dunks be express and one other in Downtown since people would have the ability to cross the street and get something fancier at a full service location.
Its just a thought because as much as I like the fancier drinks they offer when I am on that platform I am in a hurry!
Yes Please
I love Dunkin Donuts coffee. But I can't stand waiting behind someone ordering lattes.
Some Dunkins are smart enough
Some Dunkins are smart enough to have a "coffee only" line, at least at busy times of day.
hopefully whatever takes that
hopefully whatever takes that space won't have visible rodent and cockroach problems. nothing like seeing rats and cockroaches the size of my thumb running in and out of the backside of that government center dunks.
They won't go for this idea
It's just too practical.
There's definitely one of
There's definitely one of these in... I want to say Terminal C? At logan, at least. It's a five foot counter with some coffee dispensers, a fridge for bottled drinks, and a small donut shelf. Though I don't think they do any on-site brewing or work, since the full location is just around the corner, but it's clearly possible in the franchising agreement.
Theres one like that at the
Theres one like that at the Newark Airport Train station. Self service too. You fill your coffee, you grab your pasty and then the one employee mans the register and restocks the displays.
Why is popcorn banned?
On my daily commute I have been offered drugs, sex, discount charlie cards, and cigarettes what is the problem with popcorn?
If they don't draw a line
If they don't draw a line somewhere than someone will open a gun store with a porno section and a liquor department on the platform and heavens to Healy that would be awful for the children.
Turn it over to The
Turn it over to The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) Vending Facilities Program
The Vending Facilities Program operates under the federal Randolph Sheppard Act, and is funded through the Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
Vending Facilities are located in federal and state buildings. Currently, the majority are in Boston and the surrounding area.
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/mcb/vendor-facilities/