The owner of several Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the Boston area takes over a vacant shop in Spring Hill.
By JENNIFER LIBERTO
Published November 22, 2003
SPRING HILL - Vincent Leo is about to breathe new life into a shop that has stood silent but ready for doughnuts for more than a year.
Leo, a Boston Dunkin' Donuts franchise owner and frequent Florida vacationer, wants to change Florida-style Dunkin' Donuts and do it the way he knows how: the New England way.
Leo said he was disappointed with his experiences at local Dunkin' Donuts throughout the Tampa Bay area. He plans to bring Dunkin' Donuts in Florida to a more professional level with small changes, such as baking fresh bagels and doughnuts every two hours.
"I decided to be a local operator here and improve standards," said Leo, who plans to open the new Dunkin' Donuts on State Highway 50 and Mariner Boulevard as his first Florida Dunkin' Donuts. The store will employ 30 people.
The Dunkin' Donuts corporation originally received its permit in April 2002, constructed the store in less than six months and was ready to open in October 2002, according to the Hernando County building department.
Why the store stood empty for so long is somewhat debatable.
The franchise service manager for Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins stores, Joel Mandel, said the company picked the location and built the store but took a little longer to find the perfect franchise owner.
Leo said the company told him that the original franchisee backed out of the deal.
At this point, the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins is scheduled to open Sunday, Leo said. The store will also start offering about 28 flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream and custom-made ice cream cakes.
"I think it's a great location and it has great potential," Leo said.
Leo owns several Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the Boston area and he plans to open two more stores in the Tampa Bay area, Mandel said.
The Tampa Bay area is home to 38 Dunkin' Donuts-type shops, including two others in Hernando County.
- Staff writer Jennifer Liberto can be reached at 352 848-1434 or liberto@sptimes.com
