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Continuing this weekend's unintentional theme of "toddlers and food service," today we bring you the sad tale of a Quincy, Mass. 23-month-old whose parents are suing Dunkin' Donuts after he was burned by a hash brown. A hash brown that fell out of his mouth and onto his neck. "It took only seconds for the extremely high temperature of the interior portion of the food item to severely burn and blister (Cullen's) skin," attorney Joseph K. Curran Jr. wrote in a complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court. Before handing the hash brown to her son to eat, the boy's mother,...

Who knows what nightmares haunt the makers of a dream brand in trouble? Maybe trouble is too strong a word to describe Starbucks' situation. But the days of easy growth are long past and this icon of Seattle is tarnished by brutal competition, a nose dive in profitability and no clear path to regaining its groove. Maybe the worst nightmare is this: What if Starbucks is an artifact of an economy that's not coming back?...

All the customer wanted was coffee. Instead, he needs four new tires. Police say a worker at a Massachusetts Dunkin' Donuts slashed the tires on a customer's Jeep after the two got into an argument Tuesday. Police charged 39-year-old Thomas Zazulak with malicious destruction of property and disturbing the peace. He pleaded not guilty Thursday and is free on personal recognizance. Police say the dispute erupted when the customer whose name wasn't released started to leave because he was tired of waiting for coffee. Words were exchanged, then Zazulak allegedly followed him outside, pulled a folding knife and slashed the...

Philadelphia police are searching for three gunmen who robbed an East Oak Lane Dunkin' Donuts Thursday. Police also believe one of the men may have filled out a job application at the shop and have a name and address on file that they are hoping will aid in their search ...

Doughnut chain gets healthy menu 30 July 2008 Dunkin' Donuts, the chain famous for its filled doughnuts with icing on top or covered in chocolate sprinkles, is introducing a new healthy menu. The so-called DDSmart menu, which will be introduced in the US in August, does not include any doughnuts. Instead it has nibbles such as an egg white veggie flatbread sandwich. According to the firm, this has 25% less sugar, fat, saturated fat, salt and calories than the sausage, egg and cheese croissant it already offers. The sandwich is 290 calories and contains 9 grams of fat,

A McDonald's franchisee in Nevada pled guilty and agreed to may a $1 million fine for its knowing employment of illegal aliens (the two executives involved will be sentenced later). This is indeed "a coup for the government's crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants," as the Wall Street Journal put it, but the fact that it's McDonald's is especially important. McDonald's is believed to be the company with the largest number of no-matches — that is, W-2s filed by the employer that have fake or mismatched Social Security numbers. That's from a 2004 report by the Social Security Administration...

Using a crumpled-up newspaper as a fake gun, Carlos Marin, 20, walked into a South Beach Dunkin' Donuts Monday morning with a shirt half wrapped around his face, police say. ''You know what this is! Give me your register,'' he said. (snip) Marin ran off, but not before he asked: ``How you gonna describe me?''

Last week, my husband (and fellow FSM contributor) Mark and I got into a rather heated debate over an important issue - scarves. When Michelle Malkin released her article on the scarf worn by celebrity chef Rachael Ray and its possible ties to Islamic culture, I found the whole thing amusing and far-fetched. Yet Mark agreed wholeheartedly with Michelle: that the black and white fringed scarf could have hidden Jihadist meaning.The scarf, much like those I wore in my days as a legal secretary was, in my opinion, a nice accessory to a sweater or suit.Does a scarf bearing the...

Boycott US doughnut chain for halting scarf ad, activists urge May 30 11:11 AM US/Eastern US activists have called for a boycott of doughnuts-and-coffee chain Dunkin Donuts after it pulled an online ad that a conservative commentator said promoted jihad. "Dunkin Donuts has capitulated and withdrawn an advertisement for its products following the allegation... that the spokeswoman in the ad was wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf which is a staple of clothing traditionally worn by Palestinian men," the ANSWER Coalition said in a statement. ANSWER, which groups hundreds of anti-war and anti-racism organizations around the United States, called for a...

BOSTON (AP) -- Dunkin' Donuts has pulled an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after complaints that a fringed black-and-white scarf that the celebrity chef wore in the ad offers symbolic support for Muslim extremism and terrorism. The coffee and baked goods chain said the ad that began appearing online May 7 was pulled over the past weekend because "the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee." In the spot, Ray holds an iced coffee while standing in front of trees with pink blossoms. Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin complained that the scarf wrapped around her...

Dunkin' Donuts pulled a television spot featuring talk show host and Food Network personality Rachael Ray this weekend after a Fox news commentator associated it with terrorists. In the ad, Ray is wearing a scarf that Michelle Malkin said in her nationally syndicated column resembled a kiffiyeh, Middle Eastern garb that is "popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos." -snip-

I’ve been a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts for years. Their Munchkins are heaven. Their coffee is better and cheaper than Starbucks. And the company’s management has taken a brave and lonely stand in support of immigration enforcement — refusing to hire illegal aliens and blowing the whistle on applicants with bogus Social Security numbers. So it was with some dismay that I learned last week that Dunkin’ Donuts spokeswoman Rachael Ray, the ubiquitous TV hostess, posed for one of the company’s ads in what appeared to be a black-and-white keffiyeh. The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of...

Does Dunkin’ Donuts really think its customers could mistake Rachael Ray for a terrorist sympathizer? The Canton-based company has abruptly canceled an ad in which the domestic diva wears a scarf that looks like a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men. more stories like this Some observers, including ultra-conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin, were so incensed by the ad that there was even talk of a Dunkin’ Donuts boycott. ‘‘The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad,’’ Malkin yowls in her syndicated column. ‘‘Popularized by...

KINGS PARK, N.Y. -- A doughnut shop worker installed a surveillance camera in the women's bathroom at work and watched the footage from a computer in his car, police said Sunday. Danish Qureshi, 25, of Huntington Station, was arrested Saturday night at work at the Dunkin' Donuts at Kings Park, Suffolk County police said. A resident who has similar surveillance technology called police after he picked up the signal and saw the bathroom on his television, police said. Qureshi had been watching the bathroom on his laptop computer in his car parked nearby, police said. Qureshi was arraigned Sunday on...

They said that the Carlyle Group, an $81 billion firm which owns hundreds of companies, is using a flawed system to identify and fire workers suspected of being in the country illegally, and that the system has left employees living in fear.

Candid Camera: Clerk Whacks Robber With Mug Clerk Says He Was Worried About How He Might Look On VideoPOSTED: 10:17 am EST December 12, 2007 ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. -- When a thief started taking cash from his register over the weekend, Dunkin' Donuts employee Dustin Hoffmann fought back by clobbering the man with a ceramic mug. Caught On Tape: Clerk Fights Robber With Cup But Hoffmann admits he was less worried about the stolen cash than how he might look on the video-sharing site YouTube. "What was going through my mind at that point was that the security tape is...

CRACKDOWN 'NOT ENOUGH TO FORCE PEOPLE AWAY' Ramon Morales timed it, and when U.S. Border Patrol agents weren't around, he ran. He hurdled over rocks and sagebrush into the United States on Sept. 2 - about three weeks after he learned of a Bush administration plan to tackle illegal immigration by focusing on Social Security fraud. Work would be hard to come by, but the president's plan to penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants wasn't enough to scare off the 35-year-old married father, who said the federal plan actually prompted his trip across the border. The reason? He believes the...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- On the next-to-last day of the regular season, the Cleveland Indians absorbed a postseason setback. Joey Gathright singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the Kansas City Royals over Cleveland 4-3 Saturday night and ending the Indians' hope of getting home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Indians already had clinched the AL Central title and were set to play the New York Yankees in the first round. Cleveland's loss gave AL East champion Boston the home field. The Red Sox were to pick later Saturday night whether they wanted to open against...

LOS ANGELES — A discrimination lawsuit filed by a Muslim Dunkin' Donuts franchisee who was not allowed to renew his contract with the chain because of a refusal to sell pork products can proceed, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday. The decision reversed an Illinois federal court judge's 2004 ruling that rejected Walid Elkhatib's argument that Dunkin' Donuts discriminated against him based on his race by making the sale of breakfast sandwiches with bacon, ham or sausage a mandatory part of his franchise agreement. According to court papers, Elkhatib, a Palestinian Arab, has been a Dunkin' Donuts franchisee since 1979,...

Chain's use of database to fire employees who don't check out angers advocates for immigrants You may have already seen the signs popping up at your local Dunkin' Donuts shop: ``We follow the law! This company hires lawful workers only. " The signs, which have begun appearing in shops around Boston, make public the company's participation, starting June 1, in a voluntary federal program that enables employers to quickly check the immigration status of new hires. Dunkin' Donuts is requiring all of its franchisees to participate in the Basic Pilot Program, which allows employers to verify a worker's status using...

Some businesses caught up in the crackdown on undocumented workers may have another risk to worry about: the loss of their franchise agreements. Dunkin' Donuts contends the owner of three Key West Dunkin' Donut shops violated franchise agreements by hiring undocumented workers and is asking a federal court to terminate the contracts. The Massachusetts-based chain's lawsuit comes about a year after it voluntarily agreed to participate in the federal government's Basic Pilot Program to ensure new hires are legally authorized to work. It marks at least the fourth time this year that Dunkin' Donuts has accused a franchisee in a...

Political observers are falling over themselves trying to determine the cladistics of a newly-emergent population of political animal, the Rudy booster. This appears to be the first new species of Republican to emerge in over two decades in the Family Republicanae (the last being Conservatisi reagani), and displays a particularly odd range of behaviors that call into question the long-term political viability of the new species, as well as that of Republicanae in general if they assume a position of dominance. Some observers have proposed classifying the new population as a subspecies of Rinous rockefelleri, whereas others have made a...

Dunkin’ denial leaves customer steaming By Jay Fitzgerald Boston Herald General Economics Reporter Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - Updated: 12:42 AM EST A wheelchair-bound Weymouth man suffering from multiple sclerosis says he’s being denied his right to a hot cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. Donald Hayes said he’s bought coffee before by driving his motorized wheelchair up to the drive-up window at a Dunkin’ Donuts shop in the middle of a Weymouth shopping-market parking lot. But now, that Dunkin’ store, which has no inside seating and only serves drive-up customers, has told him he can’t use the window anymore...

You can hear it in the woods outside Cleveland — it's hunting season, and not just for big game or water foul, but for voters like Ryan Martin, CBS News correspondent Lee Cowan reports.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- It's North versus South -- in the doughnut wars. Dunkin' Donuts is a tradition in the Northeast, but the South is Krispy Kreme territory. Now Dunkin' Donuts is testing the waters in the Nashville area with a dozen stores. Maine native Joe Rando said he's a lifelong Dunkin' fanatic, and missed his favorite coffee and doughnuts when he moved South. Now, he's signed on with Dunkin' and is in charge of the Nashville-area operation. He feels there's room for Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme and even more. He said employees of Starbucks are coming across the street to...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The owner of a small coffee company sued Starbucks Corp. (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday, claiming the coffee shop's anti-competitive business practices put her store out of business. The suit, which seeks class action status, was filed in Seattle federal court by Penny Stafford, the owner of Belvi Coffee and Tea Exchange Inc. According to court papers, Starbucks violated federal antitrust laws by leasing prime commercial real estate at above-market prices in return for the exclusive right to sell espresso drinks or specialty coffee in those locations. A Starbucks spokeswoman said the Seattle-based company was...

by Mark Finkelstein August 16, 2006 - 08:02 We all remember how the MSM climbed all over Hillary Clinton when a few years ago she thought it was funny to claim that Mahatma Gandhi "ran a gas station down in St. Louis." Or more recently when she made her "plantation" remark. And of course we recall the liberal media saying it was a career-ender for Joe Biden to have said "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," Or not. But let George Allen make a similarly insensitive...

What a guy!

Today the President visited a dunkin donut outlet in Alexandria, Va and also spoke with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in the Oval Office First lady Laura Bush took part in the U.S.- Afghanistan Women's Council meeting held at the State Department Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Guls and Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta at the State Department Defense Secretary. Donald Rumsfeld made remarks about the North Korean missile tests, outside the Pentagon and met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvil Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Chain's use of database to fire employees who don't check out angers advocates for immigrants You may have already seen the signs popping up at your local Dunkin' Donuts shop: ``We follow the law! This company hires lawful workers only. " The signs, which have begun appearing in shops around Boston, make public the company's participation, starting June 1, in a voluntary federal program that enables employers to quickly check the immigration status of new hires. The company chose to participate in the program partly because it sometimes receives complaints from customers who assume its workers -- especially those whose...

Can an old New England pastry purveyor find new life as a hip coffee shop? Dunkin' Donuts plans to give Starbucks a run for its latte. The Strategy: Time to Ditch the Donuts I'm standing in line at the counter of a Dunkin' Donuts shop at the corner of Murray and Church in Manhattan's gritty-but-chic Tribeca. It's 5 p.m, the downtown hipster's low blood sugar hour. I have a stop watch in my hand. Stepping to the counter behind a dude in pocket chains and dagger-toed boots, I announce my order: "One small skim vanilla latte, please" to the young...

BARNSTABLE, Mass. --Two employees at a Dunkin' Donuts shop on Cape Cod were arrested after allegedly spitting in customers' coffee. Rodrigo Rodrigues, 22, and Junior DaSilva, 26, both of Barnstable, each face a felony charge of distributing food intended or expected to cause injury. Both are free on bail after their arraignment this week, the Cape Cod Times reported. Barnstable police made the arrests Feb. 3 after a six-day investigation prompted by an anonymous tip that employees were spitting and urinating in police officers' coffee, according to a police report filed in court.

Michael Vale, the actor best known for his portrayal of a sleepy-eyed Dunkin' Donuts baker who said "Time to make the donuts," has died, his family said on Tuesday. He was 83 years old. Vale's long-running character, "Fred the Baker," became a cultural icon. The ad campaign lasted 15 years, until Vale retired in 1997. Vale died Saturday in New York City of complications from diabetes, according to son-in law Rick Reil.

Michael Vale, the actor best known for his portrayal of a sleepy-eyed Dunkin' Donuts baker who said "Time to make the doughnuts," has died. He was 83. Vale died Saturday in New York City of complications from diabetes, according to son-in law Rick Reil. Vale's long-running character, "Fred the Baker," for the doughnut maker's ad campaign lasted 15 years until he retired in 1997. Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts said in a statement that Vale's character "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature." Vale was born in Brooklyn...

Krispy Kreme's neon red ''Hot Doughnuts Now" sign has gone dark on Route 1, creating a gaping hole in Saugus's commercial strip just 16 months after opening to great fanfare, with balloons, giveaways, and customers camping out overnight to be first in line. With its name blacked out on its towering sign, its windows papered up, and its building for lease, Krispy Kreme's demise is easy to spot.

The three Dunkin' Brand chains -- Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s -- will be acquired from French-owned Pernod Ricard by a U.S. investment consortium for $2.43 billion, according to the companies.

I was picking up a latte at Dunkin Donuts today and noticed one of the employees wearing a large kerry/edwards sticker. I engaged (baited) him into debating me and after about 30 seconds he start typical Dim hysterics. He couldnt handle me asking him simple yes or no questions. I than realised that I was wasting time and aske dhim his name. He wouldnt tell me. LOL So I walked out of the store with him yelling at me not to walk out. Too funny. Anyway I wrote to Dunkin Donuts Media Relations to find out if it's aokay for...

(Meriden-AP Dec. 5, 2003 7:30 AM)_ Meriden police have arrested a man suspected of holding up five doughnut shops in the past month. Police say an off-duty police officer is the one who caught the suspect in the act of robbing a Dunkin' Donuts shop yesterday afternoon. Officer John Cerejo was on his way to work when he saw a man run from a Dunkin' Donuts store on Broad Street who matched earlier descriptions of the robber. Police say the man ran down Hall Avenue and into the Crown Village condominiums. Cerejo called police headquarters, heard that the shop had...

I found these in the AP Wastebasket...images from the Chandra Levy briefing   AND FINALLY, THE CHIEF'S NEW POLICE CRUISER