Really, though, this business concept will work in other, more permanent, spaces as well.  I have designed the logo and graphic language for the concept.  I have also designed the menu and developed all the recipes.  This could be a very fun Summer start-up project.  I am currently looking for space and investing partners.  Please contact me if you would like more details.

Quoted from the Apple post-purchase Customer Survey that I filled out after buying an iPad 2 at their Manhattan Upper West Side store:

“That day was the fourth day that I arrived at the Apple Store at 6AM to stand in line to buy an iPad (Thurs 21st, Fri 22nd, Sat 23rd & Mon 25th). On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, after waiting for between 20 minutes – 1 hour, we were told there were no iPads that day.  This evident disconnect between the channels of distribution and Apple’s own branded retail store seems ridiculous to me.  Especially from a tech company such as Apple.  A company that tracks and reviews every song download and iPhone/iPad application proposal.  For the retail store to tell me and every other customer that they “have no idea” what they will be receiving that day is crazy.  Someone does.  Even possibly as little as two people up the supply chain.  If Apple wanted to have that information available, they (you) would.  What if a potential customer could log onto iTunes or a special Apple website at midnight the night before and find out what each store would be offering in the morning: 10 iPad 64G, 15 iPad 32G AT&T, etc.  Or none for that matter.  That way the customer wouldn’t have to waste their time getting up ridiculously early and go to the store only to find that, oops!, there are no iPads that day.  Come back tomorrow and try again!  Apple would still sell the same amount of iPads.

And please do not use the excuse that giving out this retail availability information would allow people to game the system.  The system is already being gamed.  12 of the 13 people ahead of me in line yesterday morning were Chinese.  I tweeted a photo of it if you would like to see evidence.  They all bought two iPads.  And the ones that I saw while I was waiting to purchase mine all paid in cash.  I am not sure what is going on here but I bet someone at Apple does.  Is a blind eye being turned?  The New York Times even wrote an article about it happening at the Soho store a few months ago in regards to the iPhone 4.

I am a designer and brand consultant so I understand the concept of leveraging distribution to build demand.  But if the system that is put in place to manage demand is not designed correctly, it has the potential of doing harm to the brand image.  Maybe I am alone in thinking this, but to me it does not take much thought to realize that Apple’s system of distribution and customer information is flawed.  And we the customers suffer.  If I didn’t need this iPad for a trip this week I would have never stood in line four times and be turned away three times to buy one.  I definitely won’t do it again.  I like Apple.  But I like Apple a lot less than I did before standing in line a week ago.”

A similarly (but not quite as) large number of you have also been into a Dunkin’ Donuts.  And invariably stood in line in that Dunkin’ Donuts.  How did that waiting experience compare to the Starbucks line?

I have been thinking recently about how similar both Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are.  Yet how different.  Both brand’s core products are more similar than it might seem.  Coffee drinks, pastry-type edibles and a few extras.  But I would submit that the experiences in both stores are so different that we might have a hard time thinking of them as competitors.

First and foremost in the brand differentiation is the customer experience of waiting in line in the store.  It is just my conjecture but I will bet that you usually don’t mind the Starbucks ’sequence of experience’ of ordering, paying and then waiting for your drink.  And I will also bet that you usually find the same ’sequence of experience’ at Dunkin’ Donuts to be frustrating and too slow.

Why such a marked difference in experience?  I think it has a lot to do with how each customer is addressed by the brand at points along the sequence path.  At Starbucks the cashier, or brand representative, greets you and takes your order.  For most drink orders, they pass it along to the barrista who is busily making drinks while being visible, and vocal, to the entire store.  The cashier may grab a pastry out of the case or pour a regular coffee for you but they are quickly back to the register for you to pay.  You then move over to the barrista station to wait for your drink which usually takes no more than a couple minutes.

As an aside, the Spring Street Starbucks in New York’s SoHo, one of the busiest stores in the country, recently renovated the space and added a ‘greeter’ position to the experience.  This person greets the customer and asks what they want.  The greeter then radios the order via headset to the barrista about 15 feet (5m) away.  A moment later when you step up to the next open cashier, they ask you your order again to double check as they charge you.  This feels like a redundant step to me and I think the greeter position should be eliminated.  But I appreciate the effort of Starbucks to experiment with new ways of making the purchase experience better.

But back to the discussion at hand.  The Dunkin’ Donuts experience is not very different.  But different enough.  Upon entering, the customer is usually faced with a ‘line forms here’ sign and a small arrow.  Instructions that are missed maybe 10% of the time which can cause ‘next customer’ uncomfortableness.  As you wait in line you watch the cashiers handle each order mostly by themselves, getting the donuts, making the drinks, bagging everything, etc.  Consequently, a lot of time goes by where a customer is standing in front of an untended register.  The perception from the line then starts to change from that of passivity to one of questioning, “is that guy being helped?”  ”Where are the employees?”  ”Why is this taking so long?”  The situation gets even worse when someone orders a sandwich or wrap from their lunch-ish savory menu.  Then the Dunkin’ employees disappear deeper into the back of the store and do stuff with food that can’t easily be seen from the front.  And it takes a long time.  I am willing to bet that many more people have stepped out of a Dunkin’ Donuts line than have stepped out of a Starbucks line.   The perception that things are just moving way too slowly  and that it will take too long to get a coffee is much easier to arrive at in a Dunkin’ Donuts than at Starbucks.

So how might Dunkin’ Donuts improve the customer experience and reinvigorate their brand?  This, of course, is a topic for a much bigger discussion than just this article, but a we can start with a few suggestions…

First, to follow up from the previous descriptions, Dunkin’ Donuts would do well to keep someone at the cashier station and have other staff dedicated to the filling of orders.  Instead of a ‘barrista’ they could be called ‘donuteers’, ‘glazers’, ‘holers’… whatever.  A catchy name that sticks.  But keep them back there filling orders to keep the line moving.

Also, since we are talking about lines, a couple things are very important in regards to the process of ordering and then waiting for that order to get filled.  Dunkin’ Donuts lines typically are standing in front of large areas of unattractive wood laminate.  Essentially visual baffles for the coffee makers they have behind them.  With maybe a shelf full of bags of coffee and plastic travel mugs nearby.  Which amounts to not much.  This view has to change!  A Starbucks line always passes by a chill case full of bottled drinks, prepped sandwiches and salads as well as a case at eye level of pastries.  Often are the times I have walked into a Starbucks after lunch thinking I would just get a coffee and end up succumbing to the temptation of adding a brownie to my order.  Which brings me to a big question: why why why are the donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts behind the cashier???  They should be in your face as you wait in line so you can press your nose up to the glass and get a good look at the dripping chocolate glaze.

The other lesson that can be learned from the Starbucks queue is to always keep the line moving.  Having customers order and move to another location to wait for their drinks is smart planning.  At the very least the movement from one location to the other keeps people in line happy that they continue to move forward and it keeps the post-order customer content in the perception that they are moving to another location so good things must be going on with their order.  Ordering at the cashier and then standing in the same spot to wait gets boring.  And the people in line behind you get antsy.  Even moving just to the side of the register to wait so the next person can place their order gives the subtle feeling that you have been sidelined.  And no one is working on your order.  Many fast food places such as McDonald’s and Burger King do this and it never feels good.

Another suggestion: get rid of your styrofoam cups.  I know that all commercial food retailers struggle with plastic and waste but a styrofoam cup is a big, fat white visual reminder that the drink vessel I am holding will soon be languishing in a landfill somewhere in New Jersey.  When I have a choice between buying a coffee in a styrofoam cup or one in a paper cup – even if I have to cross the street to do it – I will buy the drink in a paper cup every time.  And to make matters worse, having an illustration of the styrofoam cup as part of Dunkin’ Donuts brand identity is a painfully clear message to consumers that the brand has little if any care for the environment.  It shows that Dunkin’ Donuts is out of step with the larger culture as environmental concerns are increasingly important to people and a valuable part of any brand’s message.  So not only loose all styrofaom, but start to talk about how Dunkin’ Donuts has developed an environmental strategy, how it recycles, its energy usage, etc.

Suggestion: Tighten up your franchise rules in regards to… well, in regards to everything.  Some stores look o.k. with appropriately splashy graphics, signage, etc.  Some stores look terrible.  Comfort is also a factor.  I have been in one store near Wall Street that was easily 90 degrees F(32C).  And make rules about promotions applicable brand-wide.  I knew a store near me had a ‘free-donut-with-large-coffee’ situation.  But I was in another part of town.  So when I was in need of caffeine and I spied another Dunkin’ Donuts my mouth started to water for that free donut sugar buzz. So I walked in and ordered my free donut but was immediately told that they didn’t do that.  And then I noticed that their pricing was different.  As was their ‘combo’ price structuring.  Confused, I reduced my order to a small coffee and got out of there.  Price structuring and promotions should be uniform across the brand.  In fact this leads me to my next suggestion:

Get rid of promotions all together.  There is nothing like fierce competition, especially when it comes from yourself.  Promotional sales are a two edged sword.  Sure a cheaper promotional price for an item will draw customers.  But a sale price will also deter some customers when that item is at its regular price as they will decide to hold off on their purchase until the item goes on sale again.  Sales also send the subtle message that the store’s prices are a little higher than they really should be.  Does Starbucks ever have advertised sales on it’s products?  Not that I can recall other than to push new products such as it’s ridiculous VIA line.  If your product is good and its pricing is right. Stand behind it.  There are other methods for drawing customers that can be utilized.

Another suggestion: It is o.k. to experiment with new products in your line but be ruthless in honing your products down to the things that you are really good at.  Dunkin’ Donuts is known for its donuts and its coffee.  Drinks and pastries.  The Coolatta drinks line seems reasonable in that it still resides within the drinks category.  But a tuna salad sandwich on a croissant?  Please.  It is understandable for Dunkin’ to eye the lunch category as a place to expand but it not only does not work it actually dilutes Dunkin’s core identity.  i have never, nor do I think I will ever, hear anyone say, “let’s go to Dunkin’ Donuts for lunch.”  It is a coffee and donuts place, not a fast-food lunch place.  Not only that but ordering something from the savory menu always seems to put the Dunkin’ employees into a confused tail spin and off their game.  They first look bewildered that you ordered a sandwich, then they look annoyed that they have to go prepare it, then they disappear for a while to do it.  Which, of course, then puts the customers in line into a tizzy.  All lending to general uncomfortableness.  Dunkin’ Donuts cannot compete with the McDonald’s of the world for the lunch crowd.  And they never will.  The stores are not set up for it and they shouldn’t attempt it.  Stick with what you are very good at and expand only within those parameters.  Not to mention that it messes with the brand’s identity.

I could go on but I will stop here.  Every time I experience a Dunkin’ Donuts I cannot help but think that it could be done a whole lot better.  Where are the refreshed graphics?  Where are the updated store interiors?  Where are the employees that seem like they care?

There are many opportunities already out there that Dunkin’ could capitalize on that would get people interested.  For one, Dunkin’ Donuts could add a huge line of gourmet donuts with high quality ingredients such as spices and dark chocolate.  They could also do changing lines of promotional donuts with crazy flavors.  Which could be a fun press opportunity.  Or Dunkin’ could ride the tail end of the cupcake craze and do a line of high-end cupcakes.  Or cultural coffee drinks such as Italian granita, Irish coffee, Greek frappe… to name a few.  The ideas that could fit within the brand’s perceived expertise are many and varied.

All of these lessons Dunkin’ Donuts can learn from not only Starbucks, but also the trends showing up in the independent bakeries, patisseries and coffee shops out there already.  Lessons that Dunkin’ would do well to seek out.  Before the brand’s irrelevance becomes too much to overcome.

The next morning I sent a letter to Nick Valenti, head of Patina with a suggestion for a name I thought would be fitting for the new restaurant.  I did not receive a response.  I wasn’t really expecting one.  I knew it was a long shot anyway.  I just came up with the idea and thought it wouldn’t hurt to present it to Mr. Valenti.

Well, today I just read on Grub Street that the name ‘Lincoln’ has been selected for the restaurant.  Fairly straightforward choice I guess.  Not too surprising given some of the other names on Patina’s roster.  But now that the die has been cast I guess I can share with you the name that I had suggested for the restaurant.  Here it is along with my explanation for it that I sent to Mr. Valenti:

Crescere

Crescere is the Italian verb meaning ‘to grow, to increase, to expand’.

The musical term ‘crescendo’ comes from ‘crescere’.

‘Crescendo’ means ‘a gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax’.

The growth and expansion implied in the name ‘Crescere’ could also reference the architectural ‘expansion’ of the site.

The word ‘crescere’ can also mean ‘to cultivate’.

‘Crescere’, when pronounced correctly, has an unmistakable Italian sound to it, thereby reinforcing the Italian concept of chef Benno’s menu.

Another reason that I think ‘Crescere’ is a perfect name for the restaurant is that the word itself is visually pleasing.

more depth to the referential exploration between the restaurant and it’s context.  ’Crescere’

If my design makes it to the finalists be sure to vote for it on August 23rd.   I’ll get a free hat if you do.  Thanks!

Anyway, it wasn’t cheese I was seeking.  Well… it might have been.  I wouldn’t know until I found it.  The ‘it’ that I came to the Fancy Food Show in search of was innovation.  Specifically, innovation in food that would help to bridge the gap between today’s young people and the healthier eating habits that seem to continue to allude them.  And society at ‘large’ for that matter.

And what did I find?

… not much.

Maybe I was looking in the wrong place… not sure.  But either way, I came away from the Fancy Food Show thinking that the food industry is in a strange position, caught between two worlds.  Prominently on display was a tumultuous mix of companies that proudly tout history and age-old tradition in their food products as well as companies that promote new technology and new ingredients in theirs.  The world of tradition, where that cheese or that cured meat have been made using the same process for hundreds of years.  And the world of, for momentary lack of a better word, ‘modern’ food consumerism, which targets the consumer and what they perceive to be convenient, tasty, aspirational, healthy, fun, cool, etc.  This seems to me on opposite sides of the spectrum.  While a piece of artisanal ham may be the perfect ‘craving killer’, taste great and be convenient, that story is not getting told, lost behind the garish packaging and graphics of current food products.  Unfortunately I think there has been a disconnect between the health lessons that have been learned over thousands of years of food history and the consumerist attitude that we have toward eating today.  If it doesn’t have a slick and fun ad campaign that we and our friends see during our favorite TV shows then we don’t want to eat it.

Maybe that is a discussion for another post… but on this day I was looking for something different.  So much of the food that is sold today is about consumerism.  The product that you think will fulfill your perceived eating desire at that moment.  Even from a traditionalist standpoint.  What I was after was new products that draw the food consumer away from a purely consumption mindset to one of participation.  As IDEO’s Tim Brown put it in his TED Talk, participation engages people in the process and enables them to learn by making.  The notion of building in order to think.  As food consumers we need to actively participate in our eating if we are going to make it our own and learn how to do it correctly.  And healthily.

Traditionally those that participate in their food consumption understand the importance of this by either learning to produce it or cook it themselves.  Two methods that are either too specialized or too removed from today’s consumer to have a ubiquitous impact on our collective health.  What I wanted to know was if their are companies out there right now that are innovating new ideas and products that seek to engage the consumer in some way that fosters a sense of participation in their eating.  Sure there are healthy snacks being produced.  And products that promote a healthy lifestyle.  But very few, if any, that truly engage the consumer in a meaningful, educational way.

I think there is huge opportunity here for the food industry to develop products and ways of thinking about our food consumption that could have lasting positive benefits to our collective health.  But is this the type of ‘design thinking’ that is is being applied to the food products that we buy?  I am not sure that the food industry is asking itself these types of questions.  Or looking at product development in quite this way.  Sure the questions are tough and the answers are not readily evident.  But new ways of thinking about our food consumption hold great potential.  Not to mention that we may all end up looking like the people on Wall-E if we don’t.