Sunday Morning at Dunkin' Donuts

Ah well this was a pretty good weekend. We got a lot done around the house and still managed to fit in some fun and family time in the mix. Sunday we woke up still pretty worn out from our marathon of house cleaning all day Saturday. So we decided to go out for a little breakfast. We decided on the Dunkin' Donuts up in Olney, MD for a quick breakfast samich and coffee.

I've been digging Dunkin Donuts lately, the company has really stepped up in refreshing their brand over the past 5 years or so. The attention given to remodelling the stores is noticeable, the coffee has improved greatly, and the offerings outside of their doughnuts has also improved. The Lady and I walk in to the joint with Little Man in tow. Not much of a line, and three cashiers on duty, this place really looked to be on the ball.

The set-up was standard, there was counter with the three cash registers, and one of those expandable line dividers to seperate the line of folks waiting from those folks making their orders. Pretty standard, same set-up found in banks, bookstores and fast food joints throughout the nation. However it must be a tough concept for doughnut eating Olney residents. We line up at the what is clearly the beginning of the queue... behind the little divider. More folks enter the restuarant, instead of lining up behind us, the get right up behind one of the people ordering as the cash register, basically cutting in front of us and showing total disregard for the suggested queue area. Lady informs them where the line is squashing any notion that they are ordering ahead of us.

After we sit down to eat, we notice that folks continue to ignore the queue area instead deciding as a group that lining up right up behind people at the counter is a better idea despite the fact that it boxes the poor people in who are trying to get away from the counter with hot coffee and breakfast, the crowd also starts to block the only doorway making entering and exiting considerablly difficult. PLUS since they are all deciding to crowd as a blobby, chaotic line group instead of organized in the true queue area, none of them can see the donuts or the menu on the wall above the cashiers. We just watched, dumbfounded by the stupidity of this Sunday morning crowd. Maybe folks are just mentally challenged until they get that morning rush of sugar and caffeine.

Adding to the confusion and inconvenience of moving around this little doughnut shop. A couple of the employees decided that the peak of the Sunday morning brunch crunch was the perfect time to sweep and mop the floors. I'm happy that these employees are into keeping their establishment clean and sanitary, but mopping down the floors during one of the busiest times of the week just seems to be a bit idiotic. It was quite an orchestra of disfunction and disorder. Made for an entertaining breakfast.


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