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.
“shopping for furniture shouldn’t require a trip to manhattan”
Absolutely agree. We really do need more home furnishing stores in Brooklyn. There are plenty of people here with money who need nice place settings and espresso machines. And no, I am not being sarcastic.
shopping for furniture shouldn’t require a trip to manhattan (or li or nj)
Montrose, as always a thoughtful well written post. Totally agreed that most people expect to do their high end retail in Manhattan and then come home to Brooklyn to chill out.
“interesting…”
Hardly.
Dunkin Donuts is owned by the Carlyle Group, once connected to both the Bush family and the Bin Ladins.
http://www.carlyle.com/Portfolio/item7440.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group
A few years ago two Dunkin Donuts shops were built on either side of a long-standing independent donut shop on 9th Street near Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, quickly putting the place out of business. Pretty vile in my opinion.
While this is hardly earth shattering news, I also don’t see what the big deal is. The entirety of Bklyn has a lower per capita income than Manhattan. Payless, Golden Krust, Dunkin Donuts, etc appeal to the majority of people here, that majority being middle and lower income folk.
I’m sure a Pottery Barn in PS or BH would do well, and maybe even a Coach store, so if they opened up, great, but it’s not like we’re on an island in the South Pacific. If we want to go to these places in Manhattan, they are pretty near where most people work, or easy to get to otherwise.
For me, the appeal of Brooklyn is that I get out of the subway, no matter what neighborhood, and I’m out of Manhattan. The temperature is cooler in the summer, there are less people, it’s quieter, and the whole scale and pace of life is less urgent, less big. Why drag Manhattan over to Brooklyn? While the presence of these places is in of themselves no big deal, and even desireable, it’s just another step in turning Brooklyn into Manhattan South. I would hope we don’t lose Brooklyn in the inevitable changes that occur.
Besides, if you don’t want to shop at Payless, etc, don’t. There are worse places than Dunkin Donuts, and I’ve been know to occasionaly indulge in a sugar rush.
bk could use a pottery barn
1 of 3 Starbucks in Bay Ridge is closing as part of Starbucks cost cutting plans.
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/29/31_29_ml_br_starbucks.html
G Man,
You made me curious… I just went on the starbucks website and looked at the store locator. While many of the Brooklyn stores are in the chunk o’ brooklyn between Prospect Park and Manhattan (what I’m assuming you’re calling the “Brownstone Belt), it’s actually surprising… especially for Starbucks… that they are spread around the borough and sort of “evenly.” Bensonhurst, bayridge (3 alone on 3rd ave), brigton beach and son on.
Interesting…