Hey, there! Log in / Register
There's always room for another Dunkin' Donuts in Boston
By adamg on Tue, 10/29/2019 - 11:39am
The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved a new Dunkin' Donuts at 296 Cambridge St. at the base of Beacon Hill, closing what is now an almost half-mile gap between the Dunkin' Donuts at 106 Cambridge St. and the one at 161 Charles St.
The new location could also prove a boon for hard-charging exercisers at the 296 Cambridge St. Soul Cycle who need to replenish their depleted energy stores.
The mayor's office approved the proposal. The Beacon Hill Civic Association formally voted to not oppose the proposal, after the franchisees agreed to limit deliveries to off-peak hours so as to not create traffic jams that could potentially endanger anybody in an ambulance heading to the Mass. General emergency room across the street.
City zoning ordinances require zoning-board approval of any take-out proposals. The proposal also needs approval from the Boston Licensing Board.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
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
Delivery truck
I don't see the deliveries to Dunks on Cambridge or Charles St, but I frequently see the delivery to Starbucks at the corner of Cambridge and Irving. Used to show up at 7, no more often it is 8. Anyway it is a fully size trailer, I assume 53 foot. Engine running the 20-30 minutes it is in delivery. Why can't they use a smaller truck? CVS in Charles River plaza using a full size trailer, but it is a much larger store and there is a safe place to park it. And from what I have seen, Dunkin uses full size trailer for any delivery. The lineup of cars making the left turn into North Grove St calms down, but I am not sure it is reliably shorter before 8PM maybe not reliably until after 9PM.
Similar story on Essex St.
The Dunkins at the corner of Washington get deliveries from an approximately 60 foot long behemoth that blocks a lane of traffic on Essex St, a curb cut and a fire hydrant for about 20 minutes with the engine running loudly and blowing exhaust right below resident’s windows. It’s often there at rush hour and next to a sidewalk that is too narrow for the amount of foot traffic at that time of day. Pedestrians must walk out into the busy street and walk around the mammoth truck.
One time I pointed out to the driver that he was causing massive traffic and safety problems but he just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
I’ve 311ed this a few times but to no avail.
Maybe time to email Dunkins.
CVS across the intersection does the same.
I’ve watched what they unload and it’s always an amount that would have fit easily into a smaller truck or cargo bikes.
We need regulation to keep these trucks designed for highway use off our cow paths.
trucks/deliveries
maybe the stuff you see them unloading isn't the trucks only delivery for the day? do you think one truck makes deliveries to one store?
Of course not
That one truck can block streets all across the city!
It's cheaper for DD to make deliveries this way. That doesn't mean it's best for Boston. It's up to the city to make changes which provide disincentives to receiving routine deliveries this way.
Boston should also make it easier for companies to have local staging areas so a small van need not travel far. If the large trailer can make it within a few miles of the city and than transfer to vans for local drop-offs, that's ideal.
LOL! Do you think I’m ...
... that naive?
Trucks this size are banned in some cities. They should be banned in Boston too. Dunkins and CVS and other community unfriendly conglomerates need to be required to make their deliveries with safer smaller vehicles at times that work best for the neighborhood.
Loading Zones
If the City kept the loading zones clear of the non-commercial vehicles it would cut down massively on the trucks that double park across the City.
Loading zones
Ironically, the area I am talking about is a commercial parking zone. Filled during the day by contractors, liquor store customers, or delivery trucks (UPS, FedEx). The truck comes at 8PM after the commercial zoning has expired for the day.
Why complain to the driver?
The truck driver doesn't choose his schedule. What's he supposed to say? You have to talk to the brass.
The toxic ooze of suburban
The toxic ooze of suburban corprorate chain and its amorphous corpulent takeover of urban neighborhoods continues... ick.
New to Boston, are we?
It's not like there aren't already three Dunkin' Donuts within 30 seconds of the Government Center T stop (one right on the Green Line platform).
I think that was their point
I think that was their point
This new Dunkies will thrive
This new Dunkies will thrive with the 1B dollar expansion of MGH....
I’m amazed that enough people spend...
... their money buying the mostly unhealthy crap that Dunkins sells that 3 of them can flourish within a half mile area.
I honestly don't understand
I honestly don't understand it. Their coffee is worse than ever. It's basically undrinkable at this point.
Pure Heaven
Coming back from a 13-day cruise vacation, had a cup of DD at 38,000 ft on Jet Blue.
What was formerly in this location?
A Verizon store.
A Verizon store.
And no one will miss it
As I recall I've never seen customers in the store when passing.
Management change was the issue maybe
The Verizon store used to have a friendly vibe, but suddenly became startlingly hostile: place plastered with “no loitering” signs; staff acting aggressive when you walked in, etc.
Maybe the issue was that the
Maybe the issue was that the people at the store needed their coffee!
I think it's safe to assume
I think it's safe to assume that Dunks now has better coverage than Verizon.
grampys, wasn't it?
And that snazzy old gas station,or am I in the wrong place?