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Dunkin’ celebrated the opening of its 100th Dunkin’ location in California last week. The Santa Ana, Calif., store is owned by Parag Patel, whose family owns 29 Dunkin’ shops around the U.S. This is Patel’s second “next generation” store and the first with kiosks.
Second generation franchisee Parag Patel said his Santa Ana, Calif., store is the ninth Dunkin’ in the U.S. to test kiosks. The large touchscreen devices are similar in look to the large screens found at remodeled or rebuilt McDonald’s Corp. restaurants. Dunkin’ said the brand is testing digital ordering kiosks and “evaluating feedback from our franchisees and guests” before making any move to rollout nationally.
The Dunkin’ kiosk allows customers to order everything from a single doughnut to breakfast sandwiches. Customers can also customize drink and food orders with the touchscreen system. The payment option, shown, includes payment via the brand’s loyalty program. This feature allows diners to earn points and pay for their check using gift cards or credit cards loaded on the app.
Orders from the kiosk are integrated directly with the point-of-sale system to ensure speedy service. A digital board, shown, near the pickup counter shows all customers the progress of their order.
The Santa Ana, Calif., location features a drive-thru, where loyalty, or DD Perks, members can pick up mobile orders placed through the Dunkin’ mobile app. When they select “drive-thru pick-up” on the app, customers can drive past the drive-thru speaker and pick up their order at the window.
The Santa Ana, Calif., next-generation store features Dunkin’s new “premium pour” system. The tap system, shown, offers cold beverages such as coffees, iced teas and cold brew coffee. One tap handle is dedicated for nitro infused cold brew. The store also features the brand’s new enhanced espresso machines, which franchisee Parag Patel said is contributing to higher sales in espresso drinks at his stores. Though he didn’t provide specific sales figures for “next gen” stores, Patel said, overall, the remodeled units are generating higher sales than his other locations.
The Santa Ana, Calif. ,next generation Dunkin’ store features high-top tables with wireless charging stations, shown. The company said the new store is one of 200 to 250 net new Dunkin’ restaurants the company plans to open in the U.S. each year. California is a target market for growth.
