Julea Remke, marketing manager for the Gilligan Co., which owns 41 Dunkin’ locations in Ohio and Kentucky, said the franchise realized that during the coronavirus pandemic customers needed to be served faster in the drive-through.
The double window allows customers to pay at the first window, pick up food at the second, she said.
“People are in hurry in the morning and we needed to be more effective,” Remke said.
Dunkin’ accounts for 70 to 75 percent of its daily sales from the drive-thru and a large share of the restaurant’s sales are done by 11:30 a.m., said Pat Gilligan, the restaurant owner.
Remke said the Dunkin’ is designed to be the franchise’s new “next gen” model that features a modern design and doughnuts moved to a showcase near the front of the restaurant.
Gilligan owns the Fairfield location and two more that were built last year with the “next gen” design. Remke said the Gilligan Co. has a “very aggressive” expansion plan and expects to build more Dunkin’ locations around the region.
The Fairfield location is having a soft opening with a grand opening set for April, she said. By that time, the staff will be properly trained so the Dunkin’ can open and be “loud and proud,” she said.
Gilligan said the Fairfield location, which cost about $1.3 million to build, has about 20 full-time employees, The near-2,300-square-foot restaurant was built on just less than 1 acre remaining on the 2 1/2-acre property owned by Chick-fil-A, which opened its new Fairfield restaurant in November 2019.
This is the third Dunkin’ restaurant located in Fairfield. The city’s other Dunkin’ locations are on Ohio 4, near the southern Fairfield border at Crescentville Road, and at the Boymel Drive intersection. Gilligan does not own the other Dunkin’ locations.
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