CARIBOU, Maine — PGR Construction of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and local contractor Soderberg Construction have broken ground on a new “next generation Dunkin’” restaurant on Bennett Drive in Caribou, a project that has been in the works since mid- to late 2018.
This new restaurant will be among the first of the brand’s “next generation,” according to a Dunkin’ spokesperson, who added the company has started to phase out the word “Donuts” in the name “Dunkin’ Donuts.”
While “donuts” were taken out of the name, they still will be sold at all Dunkin’ locations. According to a September 2018 company press release, the name change came about as Dunkin’ officials began to notice customers referring to the company by the truncated monicker, or “on a first name basis.”
Caribou Zoning Administrator Ken Murchison said Wednesday that work is expected to be finished within “approximately 90 days.” Once completed, it will be Caribou’s first standalone Dunkin’, but it won’t be the first iteration of the restaurant in the city, as Dunkin’ Donuts has been serving coffee and doughnuts at the Caribou Food Trend convenience store on High Street for several years.
Murchison said the project is part of a larger “renaissance of sorts for this area of our community.” New restaurant construction is occurring alongside the construction of a new pre-kindergarten-eight school and park on Bennett Drive, the development of Lindley Estates (Caribou’s first condominium project) on Glenn Street, as well as repairs to High Street.
Dunkin’ officials say the new Caribou store will feature a gray aesthetic to replace the former brown color tones and a tap system for cold brew coffees infused with nitrogen.
The new store is expected to employ roughly 25 to 30 individuals.
