Startling Orange might work as a signature color for the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise, but it is apparently not the shade of choice for the Village of Great Neck.
After welcoming the soon-to-be-built donut shop to the village with open arms last month and approving a facade plan at a meeting Tuesday night, the village board of trustees unanimously rejected the possible use of “Startling Orange” for the restaurant awnings.
“We are unanimous, we don’t want it,” said Village of Great Neck Trustee Mark Birnbaum. “I would certainly be okay with this if you can tone it down.”
“There are families that live on Brokaw, just west of this building at 566 Middle Neck Road, that are going to be driving past there everyday,” said Trustee Bart Sobel, who preferred the color brown. “I don’t know that that wouldn’t just wear on them, that Startling Orange.”
Keeping the historic character of the village in mind during ongoing efforts for preservation and revitalization of the downtown area, color preferences for the Dunkin’ Donuts awning varied among trustees.
Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman preferred cranberry, another of Dunkin’ Donuts’ theme colors.
Other trustees were mainly against dark colors for the downtown area.
“I don’t want anything that’s so dull,” said Trustee Jeffrey Bass, disagreeing with Sobel on a brown-colored awning for the donut shop. “I think that while we are trying to upgrade and maintain the historic nature of it the village, we also want to add life to Middle Neck Road.”
Bass suggested he was in favor of a more subdued orange color that was listed in the schematic plans for the building.
“Startling Orange would add life on high-test caffeine,” said Bass, to the restaurant’s architect. “The subdued orange that you have here I think is very attractive.”
Restaurant representatives said when people are looking for a Dunkin’ Donuts, Startling Orange is an identifying color.
“I think that everybody on the entire peninsula will know that you are there within about a week after you open up,” said Trustee Mark Birnbaum, who sided with Bass on a more subdued shade of orange for the awning.
Trustee Mitchell Beckerman agreed.
“It’s not out of line to go away from the Startling Orange,” said Beckerman.
Although most all construction details have been approved, Dunkin’ Donuts representatives agreed come back at a later board of trustees meeting with a few different choices for awning colors.
From gutter colors to trash cans, the board of trustees has in recent months thoroughly discussed details of the building plan at meetings in an effort to maintain the historic character of the village and building harmony.
“We are trying to take a nondescript, modern building and bridge the gap,” said Kreitzman, regarding the proposed Dunkin’ Donuts facility. “We can’t obviously make it historic, but to the extent that we can harmonize more.”
In the end, the architect thanked the board for their ideas and said the Great Neck Village plan might be used in other cities.
“This is something that will probably carry through forward as a vernacular in other downtown areas,” said Ed Butt of Butt, Otruba and O’Conner Architects of Roslyn, who promised a cafe-style donut shop complete with Wi-Fi and outdoor seating.
“It’s more of a cafe than your garden variety Dunkin’ Donuts,” said Butt.
Kreitzman said residents he has talked to are ecstatic about the opening of the donut shop.
The eatery is expected to begin construction in about one month and plans to offer kosher donuts.
