The Dandee Donut Factory a new local Breakfast and Lunch destination (plus excellent donuts)!

In Massachusetts, we have had a long history and love affair with donuts. I remember a time in the 1950s and 60s when every city or town had at least one Mom & Pop Donut (or Doughnut) shop. In fact in Medford, I can recall Town Line Donuts on Salem Street near the Fellsway, Country Donuts (still operating and now called Donuts with a Difference) in Medford Square as well as Pauline’s Donuts in Medford Square and West Medford Square. There was also Donut Time on Main Street in South Medford. Not far away, about a mile from the Medford/Somerville town line was Johnson’s Doughnuts in Somerville.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Mister Donuts were national chains with roots here in the Bay State. In fact two brother-in-laws Bill Rosenberg and Harry Winokur started with a place called the Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. This business morphed into Dunkin’ Donuts by 1950 and due to a disagreement about how to grow the chain, Winokur left Dunkin’ and started Mister Donut in 1956.

The Original Dunkin’ Donuts, Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass.
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Brands

The original Dunkin’ Donuts after it had a retro renovation,
December 4, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera

Mister Donut, Route 3A, Weymouth Mass.
May, 1992 photo by Larry Cultrera

More recent chains have developed locally in Massachusetts such as Honey Dew Donuts which started in Mansfield in 1973 and Heav’nly Donuts started in Methuen in 1975. A long-time favorite of mine, Kane’s Donuts in Saugus started in 1955 by the Kane family and now owned by the Delios family since 1989 has expanded to 3 locations in the last few years with a small location in Boston (2015) and another larger location on Route 1 south in Saugus (2019).

Original Kane’s Donuts location, Lincoln Ave. Saugus, Mass.
November 25, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera

Another small place is Donut Villa in Malden which has been around since the 1970s and was recently bought by new owners a few years ago. Now known as Donut Villa Diner, these new owners have expanded to locations in Arlington and Cambridge.

Donut Villa Diner, Malden, Mass.
July 4, 2016 photo by Larry Cultrera

Also, for a few years we had Krispy Kreme Doughnut franchises in New England (most have been closed).

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Medford, Mass.
June, 2003 photo by Larry Cultrera

Canadian Donut Chain, Tim Horton’s opened a few stores, mostly in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I believe they took over former Bess Eaton Donut locations.

Tim Horton’s Donuts location, Near Fall River, Mass.
Photo by Larry Cultrera

Other notable donut shops in the Greater Boston Area are Anna’s Handcut Donuts in West Roxbury, Gail Ann Coffee Shop in Arlington, Coffee Time Bake Shop in Salem, Ziggy & Son’s Donuts also in Salem and Donna’s Donuts in Tewksbury. Further afield is Donut Dip in West Springfield.

Back in July of this year, Denise and I changed up our usual destination for breakfast on Saturday mornings. We decided to try a new place that opened just over a year ago on the eastbound side of the Revere Beach Parkway (where U.S. Route 1 crosses over) in Revere, Massachusetts. This new place is The Dandee Donut Factory, the only Massachusetts location of a small chain out of southern Florida that serves breakfast and lunch along with their really delicious hand cut donuts. Part of the draw was the fact that it opens early – 5:00 AM, 7 days a week and the other convenient reason is no matter where we actually have gone to breakfast in the recent past, we usually end up about a mile away from where this donut shop is on a regular errand!

The Dandee Donut Factory, 1141 Revere Beach Parkway,
Revere, Mass. July 17, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

The chain founded in 1980 by Peter Spyredes and Frank Pucine with a shop located at 1900 Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach Florida. Another was opened at 1422 South Federal Highway in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Spyredes and Pucine sold the company to current owners David Zion & David Groom in 2012 who subsequently opened a new location at 3101 North State Road in Margate, Florida and the Revere, Massachusetts location more recently in December, 2022.

General Manager David Ferrara with a table of
regular customers.
December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

General Manager David Ferrara schmoozing with the Kelly sisters.
December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

Some of the crew – left to right includes…
Kevin, Gio, Shelley and Shawn
December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

Jazmin – one of our favorite servers, with the selection
of donuts. December 9, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

Another view showing a selection of donuts
December 9, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera

Back in July after trying it out for the first time, we realized that they offered a decent breakfast and lunch menu besides their really great donuts. Breakfast items consist of egg sandwiches and egg dishes, from the All-American (2 eggs any style cooked to order with sides), Seven types of 3-egg omeletes including a “build your own”. Sides include bacon, corned beef hash, and sausage (choice of patty or links). They also offer sides of potatoes – homefries and hashbrown.

Lunch at The Dandee Donut Factory features various hot or cold sandwich items as well as Grilled Cheese, 1/2 pound Angus Burgers, Footlong Angus Beef Hot Dogs, Homemade Soups, Beef Stew or Chili, Salads and Salad Platters, along with sides of French Fries, Homefries and potato chips.

But the star of the show is certainly the donuts (51 varieties) which are larger than other commercially available donuts (read Dunkin’). I highly recommend their filled donuts like the Bavarian Creme or Boston Creme along with Blueberry, Lemon and Apple, these are huge and completely filled. Also their Apple Fritters are among the best I have ever tried. They also feature Coffee Rolls, Maple Bacon donuts and other frosted delectables. Bagels and Muffins are available as well.

The Dandee Donut Factory is very much involved with the community and helps with fundraisers and other charitable endeavors. Sometime in November, Denise and I now visit The Dandee Donut Factory on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for breakfast and the occasional weekday lunch. In closing if you are ever in the Boston area, you should definitely head over to Revere and check out The Dandee Donut Factory, they are open 5:00 AM to 3:00 PM, 7 days a week, tell them I sent you!!!!

Notes from the Hotline, December 4, 2011

Fourth Author Event in Webster

We had another nice Author Event yesterday, this time at Booklovers’ Gourmet located at 55 East Main Street (Route 12) in Webster, Mass. It is a small store set in the first floor of an old house packed with new and used books, as well as a small selection of gifts and artwork for sale. They also have a decent selection of coffee’s, tea’s and chai’s along with some fresh pastry from a bakery in nearby Putnam, CT. Owner Debra Horan was very nice and we met some customers who purchased my book. For those who could not make it, the remainder of her stock (of Classic Diners of Mass.) have been signed for anyone who wants to purchase it.

Left to right, Denise Cultrera, Larry Cultrera and owner Debra Horan
at Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster. Photo by Lorraine Ostrokolowicz

Original Dunkin Donut store gets a retro revamp

The original Dunkin Donut store located at 543 Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass. has just received a quick 11-day renovation that has the place looking like a modern version of its 1950’s look. The store located near the corner of Bracket Street and the Southern Artery (Route 3A), was first opened in 1948 by Bill Rosenberg, (the founder of Dunkin Donuts) under the name “Open Kettle” and was an adjunct to his other business, Industrial Luncheon Service.

By 1950 Rosenberg decided  the name of the store needed to reflect the actual product that he was selling, basically coffee and donuts.  That is when the name changed to Dunkin Donuts.

Publicity photo from Dunkin Donuts featuring the original Quincy location.
A fair number of the Dunkin Donuts locations in the Boston area have an enlargement of this hanging somewhere prominently in the stores.

The signage was notable with the letters “in” actually dipping down lower than the other letters symbolizing the “Dunkin” part of the name. The building has gone thru many “looks” over the last 60 years, reflecting the chains appearance in any given time. The new renovation represents a retro look back in a modern sort of way! It even has a small “L” shaped counter with fixed stools evoking the feeling and ambiance that the early stands had.

I first heard about this from the Boston Globe, November 30, 2011 in an article written by Christina Reinwald for the business section of that day’s newspaper. I would put a link to the article but you now have to be a subscriber to read it. That’s technology for you! Anyway, after reading the article, I decided a quick trip was in order to shoot a few photos and today (Sunday) seemed to be the ideal time.

So, on the way over Denise and I went and had breakfast at the Wheelhouse Diner (also in Quincy) and boy, that place was hopping when we got there. Grill-man extraordinaire, Doug Showstead was his usual pleasant and efficient self. He always makes us feel welcome and told me at least 10 people have come into the diner in the last month or so and mentioned about the appearance of the Wheelhouse in my Classic Diners of Mass. book.

After breakfast we drove over to Dunkin Donuts so I could take my photos. As you can see, the new signage is a smaller version of the original, only with backlit plastic covered letters instead of neon.

Original Dunkin Donut store at 543 Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass. December 4, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera

Original Dunkin Donut store at 543 Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass. December 4, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera

Original Dunkin Donut store at 543 Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass. December 4, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
I was standing in the middle of the street to get this shot, thank goodness it was a Sunday morning!

A close-up of the little plaque they have to the right of the entrance announcing that this is the first Dunkin Donut store, circa 1950.

This little project was a combined effort between the franchisee and the Corporate Headquarters of Dunkin Donuts to make the store look the way it does. According to the report, this will be the only Dunkin Donut outlet to reflect this style! Overall, I like the look and always enjoy when a company makes a nod to their past. I applaud all involved.