Kmart Corporation
Shott On Location: The Down-Low On That 'Upscale' Dunkin' Donuts
So this is the "new look" Dunkin' Donuts: garish orange and pink signage, comfortless metallic chairs, raffish menu graphics.
Kinda like the old-look Dunkin' Donuts--and catering to the same ol' stereotypical clientele: cops.
Around 3 p.m. on Thursday, the newest corner location for D.D. franchise Centurian Plaza Donuts LLC, located at 20th Street and Third Avenue, was crawling with recruits in Police Academy uniforms.
This reporter was expecting more distinct changes in appearance and customer base, after reading January's Crain's article.
The company was said to be unveiling a "more upscale store model," in order to lure white-collar workers away from Starbucks. The new 243 Third Avenue location, which opened on Wednesday, was supposed to be the premier outpost of this a la mode makeover.
The change was so subtle, however, I needed to hike six blocks to the next nearest Dunkin' Donuts on Third Avenue, at 26th Street, to even notice.
It seems to come down to this: The new look features trendy track lighting in the seating area; the old model uses mere Kmart-style flourescent bulbs.
If the purveyors of the big Box O' Joe truly want to hone in on the yuppie crowd, perhaps they should borrow a page from the Starbucks playbook--and get themselves a decent wireless-Internet provider.
It took about 20 minutes for this observer to hijack an external wi-fi connection. By that time, my marble-frosted donut and small black coffee were completely consumed.
- Chris ShottAstor Place: Moving Units at a Snail's Pace
This week, New York magazine looks at some possible reasons for the slow sales.
Was it Paul Goldberger's scathing New Yorker piece? (For those who forgot this critical takedown, Mr. Goldberger thankfully keeps it, like a trophy, on his website here).
Could it be the new fangled "condop?" Selling high-end units on a land-lease sure hasn't helped the Stanhope, either. (Third item down).
Or perhaps it's the neighborhood that's keeping away the super-swanky, downtown buyers--who may feel more at home in Tribeca--from dropping $5 or $10 million on an apartment. Perhaps they are a bit wary of the Sparks-drinking skateboarders or gloomy goth kids lingering around The Cube. Not to mention all those drunk NYU kids passing by late at night, or the not-so-spectacular views of the K-Mart across the street.
But maybe everything's actually alright in luxury real estate land. As Related VP David Wine tells the magazine: "[It's] a very big financial success." read more »
He might be right. But it's not surprising that when the pace of sales doesn't live up to the hyperbolic marketing campaigns that go into so many new starchitect-designed buildings, it may just appear to be a failure (even though it could turn a profit in the long run).
- Michael CalderonePols Hate Wal-Mart, But Consumers Don’t
Sculpture for Living, Dying in Cooper Square
Sculpture for Living.
One of the examples is the Charles Gwathmey-designed "Sculpture for Living," on Cooper Square, right across from the plaza with the Cube, which, the Journal reports, has sold one unit since September.
The superluxury environment planned for Cooper Square seems to be falling short. A tipster to Curbed wrote in to say that the fancy and excellent Astor Wines & Liquors, across the square, was moving out and was to be replaced by a Walgreen's.
"It's a good thing the cube is all nice and shined now because the neighbors are getting high class: Kmart, Chase, Starbucks x 2 [or 3 or 4—ed.], and soon Walgreens," the tipster wrote. read more »
Don't forget the Mud Truck, parked across the street near the entrance to the uptown 6 train. Note to rich people who actually buy in the Sculpture for Living: It's some of the best coffee downtown, even if it looks like a bunch of overgrown teens listening to Jimmy Cliff on an old boombox aren't the people to buy your coffee from.
- Tom McGeveranLadies! Open Up Your Purses
