Dunkin' Donuts opened its first storefront in the Los Angeles area early Tuesday morning and fans took to social media to share their experience eating munchkins and sipping coolattas on Santa Monica soil.
Many of the posts relating to the grand opening reference the long line. Fans camped out for hours--some since Sunday evening-- to get into the store. The first 100 people got free tote bags and bragging rights.
Dunkin Donuts opened in LA today, so I thought I'd post @jessicarblackwell's pic of Monday's line #DunkinDonuts #LA pic.twitter.com/HyaQeAqkje
— (HELL+LA) (@OnlyInHellA) September 3, 2014
The line right now at the 1st @DunkinDonuts in #losangeles http://t.co/jy3Y9y5XZx @DunkinLA @DunkinDonutsLA #DunkinLA #dunkindonuts
— Jennifer G. (@JenGhere) September 2, 2014
Even the man who was first in line for the store's opening at 5 a.m. PST--he waited more than 30 hours-- snapped a picture of his iced coffee and shared it on Twitter and Instagram.
Johnny Hoops, an actor from Burbank, didn't just walk out with one beverage. For being the first in line, he also received a free year of coffee.
Congrats to @jhoops76 for being the first person in line at our Santa Monica grand opening! #DunkinDedication pic.twitter.com/dUnF8SvRXN
— Dunkin' LA (@DunkinLA) September 2, 2014
Workers from the TNT drama "Rizzoli and Isles" also tweeted about Dunkin' Donuts coming to town when the Massachusetts-based company sent them six dozen donuts. Jan Nash, executive producer on the show, requested Outback Steakhouse copy the donut store's publicity move.
@Outback No rules. Just right. How about you send us six dozen steaks. @DunkinDonuts sent us donuts. #RizzoliandIsles
— Jan Nash (@JanNash100) September 3, 2014
There was still a line around 9 p.m. Tuesday.
There is actual line outside of Dunkin donuts in Santa Monica. I'm a bklyn girl so I'm happy but- you know the coffee sells in CVS-right?— Bonnie Somerville (@BonSomerville) September 3, 2014
The Santa Monica Police Department fielded calls from angry neighbors throughout the day, Officer M. Ortiz said. Callers complained about customers double parking and blocking their driveways. They also phoned-in about people cutting through apartment buildings to get to the restaurant.
Some Twitter users called others out on their donuts craze that matched the cronut phenomenon.
Hey, people of LA, relax. It's just a Dunkin Donuts.— david young (@gabutch) September 3, 2014
This isn't even the first Dunkin' Donuts in California. The company recently opened one in Modesto and plans to one day have more than 1,000 in the state, according to multiple news reports.
It's also not the first time Dunkin' Donuts opened stores in California. According to the Los Angeles Times, it had about a dozen shops here before pulling out in the late 1990s. It tried again in Sacramento in 2002, but that didn't last.
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