Let the Coffee Wars Continue…
Last time I wrote about coffee wars, it was Starbucks vs. Juan Valdez, an epic roaster showdown on Seventh Street.
Now it appears the field of battle will expand to the dreaded War on Two Fronts scenario. The Post is reporting that venerable New England chain Dunkin’ Donuts (recently acquired by DC’s own Carlyle Group) plans to launch its expansion in the Washington/Baltimore area, with a purported additional 325 stores by 2010. And of course, they’ve started off by opening a new store in Eastern Market across the street from a Starbucks, exactly Juan Valdez’s tactic in Penn Quarter.
Every morning before dropping me off at high school, my dad would stop at Dunkin’ Donuts – he for a steaming cup of joe, while I would devour a hefty doughnut (ah, the days when carbs were cool!). But ever since my move to the Almost South, I’ve become a Krispy Kreme convert (at least as far as doughnuts are concerned. I know a lot of people who still prefer the Dunk’s coffee to Starbucks or any other). So I’m interested to see if more Dunkin’ Donuts in DC will sway my loyalty back. Or if Firehook will remain my drugstore (ah, coffeeshop) of choice.
In any event, the most interesting thing to me is whether or not we’re reaching the point where the coffeeshop market is over-saturated, or whether the expansion of these other java players will continue unabated for the caffeinated good of all. So let the battle continue!
I cannot wait for this Boston institution to grace more D.C.-area streets.
I live in the Eastern Market neighborhood where Dunkin Donuts recently opened. I never went to Starbucks anyway, but now I have a more convenient option for coffee before getting on the Metro (don’t worry, I don’t drink it on the train).
I think Dunkin’ Donuts is hitting on only one cylinder both on the doughnut and coffee fronts. Both are substandard, in my opinion, when you can have Krispy Kreme doughnuts and almost any other type of coffee.
I just moved from central MA and am glad to be away from all that icky, sticky coffee and the bad doughnuts. Give me a KK any day! For coffee, I believe Starbucks is pretty low. It’s always way too bitter. I have taken to making my own coffee, using Trung Nguyen brand from my local Vietnamese market. It’s rich and smooth, not harsh like the cup of Seattle you have to add sugar and cream to just to stand the taste.
Just my two cents.