Dunkin' Donuts Developer Eyeing Tremont Street Storefront

A vacant storefront on Tremont Street in the heart of the South End could be home to the neighborhood's fourth Dunkin' Donuts if the proposal gains support from neighbors and the city.

A developer has expressed interest in opening a branch of the famed donut shop at the corner storefront, which housed the modern furniture store, AVA, for a brief time earlier this year.

The location is less than half a mile from the Dunkin' Donuts currently located at the corner of Columbus and Massachusetts avenues.

On Thursday morning, several residents of the condo units above the store said they were adamantly opposed to the idea of a chain restaurant moving in below them. Residents of the building met shortly after hearing about the proposal and all were opposed, one woman said.

The Pilot Block Neighborhood Association has already scheduled a meeting with the project heads to discuss the proposal in more detail. In an email, the Pilot Block Board promised to hold a special neighborhood meeting with developers to allow neighbors to ask questions and vote on the proposal. That meeting has not yet been scheduled.

Opening a food service business at 655 Tremont Street, formerly home to retail enterprises, would require the approval of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

A message left for the Dunkin' Donuts media relations department was not returned.

For an update on the proposal and plans for a neighborhood meeting, consider attending the Pilot Block Neighborhood Association's regular meeting on October 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the .