Coffee wars heat up on busy Wichita corner with opening of new drive-through-only Dunkin’
The pandemic forced lots of restaurants to acknowledge the importance of a drive-through.
Now, a local franchisee of a popular coffee and doughnut chain has opened a location that has only a drive-through.
Dan Day’s eighth area Dunkin’ store is now open at 3100 E. Central, which is near Central and Hillside and Wesley Medical Center. But this store is different from his others: It’s a drive-through-only concept called Dunkin’ Go, which offers dual drive-through lanes but no dining room service. Customers can still get the full Dunkin’ menu at the drive-through stores.
This is the first Dunkin’ Go for Day and for the Wichita area. The chain started rolling out the drive-through-only models in 2021.
The store had been operating on limited hours, but starting on Wednesday, it will be open from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also starting on Wednesday, the new store also will offer 1/2-price drinks from 3 to 6 p.m. for a limited time. Customers won’t be able to order on the Dunkin’ app for now but can still pay with the app and get points.
The corner where the new Dunkin’ Go just opened is about to become an ultra competitive one for coffee. Not only does Starbucks have a store across the street, but 7 Brew — a drive-through-only coffee chain — is about to enter the Wichita market and take a spot next door to Starbucks. Demolition of the old Noble House restaurant on the 7 Brew site is underway, and the shop is expected to open in October.
Day also has Dunkin’ stores in Derby and in Andover as well as five in Wichita: at 47th and Broadway, Central and Rock Road, Maple and West Street, 21st and Greenwich and 29th and Maize.
