Dunkin' Donuts Comes To The UK!!!!

I'm not a big DD fan either...it was very rare that I would go to one in the US...except maybe in the summer for an iced coffee. For donuts and stuff we went to a local place called Heavnly Donuts and they were so awesome. Donuts made on site and they had the BEST apple fritters!! Drooling now. My mom told me the other day that they had stopped in and got half a dozen mini fritters and some pumpkin muffins, just to rub it in. She's so evil!
Here, I really enjoy just going into Costa and getting a large latte and just relaxing 

If you'd have said Tim Horton's was coming to the UK, I might have gotten excited. The US can keep DD and their dry-ass donuts. 

Some friends and I have a standing date once a month to try a different local independent coffee shop. They've all been brilliant and we've found some real treasures. You can keep DD, Starbucks, Costa and the lot of 'em! 

If you'd have said Tim Horton's was coming to the UK, I might have gotten excited. The US can keep DD and their dry-ass donuts. 

Tim Horton's is in the UK, associated with Spar corner shops (Spar is Dutch; go figure  ). They are in Manchester airport. Though they do not taste the same to me: I figure it's because they're not using Canadian flour. 

I really just like Tim's breakfast sandwiches and their tea. Yum!  Not so much their donuts. Once you've had a donut from Paula's Donuts in Buffalo NY, no other donut will compare - these are old-fashioned, glorious, hand-made donuts. *sigh*

Reminds me when we were in Clearwater last year and the first morning we were there was DW's birthday so I thought I'd surprise her and I nipped out early in the morning to find the DD that I'd noticed was advertised in our welcome pack as being nearby. I must have drove around for a hour trying to find it before I eventually located it inside a petrol station on the corner near our holiday apartment!
Anyway I went in and seeing the array of doughnuts I thought "oh Boston Creme! That sounds good" (not knowing what it was, I thought it was fresh cream!) so I thought "well, I'd like that but I'm sure if I just get one then DW will want it" so I got 2 of those and 2 others.
I got back and she was pleased I'd been to DD but said "as long as you got anything but Boston Creme, I hate that!"
AH! I'm not likely to forget that now!

The thing is, this is also gonna put some heavy competition on Krispy Kreme, which are also over here, either in Tescos or as shop in their own right!!

Oh well, as I always say, Competition is good!!

Oh well, as I always say, Competition is good!!

But the playing field is not level when it comes to the independent coffee shops. It's not competition - it's annihilation.

But then I do consider Dunkin' Donuts coming over here to join all the other American fast food chains a sort of a "trade-off", if you like!! America is opening up more and more British and Irish style pubs, particularly in the big cities, like NY, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St Paul, Washington DC, etc.

When I went to Minneapolis last year, I went to a pub on Nicolett Ave, called The Local and chose their fish & chips(even served in a plastic basket wrapped up in greaseproof newspaper print paper!!LOL), and I also noticed on the menu Steak & Kidney Pie, Shepherds Pie, even a "Sunday Roast"!! and all washed down with Newcastle Brown Ale, Guinness and other British beers!!

America even has a fish & chip chain restaurant called Long John Silvers, albeit prepared slightly different and serving such things as chicken "planks", shrimp, clams and crab cakes!! Damn!! I could murder a Long John Silvers right now!!

So, why cant everything be reciprocal and we have American food joints here??

So, why cant everything be reciprocal and we have American food joints here??

We can. And we do. I just don't like it. That's all.

But there is a difference between someone opening up a great little American-style deli, for instance, and a big chain like DD coming in. I'd be very much in favour of the former. It's big chains that I can't stand.

I would not go out of my way for DD; I come from the home of Krispy Kreme (Winston-Salem, NC) and that is definitely my preferred sugar rush.

Someone mentioned Five Guys...now THAT I would almost search for.....assuming they stay true to their concept.

We can. And we do. I just don't like it. That's all.

But there is a difference between someone opening up a great little American-style deli, for instance, and a big chain like DD coming in. I'd be very much in favour of the former. It's big chains that I can't stand.

But a great little American-style deli would never open up over here, because the majority of the Brits are so self-righteous and holier than thou regarding portion sizes, because, as we know a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich with all the extras, for example, served in a deli in NYC or Chicago or Philadelphia is about 10-15 times, even more, than the size of a deli-type sandwich here!! A friend of mine gasps in horror at the sizes of meals on that Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!!!

As soon as Britain gets off their self-righteous, holier than thou, healthy "high horse" the better!! In fact, when I used to live in the USA, I can honestly say, that I was far healthier over there than I am here!!

As soon as Britain gets off their self-righteous, holier than thou, healthy "high horse" the better!!

And I'm out.

Except there is no evidence that Starbucks causes small shops to shut down. 

http://blogs.reuters.com/small-business/2009/06/24/starbucks-and-small-business/

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_minute/2007/12/dont_fear_starbucks.html][url]http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_minute/2007/12/dont_fear_starbucks.html[/url]

Personally I'd rather the American food chains didn't set up shop here - as much as I enjoy visiting them when I'm in the US, I don't need them to be in the UK too - takes the novelty out of going to them when I'm in the US.

There's been such an influx of American brands and culture into the UK in the last 20 years or so that you can't go anywhere in the UK these days without seeing a US food outlet... I really don't see the need for even more of them.

As soon as Britain gets off their self-righteous, holier than thou, healthy "high horse" the better!!

Aren't you British yourself though? You talk about the Brits as if you're not one of us  .