By Staff
Project first one approved under new interchange development guidelines
By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
That’s right, folks, doughnuts galore from a brand-new franchise — provided the company obtains a building permit.
The city has been working with New Bern-based Avolis Engineering on the proposed project, Rodman said. Avolis has done engineering work for other Dunkin’ Donuts shops in New Bern, Havelock, Morehead City and Kinston, Rodman said. With the Washington project, Avolis is serving as the agent for the owner of the doughnut shops, Rodman said. He does not know the identity of the owner.
Just when the doughnut shop will open is unclear, Rodman said.
The franchise owner was not available for comment Friday, but will be available next week to discuss the Washington doughnut shop, said the manager of the New Bern Dunkin’ Donuts.
Plans call for the Washington Dunkin’ Donuts to be built on three former residential lots between West Fifth Street and Grimes Road.
The eatery, which will have drive-through service, will have two entrances/exits, one on West Fifth Street and one on Grimes Road. Once built, Dunkin’ Donuts will be located on the south side of West Fifth Street, just east of the traffic signals at West Fifth Street and Clark’s Neck Road.
The guidelines, adopted last year, are designed to better manage development around two interchanges that will be part of the U.S. Highway 17 bypass at Washington.
One interchange overlay districts for the bypass corridor is located where the bypass intersects U.S. Highway 264 near the southern end of Whispering Pines Road. The other is located where the bypass intersects U.S. Highway 17 adjacent to the northern end of Whispering Pines Road.
The first Dunkin’ Donuts was opened by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Mass., in 1950. Dunkin’ Donuts licensed its first franchise in 1955. Dunkin’ Donuts sells 52 varieties of donuts, several coffee beverages, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and other baked goods.
At the end of 2007, there were 7,988 Dunkin’ Donuts around the world, according to the Dunkin Donuts’ Web site. Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., which had $5.3 billion in global sales in 2007.
Editor’s note: The Associated Press Stylebook lists “doughnut” as the preferred spelling of the word. Dunkin’ Donuts uses another spelling of the word.