Hot or iced. Espresso or latte. Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks.
With the grand opening of a new restaurant on Route 125 in Haverhill last weekend, Starbucks is making a bold foray into territory long dominated by Dunks, as it’s fondly known around here.
But the Seattle-based coffee chain has a long way to go. While Starbucks has 30 stores in and around Boston, it has only a dozen or so north of the city. Meanwhile, there are close to 150 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises on the North Shore, and in the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire.
As the battle heats up over the coffee consumers of New England, Starbucks touts its music line-up, ambience and speciality drinks, while Dunkin’ Donuts relies on its bread and butter: good coffee at good prices.
The huge prevalence of Dunkin’ Donuts stores doesn’t seem to faze the Seattle-based chain, which has plans to grow from 13,700 stores now to 40,000 stores worldwide over the next several years – many of them in the Northeast.
“There is definitely room for growth in New England,” said Starbucks’ corporate spokeswoman Jennifer Guebert. “I don’t know the goal or the capacity. … There are so many markets in communities where customers ask for them that we haven’t ventured into.”
No worries, says the Canton-based Dunkin’ Donuts, which has deep roots in New England, going back to its founder Bill Rosenberg, who opened the first franchise in Worcester in 1955.
“Our customers know we’re the No. 1 retailer of hot and iced coffee in America, and that they can get it at an excellent price,” said Dunkin’ Donuts spokeswoman Suzanne Norwitz. “It’s fast, fresh and affordable – that is our mantra.
FranchiseBrief.com on June 11th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks?? Without any doubt I pick Dunkin Donuts