See inside Dunkin's first-ever 'store of the future,' complete with cold-brew taps and a new two-lane drive-thru

Jessica Tyler

Nov 21, 2018, 23:19 IST

See inside Dunkin's first-ever 'store of the future,' complete with cold-brew taps and a new two-lane drive-thru

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler
Dunkin's first store of the future is in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Dunkin' Donuts- which is now just Dunkin'- revealed its plans for the "store of the future" in early September, starting with a name change that rolled out to about 50 stores earlier this year.
The name change is the beginning of a major rebrand that includes a new store design, new drinks, new espresso machines, and more.
The first store of the future opened in Quincy, Massachusetts, about 20 minutes away from the brand's headquarters. Here's what it's like.

Dunkin' Donuts - now just Dunkin' - revealed its plans for its "store of the future" experience in early September, starting with a name change that rolled out to about 50 stores earlier this year.

But the name change is only the beginning for Dunkin'. The Massachusetts-based coffee empire is undergoing a major rebrand that includes a new store design, drinks like nitro-infused cold brew, and digital-ordering kiosks. The rebrand also includes a focus on its new espresso, which required installing brand-new espresso machines at every store possible and conducting four- to five-hour training sessions for store managers nationwide.

The first Dunkin' store to be rebranded is located in Quincy, Massachusetts, about 20 minutes away from the brand's headquarters in Canton. The Quincy store has the new espresso machines, a mobile-order pickup station, a front-facing bakery case, an expanded grab-and-go selection, and a unique, two-lane drive-thru that caters to mobile orders.

Here's what we saw when we visited the new Dunkin' store:

Dunkin's new store is in Quincy, Massachusetts. Dunkin' Brands' vice president of strategic initiatives Dan Wheeler explained that the outside of the store was meant to feel more contemporary than most current Dunkin' stores.

The outside of the store has a sign that reads "America Runs on Dunkin'."

The most unique feature of the store is the two lane drive-thru. One lane is a traditional drive-thru, and the other is specifically for mobile orders. No other Dunkin' in the world has something similar.

The inside of the store is bright and open. It looks much more modern than most Dunkin' stores.

The store of the future has one of Dunkin's new espresso machines at the center. The store is designed specifically so that customers can watch the barista make their drink.

But Wheeler said out that Dunkin' likes to think of its employees as bartenders, not baristas, because of the new cold-drink tap system. The tap system features cold brew, nitro cold brew, iced tea, and other cold drinks.

Another new feature is the front-facing bakery case.

The bakery cases have doughnuts, munchkins, bagels, and other pastries.

The bakery items are also listed on digital menu boards above the counter.

The counter also has a few mobile-order pickup shelves.

If a customer arrives and their mobile order isn't ready, they can check the order status on a designated screen above the mobile-order pickup station.

The new Dunkin' has more seating than a typical Dunkin' store ...

... but it also has a much bigger grab-and-go selection.

Features from the store of the future in Quincy, like the cold-brew taps and front-facing bakery cases, will be rolling out to new Dunkin' stores throughout the US.

But other features like the two-lane drive-thru are likely going to stay unique to the Quincy store.

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