Dunkin’ Opens a Boston Store That Only Accepts Digital Orders

Welcome back to AM Intel, a round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

A Dunkin’ for the Introverted

First Sweetgreen acquires Boston’s robotic restaurant Spyce, with vaguely announced plans to incorporate Spyce technology into Sweetgreen stores, and now Dunkin’ has opened a “Dunkin’ Digital” store that only accepts orders via mobile app or in-store kiosk as the world marches forward and replaces every human interaction with technology. Located at 22 Beacon St. in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, Dunkin’ Digital (and future Dunkin’ Digitals like it) reportedly has the same number of human employees as a traditional location; they’re just focused on getting orders out faster and more accurately instead of wasting valuable seconds at the register while you change your mind about your order 20 times. After customers place their orders, they can pick up their strawberry frosted doughnuts and such in a contactless designated area of the store.

In Other News...

• After 30 years, Seth and Angela Raynor have sold their Nantucket restaurants, the Boarding House and the Pearl. New owners Blue Flag Partners, who own several other commercial and residential Nantucket properties, will keep the restaurant names the same.
• Giant Vermont-based cheese cooperative Cabot is getting into the boxed mac and cheese game.
• Iron Chef celebrity Jose Garces is ghost kitchenifying his Buena Onda taco shop, and Massachusetts is on the planned expansion list.
• In case you missed it, here’s our fall 2021 opening guide, packed with details on soon-to-open restaurants, bars, food halls, and even hip convenience stores in and near Boston.
• Open up your wallet and order one or 17 of fall 2021’s best cookbooks.

Got a news tip for the Eater Boston team? Email boston@eater.com.