Former Burger King site to become Dunkin’ franchise

The former Burger King location on Main Street and West Quarry Road in River Falls will become a Dunkin’ franchise and is projected to be open for business in May.

The building has been sitting vacant and boarded up for nearly two years. Bee Furlong and her husband Scott are the new property owners. Bee Furlong said that the property is being partitioned into two suites, one being the new Dunkin’ location with the tenant for the other suite to be determined later.

“I can’t speak for what’s going in (the second suite) because we haven’t signed any agreements yet,” Furlong said. “We’re looking for something that’s going to complement the coffee shop and be high-traffic, because it’s not necessarily the most pedestrian-friendly spot in town.”

Rumors spread about the space due to a post on the River Falls Community Facebook page.

“Someone saw the Dunkin’ van parked out front during one of our meetings and put it on the Facebook page,” Furlong said.

Despite the rumors, Furlong said it has been a “positive thing” to see the word about the location spread fast.

“It’s been nice that the word has spread fast, and I hope it’s generally received well in our community,” Furlong said. “We are very excited to have our new tenant in the space, and think he will provide a positive influence on the community.”

The property has a valuation of $961,000, according to St. Croix County records.

The new tenant of the space is Sahil Taneja St. Paul, who has been a Dunkin’ franchise owner for five other locations in the last three years.

“This will be my sixth franchise,” Taneja said. “The goal of the (River Falls) location remains the same as my other ones, which is to provide a quick and convenient way for people to have coffee on the go, and even a doughnut too.”

Both Furlong and Taneja agree that Dunkin’ is “much needed” in the River Falls community.

“We hope a drive-thru coffee shop supports the entire town of River Falls, and satisfies the needs of people who commute,” Furlong said. “We love and appreciate our community, and we hope that people receive this well.”

Construction on the site began in the first week of January and is projected to finish towards the end of April to the beginning of May. The construction will not interfere with traffic on Main Street and West Quarry Road.

According to Taneja, the franchise is looking for interested job applicants and will begin the hiring process in April.

“We are looking for about 40-50 team members to serve in all kinds of roles,” Taneja said.