Dunkin’ Donuts got its start in Quincy, Massachusetts, back in 1948, growing popular for its house-made donuts. Today, Massachusetts makes up a bit less than 10% of the total Dunkin’ locations in the United States with more than 1,000 restaurants. This is second only to New York, which has more than 1,400. However, it’s a much, much smaller state with far fewer locations that loves the chain the most: Rhode Island.
According to Google Trends, Rhode Island takes the top spot for users who research Dunkin’. While it’s not clear why Rhode Island searches for the chain so much, Dunkin’ has a pretty large presence in the Northeast. With reportedly 159 locations and a state size of about 1,200 square miles, that means you never go more than a few miles there without finding one. Plus, the biggest Dunkin’ rival — Starbucks — only has about 35 Rhode Island locations, which pales in comparison to Dunkin’s presence.
There are only four Rhode Island towns without a Dunkin’
As of 2022, only four towns in the state (Foster, Jamestown, Little Compton, and New Shoreham) were lacking a Dunkin’, and it was such a big deal that it was worthy of news coverage. In contrast, there are multiple towns — including Westerly and Coventry — where Dunkin’ is so prominent that you can actually see one location while dining in another one.
Those without a Dunkin’ in town are truly disappointed. “It’s really sad,” Carol Sholly, Foster’s former town clerk, told Providence Journal back in 2022. The nearest Dunkin’ is several thousand feet over the town line; while it’s still close enough for people to make the trip, residents are disappointed that they don’t have a location right in town. It seems that people in Rhode Island are serious about their love for Dunkin’, to the point where they feel left out if they don’t have a location. But those residents aren’t alone; there are several states — including Washington, Idaho, and Oregon — that don’t have a single Dunkin’ location, either…