Dunkin’ Donuts gauging customer reaction to new items at Mount Greenwood shop

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Sam Savani’s Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community is a test site for several menu items. | Supplied photo

Updated: February 13, 2012 9:00AM

The owner of Dunkin’ Donuts’ newest outpost, in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community, hopes you’ll consider picking up some hummus to go with that glazed doughnut and coffee.

The store is a test site for several menu additions that could find their way to other Dunkin’ Donuts shops. Some of the new foods are extensions of what the chain is best known for, while others are aimed at customers who might have a taste for something other than a pastry.

“They (Dunkin’ Donuts) are going to see how the sales go here,” store owner Sam Savani said. “If we succeed, they will expand to other stores.”

Unique to Savani’s store are items such as jelly-filled and Bavarian creme-filled croissants and a chocolate-stuffed chocolate chip muffin.

Dunkin’ Donuts also is testing a “Grab & Go” refrigerated case of snacks, including fruit cups, yogurt, string cheese and single-serve cups of hummus and pretzels.

It’s the latest effort by the doughnut chain to convince consumers that it’s more than just, well, a doughnut chain.

In recent years, Dunkin’ Donuts has tried, with limited success, to expand its reach beyond its core breakfast customer. It tried a pairing with Togo’s, a West Coast sandwich chain, opening some Dunkin’/Togo’s shops in the Chicago market, but none is still operating. It also made a brief foray into selling pizzas.

The company does operate several combination stores with Baskin-Robbins.

Savani, a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee for more than 25 years, said he sees a lot of potential in the items being tested at his store. He said the snack items could appeal to customers who are looking for a little something to tide them over between meals or augment a light lunch.

His store, at the northwest corner of 111th Street and Kedzie Avenue, is also a laboratory for a couple of new sandwich offerings.

An egg and cheese with ham, bacon or sausage is available on a bagel, croissant, English muffin or French roll. There’s also a new turkey, cheddar and bacon sandwich being offered.

The shop’s decor also is a bit of a departure from a traditional Dunkin’ Donuts.

While most of the doughnuts are still behind the counter, the new croissants and muffins are in a glass display case next to the register. On either side of the menu board are video screens highlighting the new items.

The Mount Greenwood store opened about three weeks ago, the 500th Dunkin’ Donuts shop in the Chicago area. Savani also has Dunkin’ Donuts in Beverly at 104th Street and Western Avenue and in Evergreen Park at 98th Street and Western Avenue.

As part of a grand opening Saturday, the Mount Greenwood store will, starting at 10 a.m., host the Luvabulls and Bulls radio announcers Bill Wennington and Chuck Swirsky. There also will be raffles for Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards as well as Bulls and Blackhawks tickets. Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, the first 500 visitors to the store will get a Dunkin’ Donuts travel mug containing a $2 gift card.