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The highlight of the L.A. Times op-ed page today isn't the paired recall pieces by Robert Scheer and Dan Schnur. It's Joseph Wambaugh's literary take on the news rocking the world of street cops everywhere, but especially in gritty L.A...
It started out like any other day. They pulled up to Dunkin' Donuts, and the other black-and-whites were there, and his little pard ran inside as usual to get his cuppa black. Suddenly the kid came flying back with a grin wider than Sunset Boulevard. "Guess what?" the young cop burbled. "Dunkin' Donuts is making a line of espresso! Cappuccino, latte, the works! And a venti is almost a buck cheaper than Starbucks'! And not only that "He couldn't make out the rest of it. He felt a tightness in his chest and got a ringing in his ears and a kind of vertigo. He had to steady himself against the car and take deep breaths.
This was the apocalypse.
You go Joe.
If you're right about that, it's a great catch!
Posted by: Kevin Roderick at September 30, 2003 05:13 PMThe Dunkin Donuts parent company, Allied Domecq, has Baskin Robbins and Togo franchises in California but no Dunkin' Donuts. Not in the entire state. They view the market as too competitive, especially Southern California. Winchells and the thousands of independent shops have a pretty good lock on CA, though Kripy Kreme is making inroads.
Does Wambaugh really live in CA? I guess the man hasn't left his Rancho Mirage house in about 10 years.
Posted by: donutfan at September 30, 2003 11:35 PMWhen did Dunkin Donuts move out of California? I remember growing up in Santa Clara County and going to DD with my parents quite often. Everyone loved the coffee because they make new coffee every 20 minutes, no matter how full the pot is. Therefore, it was always fresh!
Posted by: Josh at October 2, 2003 07:17 PMThere is or was a DD in Culver City (I think around Culver and Overland) and one in one of the beaches (Redondo or similar) around Sepulveda and Artesia.
[I'm still in Maine. Pourquoi? Peut-etre cuz il y a trois canals francophones ici, et les shows de "musique" de Quebec sont hysterical.]
Posted by: Lonewacko: I Blogged Across America at October 3, 2003 05:45 PMThere is a lone Dunkin Donuts in Sacramento. The last time I had an excuse to be in Sacramento I made a detour to pick up a dozen Boston Creams. It's put together with a Togo's and 31 Flavors and deffinately not the coffee shop experience I remember from New Jersey but dear god are those custard filled donuts good. I hope they put some new ones in but I doubt they will ever be near the bay area or LA. Mostly because a lot of the other things I miss about back east seem to only get put into the Fresno area like Sonic's drive thru and frozen custard stands.
Posted by: Harly at December 30, 2003 12:30 AM
of LA Observed
Cute -- but as far as I know, there aren't any Dunkin' Donuts outlets in Southern California (or the entire state, for that matter). I've read that the chain has looked at potentially moving back into the region, but for now, cops and the like have to settle for Krispy Kreme and the thousands of family-owned joints around town.
Posted by: Michael Schneider at September 30, 2003 04:57 PM