The food experience

Ran across a post on graphpaper.com wherein the experience of a Dunkin’ Donuts was compared to Starbucks.

My immediate though was “no contest!” as anyone’s experience with Dunkin’ Donuts will generally prove to be less designed than that of Starbucks. We’re talking interior decor, mood lighting, consistency between franchises, etc.

So I quickly passed over the images at the top of the post, noting that one was Dunkin’ Donuts and the other a Starbucks interior. It was only after reading the post that I realized the interior shot was of a new Dunkin’ Donuts!

While this may not sound like that big a deal, those people who are familiar with the typical Dunkin’ Donuts store will understand the fundamental change that this makeover represents. I’m not saying it’s bad or good—having not been there in person it’s hard to judge. It’s just that this looks like a radical makeover not only in terms of interior decoration but in brand image and store experience.

[Just as an aside, I had a hard time with terminology, as you might have noticed. Is a Dunkin’ Donuts a store or a restaurant or a shop? The whole “not really food” part makes it even trickier in my mind.]

When you think of “Starbucks” you probably get a sense of both their coffee and what their typical store looks like. Same goes for Dunkin’ Donuts. Now imagine if Starbucks decor was on par with McDonald’s: sticky floors, metallic silver countertop, harsh lighting…

The big question in my mind is whether the donuts are the aspirational quality that the stores are now attempting to meet with upgraded interior decoration, or whether the donuts will have to change as a result of the changed experience? Maybe nothing will happen to the donuts, save for our perception of them as influenced by our shopping experience.

Tags: experience, food, donuts, starbucks, design, brand, redesign, interior design, dunkin donuts, makeover