Does Dunkin' Donuts donate enough dough? It will in Edgewater

Timing is everything. The latest Dunkin' Donuts store, at 2001 Sheridan Boulevard, opened at the very end of 2013 -- right in time to enjoy a big boom in business from those waiting in line to buy legal pot at the nearby Northern Lights on January 1. But the grand...

By Patricia Calhoun

January 3, 2014

Audio By Carbonatix

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Timing is everything. The latest Dunkin' Donuts store, at 2001 Sheridan Boulevard, opened at the very end of 2013 -- right in time to enjoy a big boom in business from those waiting in line to buy legal pot at the nearby Northern Lights on January 1. But the grand opening celebration actually starts on January 7, when the first fifty guests who visit this location will receive a VIP Dunkin' Donuts travel mug. And from January 7 through January 21, the store's visitors will each receive a free medium hot or iced coffee.

To celebrate its official opening, Dunkin' Donuts is partnering with a local nonprofit, the Edgewater Optimist Club; 20 percent of the sales on January 7 will be donated to that group. "Edgewater is a wonderfully unique, locally-focused community. It's the perfect fit for a new Dunkin' Donuts restaurant, and we look forward to being an everyday stop for those who work and live in the area," says Josh Blanchard, part of Vanguard Capital Partners LLC (the other partners are Matthew Schnittman and Douglas Kelsall), which owns and operates the store.

This store, which is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., has both an eat-in area and a drive-thru -- and possibly the best view at any of this town's increasing number of Dunkin' Donuts: Right over Sloan's Lake.

While the Edgewater store has built charity into its business model, some people don't believe Dunkin' Donuts is giving enough. A Connecticut woman has started a drive to make Dunkin' Donuts donate its leftovers to charity. "I couldn't believe it when I found out how wasteful my local Dunkin' Donuts is," writes Nancy Lewis. "Every day when new donuts arrive, my local store gathers up their leftover donuts and muffins and throws them into the dumpster. They don't allow employees to take any home, and even though there's a food bank one block away, they won't donate these perfectly good leftovers to the needy." Want to sign on? Find out more about the petition here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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