Dempster Dunkin Donuts To Be Demolished For New Dunkin Donuts

SKOKIE, IL — The Skokie Village Board this month unanimously approved a plan to demolish an existing drive-thru Dunkin Donuts on Dempster Street and replace it with a new drive-thru Dunkin Donuts in the same location.

Local franchisee Reena Panjwani Khowaja and architect Steve Kolber of Evanston-based Kolbrook Design told the plan commission last month that the new facility would meet updated corporate standards and include a slightly larger footprint.

The existing building — described in village materials as 60 to 70 years old and listed as 53 years old by the Cook County Assessor's Office — has served its useful life, they said, and the new one will include a better parking layout and a more efficient drive-thru flow. There will also be a patio for open-air dining.

"The new site plan and building provides a more efficient queue experience for drive-thru patrons, creates a better parking layout and offers a much-needed update to meet the latest Dunkin corporate standards in terms of operations and aesthetics. Updates that are all sorely needed at this location," according to a statement on behalf of the property owner, Paul Pacini, whose company purchased the land in 2019 for less than $100, according to the tax exemption it cited.

"We are confident that the overall impact on the immediate neighborhood is virtually unchanged as ownership, operational hours and of course the acclaimed offering of Dunkin fare will not change."

Village staff determined the new plan improves site landscaping, parking and traffic circulation. There were no citizen comments about the plan for or against, according to commission minutes.

The request for a special use permit was unanimously recommended by the plan commission and approved by the village board at the April 5 meeting.

The new building is expected to be completed early in the fall.