The mocha lattes and Dunkaccinos from Dunkin’ Donuts will be missed by some students who are disappointed with the closing of the only doughnut shop on campus.
Dunkin’ Donuts, on the 1900 block of Liacouras Walk, closed for business two weeks ago, along with Togo’s and Baskin & Robbins, the two other shops that shared the retail space.
Kevin Duffey, one of the partners of the 1900 Campus Walk Limited Partnership, the organization that runs the shops on Liacouras Walk, said that the shop had always been poorly managed.
“There were times when I would go in, and they’d be out of stock of donuts or ice cream,” Duffey said. “There were also a couple of incidents with the police involving employee fighting.”
Duffey said there had been a dispute between the franchise owner and the corporate manager, and the franchisee decided to close the shop.
The news came as a surprise to students who have been left looking through the glass windows at the dark, empty shop.
Tiffany Roberts, a journalism student, said she was on her way to get a Dunkaccino when she was faced with the news.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is one of few places on campus that I trust its food,” Roberts said. “I can’t believe it’s gone”.
Other customers like Christy Bain said she will definitely miss Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee, which she used to get everyday before heading to her first class. Bain said she now goes to 7-Eleven for her coffee, but it’s not the same.
Richard Rumer, the university’s associate vice president of Business Services, said the space continues to be paid for by Dunkin’ Donuts Corporation. They are beginning to negotiate with other people interested in occupying it.
“We are planning to divide it into two: one food place and one not,” Rumer said.
Duffey said the space will again be split up.
“Most likely, we will have two national concepts that people would recognize coming in,” Duffey said.
He added that it was too early to comment about the new possible merchants, but that it doesn’t seem likely that Dunkin’ Donuts will be returning to Liacouras Walk.
“It’s a disappointment, because we always thought that Dunkin’ Donuts should do well on Temple’s campus,” Duffey said.
Dunkin’ Donuts was one of the many food outlets and retail shops that opened for business in October 2001.
Geraldine Rosado can be reached at grosado@temple.edu.
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