Proposed Dunkin' Donuts near Little Five Points worries residents in surrounding communities

• Courtesy Dunkin' Donuts

Nearby residents and business owners are concerned over a proposed Dunkin' Donuts that would bring a drive-thru near the heart of Little Five Points.

The Massachusetts-based pastry and coffee behemoth wants to retrofit the vacant building at 299 Moreland Avenue just south of the commercial area. If all goes according to plan, Dunkin' Donuts spokesman Justin Drake said, the company could open the new restaurant by the end of 2013.

"The restaurant will stay true to the characteristic architecture of the existing building and will also feature an outdoor patio area, bike racks and easy pedestrian access," he said.

Dunkin' Donuts says the deal hinges on the drive-thru, which typically generates more than three-quarters of a typical location's sales. According to Architect Jon Bencich and Dan Tavares, Dunkin' Donuts' development manager, city planning officials said that a drive-thru could be built on the property because the building originally housed a gas station and later a laundromat with a drive-thru. As a result, the zoning predates the neighborhood commercial ordinances that help protect Little Five Points' character.