If you happened to pass Wilshire and 12th Street in Santa Monica early this morning, you may have noticed a few hundred people wrapped around the block, a handful of television crews, and a glowing pink and orange sign that, until now, has not existed in LA. But it's here, finally: At 5am, the doors to Dunkin' Donuts in Santa Monica opened, the crowd cheered, and New Englanders everywhere (well, at least in LA) breathed a sigh of relief. Some had waited throughout the night; some came an hour before.
Johnny Hoops waited for almost two days.
"I'm originally from Connecticut, and I love Dunkin' Donuts," he said, shortly after emerging, victorious, with his iced coffee, two donuts and a box of Munchkins. Hoops had plunked his chair down outside the store on Sunday night at 9:30—as the first person in line, he'll receive free coffee for one year. "I've been living in California for 20 years. I mean, I have Dunkin' Donuts when I go back home but I miss going all the time." Hoops, who lives in Studio City, definitely earned his breakfast. "It was hard," he said, talking about camping out. "You can't leave to go get food—I had friends bring food to me. When I went to the bathroom, I had to have my friends sit and save my spot. They think I'm crazy, but they were also supportive."
There were some waiting in line who didn't have their eye on a Dunkin' swag bag, given to the first 100 customers. Joe Hospodor from Hollywood arrived at 4:30am, a mere half hour before opening. Still, the nostalgia was strong with this one. "A lot of my family is from back east," he explained. "On our trips home to visit—if we were good while waiting in the airport—our treat was always Dunkin' Donuts. I'm looking forward to getting a dozen donuts, being able to hold them in my hands. And their coffee—I know the coffee doesn't get a good rep out here because people think it tastes bland, but I especially like their iced coffee." Is he going to share the wealth with his co-workers this morning? "Sure. I feel like it's a good excuse for being late—showing up with the gold that is Dunkin' Donuts."
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Inside, the shop looked like every other Dunkin'—I could have sworn that one of the cashiers even had a Boston accent, though that just could have been a case of transference. Regardless, the usual suspects were on the menu: the breakfast sandwich combos, the tater tots, the Munchkins, the iced coffee, the Dunkaccino, the Coolatta, the Box o' Joe, as well as a new dark roast blend that will expand nationwide on September 22 (there was also the announcement of their fall pumpkin blend, proof that they really are trying to bring New England to the West Coast). Most people came out with an iced or hot coffee and a box of Munchkins, a look of triumph mixed with exhaustion on their face. "I need this coffee," they all said.
Hoops wasn't saving his breakfast for later, either. "I haven't eaten for a while," he said. "I've been waiting in line, so I'm hungry." With a camera crew trained on him, he popped a chocolate Munchkin in his mouth.
Hooray, it's open! You can visit the Santa Monica location at 1132 Wilshire Boulevard. Excited for this expansion? Let us know in the comments below!