Your article “Choosing Our Religion” is interesting and pretty true. I’m from a middle-class Boston family and I can’t recall a time when we weren’t tagging along with my Mom or Dad to hit a Dunkies. Shit, two of my brothers worked at a store for a while. I am the black sheep of the family, however. I can barely gag down a Dunkies regulah — all cream and sugar: blech. Those Dunkies girls and boys love pouring in milk and cream. I am a Starbucks man now, but the rest of my Irish clan swear by Dunkies and still question my sexuality because I order a Venti Americano when I get my coffee.
Michael Morley
Scituate
I have to admit, this article irked me. I don’t ascribe to the way the media in Boston love to bash Starbucks and how evil it is. Is Dunkin’ Donuts really for the working person? What kind of benefits do employees at the precious Dunkies get? Anything? Nothing at all. Starbucks, on the other hand, cares about their employees: everybody who works at least 20 hours a week is eligible for benefits. I’ve worked at Starbucks for almost three years and I have no complaints. I feel respected as an employee, unlike the other customer-service jobs I’ve had. And what about the customer service at Dunkin’ Donuts? Most of the time when I go in there, they screw up my order. I have to taste it before I leave, to make sure it’s right. I understand that Dunkin Donuts is a New England institution, but it’s not as glorious and wonderful as this article portrays it to be. And customers at Starbucks aren’t all zombies staring into their computers: a lot of them do have real lives.
Shannon O’Connor
Malden
I’m writing to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your article on Dunkin’ Donuts. As a graduate student in religion who studies the role food plays in identity, I was particularly impressed by your handling of the topic. Many people who write popular articles on this subject offer shallow observations and clichés. Your piece, on the other hand, was quite thorough and informed. Thanks for writing such a great piece — one that I plan to use in future classes that I teach.
Jordan Rosenblum
Providence
Sadly, I moved from New England (big mistake) to Nevada — Las Vegas, to be precise. Alas, they have no Dunkin’ Donuts here. Instead, they have Starbucks, the most disgusting brew I have ever had. I want my Dunkin’ Donuts back. I have a list of things I wish to do once I’m back on the home sod: 1) Kowloons 2) Jevelis 3) Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s true they have the best coffee I have ever tasted, from Europe to America West nothing compares . . .
Steve Stornaiuolo
Las Vegas, Nevada
Dunkin’ Donuts is still strange to me. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Long Beach was spotlighted as having the second most doughnut shops per capita in Men’s Health mag, behind Fort Worth. But I don’t have an emotional connection to doughnuts. I wonder what the equivalent would be. I guess McDonald’s would be the closest thing we have to a famous export with brand loyalty. McDonald’s has that workingman’s feel. Bill Clinton famously loves their fries. Now living in Philadelphia, I have to admit that the coffee at DD isn’t that great. The coffee at Wendy’s is better.
