More like limps...

Any new place of business - and this is particularly evident in retail - takes time to get up running like a well-oiled machine.  This goes for big-name franchises in the fast food business in particular.  The new Duncan Dunkin' donuts on 14th & L in Washington, D.C. has earned the "distinction" of not being an exception to this rule.

How do I know?  I found out firsthand the other morning.

I thought it would be a good idea to get a ham, egg and cheese on an english muffin with hash browns.  Here's how it went:

Me:  Uh, yeah, may I have a ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with...

Cashier:  I'm sorry, sir.  We're out of english muffins.  We have croissants, bagels, white toast...

Me:  White toast will be fine.  AND, may I also get the six-piece hash...

Cashier:  I'm sorry, sir.  We only have the nine-piece.

Me:  That'll be fine.  Wait...  You have enough of these to sell nine at a time, but you can't give me six of them?

Cashier:  Yeah, we only have the nine-piece

Me:  That'll work, then.
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And the wait was a little too long.  There's ONE guy who handles the breakfast sandwich and hash brown orders, and let's just say he is not in anything resembling a hurry.  For a managerially-attired person creeping along, amid a sea of scrambling subordinate Duncan Dunkin' Donut-ites, this is a problem.  Especially if you care at all about the principle of Leading By Example.  Most of the other employees we're getting in each other's way right around the battery of coffee-making equipment on the other side.  I was waiting to see a coffee-scalding incident as massive as it would be unprecedented.  One employee was counting pennies where customers place their orders.  Pennies were scattered all over the place. Practically speaking, that isn't a real problem, other than it does contribute to an overall sense of chaos and disorganization.

Also, the place is really small, so everyone is all bunched up in the unofficial waiting area, which you have to share with the door swing arc on one side and the condiment, napkin and garbage station on the other.  The stairs leading back up to the street side is often lined with waiting patrons, some of whom are blocking the way in and out.  MAJOR FIRE CODE VIOLATION.

Anyway, I can't see that anything will improve on the architectural front, so that leaves adequate food supply and personnel.  Improvements in these areas will ensure that we turn that limp back into a run.