Dunkin' Donuts on Rt. 9 to Get Drive-Thru Lane with Updated Look

Last week, the Manalapan Township Planning Board heard testimony for the renovation of a Dunkin’ Donuts located on the northbound side of Rt. 9. The Board approved the site update which includes exterior updates, construction of a vestibule for entrance and exit, and the allocation of a drive-thru lane.

The application consisted of 12 variances, most of which were pre-existing to the already established site. Robert Sive, a licensed professional engineer, professional planner, and certified municipal engineer in the state of New Jersey testified on behalf of the applicant. Sive explained all of the changes that would be made to the site to the Board, which did not exhibit any significant detriment to the community.

The drive-thru lane will be 12-feet wide and circulate around the northern portion of the building in a counter-clockwise direction. While the ’s business next door to the Dunkin’ Donuts is currently vacant, if a new business takes ownership of the building the drive-thru will not disturb it; a two-foot easement has already been established.

The new plans also will improve the aesthetics of the lot with the introduction of four rain gardens to collect roof runoff, the building of a trash enclosure around the dumpster, and the landscaping of the area around the Dunkin’ Donuts sign visible from Rt. 9. The Manalapan Environmental Commission helped the applicant design the four rain gardens, which are intended to reduce the drainage flow from off of the site.

The lot has two entrances, one from Rt. 9 North, and the second coming from Franklin Lane from the northern portion, or rear, of the lot. A driveway cut will be made from Franklin Lane so that cars can have space to leave the drive-thru if they wish, and it will also provide more space for unloading trucks. 

Scott Kennel, a traffic and transportation planning associate from McDonough and Rea Associates of Manasquan, also testified on behalf of the applicant. Kennel conducted traffic studies during peak hours of operation at the site both during the week and on the weekends. His report indicated that the peak hours during the week are from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. where the site saw an average of 214 cars and the peak hours on the weekends are from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. where the site saw an average of 247 cars.

Kennel said that the addition of a drive-thru lane will help with the parking demand, which is averaging about 26 vehicles during peak hours. The drive-thru lane will be able to hold ten more vehicles and should help the business increase sales by 10-20 percent, but based on testing the lane will probably only house seven to eight cars during the heaviest traffic flow.

Kennel also said that the drive-thru is standard in current Dunkin’ Donuts, it helps the site conduct more business during inclement weather, and it is safer by causing less traffic jams within the parking lot. The construction of a vestibule, which allows entrance and exit into the establishment from the side instead of the front, is also designed to increase safety; the vestibule ensures that patrons do not exit the establishment head-on into an active parking lot.

After testimony and a brief discussion among Board members about the new signage changes, the Board unanimously approved the application.