Dunkin’ to break ground for Hastings location

Dunkin’ will celebrate the groundbreaking of its first Hastings restaurant at 8800 W. Church St. at 11 a.m. Friday, July 11. Dunkin’ franchise network St. Johns Donuts, will kick off the celebration with a groundbreaking ceremony accompanied by St. Johns County Commissioners, Hastings Main Street Group representatives and local farming community.

In a unique twist, a tractor will be used for the ceremonial dig instead of the usual shovels.

From 11 to 11:30 a.m., guests are invited to enjoy Dunkin’ Iced Coffee, doughnuts, swag giveaways and photo opportunities with Dunkin’s mascot Cuppy. 

 Owned by local Dunkin franchisees John and Jean Griffey and Brian and Beth Ramos of St. Johns Donuts, the new location is set to begin construction on Monday, July 14, with plans to open by the end of the year.

Griffey collaborated closely with the City of Hastings to develop the building design, ensuring it aligns with city ordinance. Special care was taken in selecting materials, including the brick, to preserve the town’s charm while creating a modern, welcoming space. 

The upcoming 1,600-square-foot restaurant will employ 25 crew members and will operate daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. With Dunkin’s Next Generation restaurant design, the store will feature a convenient drive-through, modern atmosphere and innovative technologies, including:

• Premium Pours: Dunkin’s signature cold beverages are poured through an innovative tap system, serving a variety of consistently cold sips, such as iced coffee, iced tea, Cold Brew and Nitro-Infused Cold Brew. Crew members also use top-quality, flavor-maximizing espresso machines to make handcrafted drinks to order. 

• Dunkin’ on Demand: Dunkin’ has introduced an area dedicated to mobile pickups so that members of the Dunkin’ Rewards program who order ahead via Dunkin’s Mobile App can get in and out of the restaurant faster than ever before. For all orders placed for pick up inside the restaurant, guests will be able to track the status of their order via a new digital order status board. 

• A modern design: The openness, colors and materials used in the design help create an approachable, positive and energetic environment. Just one example of the eye-catching design elements that guests can expect is a front-facing bakery case for an even closer look at the baked goods.

Including the new Hastings store, St. Johns Donuts currently owns and operates 16 locations in Florida and four locations in Connecticut.