Dunkin' Donuts: the Starbucks of Brooklyn
“Despite an influx of hipsters and Manhattanites, moderately priced chain stores outnumber the hoity-toity multi-outlets in Brooklyn,” reports the Daily News, basing their assertions on a study released by the Center for an Urban Future earlier this year. We have 1,203 chains in Brooklyn, but many are on the moderate side. There are 89 Dunkin’…
“Despite an influx of hipsters and Manhattanites, moderately priced chain stores outnumber the hoity-toity multi-outlets in Brooklyn,” reports the Daily News, basing their assertions on a study released by the Center for an Urban Future earlier this year. We have 1,203 chains in Brooklyn, but many are on the moderate side. There are 89 Dunkin’ Donuts in Brooklyn, as compared to only 18 Starbucks, and Brooklyn has more 7-Elevens than any other borough. We also score high in Payless, Jimmy Jazz and Golden Krust stores, and low in Sephora, Pottery Barn and Coach.
Brooklyn Sweeter on Dunkin’ Donuts than Starbucks [NY Daily News]
Dunkin’ Donuts at Night. Photo by lab2112.
I think it’s hilarious that chain stores are being associated with the “Manhattanization” of Broojklyn. It wasn’t that long ago that none of those chain stores would set foot in Manhattan because they were busy spreading like roaches though every indoor mall throughout every suburban corner of the country. It wasn’t until they saturated suburban America that these chains turned their attention to Manhattan with it’s smaller retail footprints that required them to build multi-level stores and to break out of the cookie cutter store layouts that they could get away with replicating in all the malls. Pottery Barn is not associated with Manhattan in my mind – it’s associated with a suburban mall. I know that it sounds like I’m complaining here – but I’m not. I remember living in Manhattan and being annoyed that I had to go to the burbs to hit up a Crate and Barrel. If you look up the statistics (I forget where I saw them) Brooklyn is definitely on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of SF of retail space per capita, so I say, the more the merrier. There’s plenty of opportunity to add a couple of Restoration Funritures and still keep all the mid range stores that make you all feel that Brooklyn is somehow more “authentic”.
We need an Outback for the “Bloomin’ Onion”
I could have sworn there was a gap on 86th street in bay ridge. I do with the BR in Brooklyn Heights was bigger though. I hate having to shop in Manhattan for new office pants.
I used to go to D&D exclusively until it finally dawned on me: Starbuck’s is actually cheaper.
I don’t fuck with the fancy drinks, but the iced coffee at Starbucks is definitely cheaper, and much, much better. Add to that the fact that Starbucks is much nicer and treats its employees better, and I have no idea how D&D still does so well.
And if that Carlyle Group comment is true, that’s even more of a reason to never go there again.
That Gap was in a rather lovely, now decimated building that had a Burger King. not sure what’s there now but it looked to maybe have been a temple o’ money before it morphed into burger king.
Brooklyn (similar to Manhattan) has high and low… there’s not a lot in the way of “middle ground” except for the chain stores. There’s some, so don’t throw lots of exceptions my way. Generally, the contrast is 99cent stores and fancy little knickknack shops… and bodega sanwiches and french bistro.
The chains seem to be the only thing filling in the gap… including the Gap.
im surprised people havent shouted at you for shopping at the gap instead of overpriced “local business”, Rehab
Interesting– thanks, Gap spotters. Still, if you do a store locator on Gap’s website, you’ll see that the company itself doesn’t seem to know it has stores in BK. Weird.
also a Gap on 86th Street between 4th and 5th aves in the Century 21 Shopping district. not that i shop there 🙂