By Gus Saltonstall
A recently opened Dunkin’ on the Upper West Side might have a great collection of flavor shots, but there are big holes in its approach to the Upper West Side.
Walk into the Dunkin’ at 2264 Broadway, between 81st and 82nd streets, turn left, and you’re met with the words — “UPPER WESTSIDE RUNS ON DUNKIN.”
The West Side of the Upper West Side has been written as Westside. The lack of space has struck many locals as a jelly-filled example of corporate clueless-ness.
“Anyone who knows anything about Upper West Siders knows that we need our space,” local resident Richard Robbins told West Side Rag.
While Dunkin’s national public relations department did not immediately answer the West Side Rag’s request for comment on the typo, a store employee had more to say.
“Yes, people have pointed it [the misspelling] out,” the employee, who asked not to be named since they were working, told the Rag. “I think it would be good if it was changed to the [correct] spelling.”
Upper West Siders have alerted West Side Rag to the misspelling multiple times this week.
The Broadway Dunkin’ opened at the end of May, and joined more than 10 other outposts in the neighborhood.
“It just shows what happens when a multinational corporation tries to pass itself off as a local business,” Ken Coughlin, a longtime Upper West Sider and Community Board 7 member, said about the misspelling.
Other customers walking out of the Dunkin’ armed with iced coffee and hash browns told West Side Rag they had no strong feelings about the matter.
There was at least one person who lauded the Dunkin’ misspelling.
“Maybe that’s their own nice uniqueness, a way of doing it themselves and standing out,” a manager of a nearby business told the Rag, adding that she did not know it was not the correct spelling.
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Update: 9/13, 4 p.m.: It looks like a grammatical change is coming to the 2264 Broadway Dunkin’. “We are thankful for the observant eyes of our Upper West Side patron!” a spokesperson from Dunkin’ wrote. “Keep those eyes out because an updated sign is coming.”
Ha ha! Of course UWSers are pointing out the error, but glad to hear some folks don’t care. Dunkin fan here, as long as they sell BR ice cream. I like the folks operating the one at 97/98th and Broadway. Lower-end franchises are not all bad. Decent lower priced ice cream is hard to come by these days.
Dunkin Donuts sells ice cream?
They normally have dds with half baskin robins (BR)
It’s not idiomatic but not exactly a misspelling either.
I’m more annoyed by people who say they live “in” the Upper West Side rather than using the local vernacular where we live “on” the Upper West Side (and also stand “on” line.)
I came to the comments to say the same thing (not exactly a misspelling). But what is it exactly? Best I can come up with is “orthographical faux pas”.
It occurs to me that, in German, “West Side” is probably one word. Maybe Dunkin’ is hiring German graphic designers these days.
That’s a stretch, but a funny one.
When they first opened, the sign in the window was painted backwards (since corrected)
They must be from California or maybe just big fans of Ice Cube and his Westside Connection 🙂
Haha this is a great story. BUT it got me thinking to that AMEX ad ages ago with Robert De Niro, when he says “My Westside” so quickly it sounds like one word.
About 27 seconds in: https://youtu.be/HrzeP4TvzXc?si=qASuWzwyO9jdrIgJ
I write and speak West Side as two words.
But there is one New Yorker (and former UWser) who might treat West Side as one word!
Slow down speed racer, wait until you find a story.
Always thought it was the Upper Left side.
we like to say Upper Best Side
Just like when the one at 225 and Broadway opened it said the Bronx runs on Dunkin. Eventually they fixed it to Marble Hill.
I just went into the Dunkin’ on 98th Street and Broadway and they wanted $9 for I don’t know a pint or two of their ice cream. Which I can definitely say is higher than most of what else is around so I won’t be buying Baskin-Robbins anytime soon.
I’ve always wished Westside Market would change their name to West Side Market, but at least “westside” in their case is an adjective; using it as a noun is plain wrong.
I believe , it is for marketing purposes. It lays out perfectly with no space between WEST and SIDE. There are 13 letters on the top and 12 letters plus the apostrophe at the end on the bottom = 13. Adding the space on the top would have thrown off the symmetry.