Sunday Drive: The Friendly Face Of Dunkin Donuts

A good part of runs on and when people jumpstart their day with a cup of coffee, they usually get a smile with it during their stop at the Elm Street store. Eligio Martinez is the happy-go-lucky manager who doesn't say very much, but always seems to make his customers happy with his ear-to-ear grin.

"I love the people in New Canaan and I like working here," said Martinez. "Everybody is really nice and it's fun. Time goes by quickly."

Martinez, 33, was born and raised in Durango, Mexico. He arrived in the United States 10 years ago and worked at the Stop n' Shop in Norwalk for five years before making his way to New Canaan. Married with a daughter, Sarah, who celebrated her seventh birthday on Sunday, Martinez worked at the Dunkin Donuts store within the Stop n' Shop and impressed the area supervisor of the powerful coffee franchise.

"He liked what I did over there and said, 'Come work with us. You have to quit Stop n' Shop, but we want you to run the store in New Canaan.' It's been great," he said.

It may seem like Martinez works every day to the customers of the Dunkin Donuts store in town, but he does get Wednesdays and Fridays off. Martinez puts in more than 50 hours a week, with the most difficult of those hours coming on the weekend.

"That's when I have to do inventory and fill out the paper work," said Martinez, who manages eight people on the floor. "We have to do the numbers and send them to the company. That's the toughest part of the job."

Growing up in Mexico, Martinez was an avid sports fan and loved the New York Giants long before they won two of the last four Super Bowls.

"Raul Allegre, who used to kick for the Giants (1986-1989), was from Mexico, near my hometown," said Martinez. "I followed the Giants because of him. I like their colors, too. Red, white, and blue. Go Giants!"