UPDATE 8-12-2022: The Next Generation Dunkin' at 7367 N. Beach St. is hosting a grand opening celebration on August 13. At 5 am, the restaurant will surprise the first 100 guests in the drive-thru line with free-coffee-for-a-year coupon books. From 9-11 am, the celebration will also include Dunkin'-branded giveaways, an appearance by Dunkin's mascot Cuppy, music, and more.

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A new location of Dunkin', the New England coffee and doughnut chain, will open in Fort Worth with lots of new bells and whistles.

Located at 7367 N. Beach St., in a former urgent care medical clinic, the shop will be one of the chain's Next Generation models, with digital kiosks where you can order and pay using a credit card or a Dunkin' gift card. A release notes that the kiosks create an "efficient, accurate, more convenient, and frictionless experience" for customers. "Frictionless," as in, you won't have to deal with staff.

According to a spokesperson, the shop will open mid-summer.

Dunkin' began modernizing its store experience in 2018, when it first introduced the Next Generation format, featuring an open design with a front-facing bakery case that allows customers to more easily look at the doughnuts. At older stores, their doughnuts are on racks behind the cash register and it can really be a challenge and very awkward to figure out what they are and what to order.

There are now more than 1,000 Next Gen stores out of a total of 9,000 stores, and 13 stores across Dallas-Fort Worth, including Love Field Airport; a Next Gen store opened in McKinney in 2019. As the Next Gen stores have evolved, so have their features, with some stores offering Grab & Go bottled beverages and snacks.

Beyond the warm interior color palette and atmospheric lighting, the new Fort Worth location will feature a drive-thru, complimentary Wi-Fi, and best of all, an innovative tap system with all of their cold coffee drinks lined up, just like beer taps.

Let us list some of the exciting elements of the Fort Worth Next Gen location in our favorite bullet format:

• Digital kiosks. Note: There is also a traditional order counter, if you are seeking an experience with friction.
• Premium Pours. Dunkin’s signature cold beverages are poured through an innovative tap system, serving cold sips such as iced coffee, iced tea, Cold Brew, and Nitro-Infused Cold Brew (a Next Gen exclusive).
• Espresso-based drinks. Crew members also use top-quality, flavor-maximizing espresso machines to make handcrafted drinks to order.
• On-the-Go drive-thru lane. DDPerks members who order ahead via Dunkin's Mobile App bypass the ordering lane and can head straight into the line for the pickup window.

The store is also a DD Green Achievement restaurant, saving 25 percent more energy compared to a standard Dunkin'.

UPDATE: Dough Boy Donuts opens for business Wednesday, August 15. Regular hours are 6 am-6 pm Monday and Wednesday through Saturday; 8 am-12 pm Sunday; closed Tuesday.

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When one oven door closes, another opens. Fort Worth gourmet doughnut purveyor Dough Boy Donuts will open its first storefront in the space recently vacated by Leah's Sweet Treats, at 4910 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Dough Boy owner Melvin Roberson announced in a Facebook post with many capital letters on March 24 — Leah's final day in business — that he and his team would be keeping the space sugared and frosted.

"We are EXTREMELY sad that our friends at Leah's Sweet Treats are closing; HOWEVER, we are THRILLED to announce that DOUGH BOY DONUTS will be taking over their space!," the post says.

Roberson hopes to open by mid- to late summer and will first work on revamping the space to give it his own spin.

He launched his gourmet doughnut business in 2015 by order only. He bought a food truck in 2016 and hit the road, the same year he quit his job as kitchen manager at The Keg Steakhouse & Bar. Fans line up for his made-to-order glazed goodies at the Clearfork Farmers Markets on most Saturdays, and around town at breweries, bars, and occasionally in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District.

Opening a brick-and-mortar doughnut shop was part of the plan all along. He says Leah's owner Leah Loose reached out to him a few months ago about the potential opportunity to take over her location. She closed her bakery after six years in business, telling customers that she wants to focus on her family.

“I met her and her husband, Aaron, while I was working an event,” Roberson says. “We struck up a conversation and stayed somewhat close. Our friendship picked up over the last year or two as I was inquiring about another space on Camp Bowie and wanted her opinion.”

Dough Boy is known for wild doughnut flavors like maple glaze topped with candied, Sriracha-tinged bacon, lime zest glazed garnished with crushed, salted pistachios, and cereal-topped varieties that include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, and Lucky Charms.

In the new shop, Roberson will rotate seasonal flavors and feature an “off-the-wall” doughnut of the month. Patrons can also expect good coffee.

“I’m leaning towards a local company but want to feature different roasters monthly,” he says. “I think we’ll start with a plain, good drip coffee and expand down the road.”

Operating days are still in the air, but hours are tentatively planned for 6 am to 6 pm to cater to those with afternoon doughnut cravings.

Gourmet doughnut shops are on a roll in Fort Worth. In early February, FunkyTown Donuts announced it was opening a second location in Sundance Square, across from Bass Performance Hall.