That's the question some members of Santa Barbara's Architectural Board of Review are asking the coffee and donut chain as they pursue their invasion of the Golden State. Dunkin' Donuts is eyeing a Taco Bell site in the city.
Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo
"Dunkin’ Donuts wants to move into this Taco Bell at 3771 State St. near La Cumbre Plaza, but its plan to remove the curved Taco Bell-style architecture is drawing opposition," writes Joshua Molina for Noozhawk.
Some members of the city’s Architectural Board of Review (ABR) weren’t enamored with the proposed changes. Thiep Cung said he likes the current building, which was designed by Santa Barbara architect Brian Cearnal in the 1990s. He would like some of that distinctive mission architecture to remain.
The company wants to get rid of the curved, bell-shaped architecture that adorns the front of the building, squaring it off.
It may surprise some on the East Coast, but until last year there have been no Dunkin Donuts in California. While the Canton, Mass.-based coffee and donut chain may be ubiquitous in Massachusetts, the first few have opened in California only last year in Santa Monica and Modesto, according to Jack Newsham of The Boston Globe.
Planetizen reported on a Dunkin Donuts opening in Long Beach last year that ironically involved a preservation story of its own.
Molina writes that the company plans to open 54 restaurants over the next few years.
And "California’s first-ever Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins drive-thru" opened on April 7 in Ramona in San Diego County, writes Monica Garske of NBC San Diego. Looking at the photo of that restaurant, one can see that straight lines are preferable to curves. The only curves appear to be the bike racks in front to the store - this is California, after all.
ABR member Cung ask the franchisee and his representative at the meeting, "can it live with a curved Dunkin’ Donuts?”
FULL STORY: Santa Barbara Dunkin’ Donuts to Open at Taco Bell Site on Upper State Street
Santa Barbara Renews Parklet Program
The city updated its pandemic-era on-street dining program with new regulations that limit the locations and design of parklets.
Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing
The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.
Electric Intercity Bus Introduced in Santa Barbara
The zero-emissions bus is part of a regional fleet called the Clean Air Express that connects Santa Barbara County towns and employment centers.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
