Craig Anton, left, of a partner in Salem-based White Donuts, franchisee of the new Dunkin' in Warren, and Steve Stack, director of operations for 13 stores, including the West Market Street location, stand next two the racks of donuts Friday, which marked the store's grand opening.

WARREN — The southeast corner lot at the intersection of Tod Avenue NW and West Market Street once had a gasoline filling station and convenience store; then a shell of a gasoline filling station and convenience store building.

And that’s the way it sat for years, its condition worsening every year until the building vanished, leaving an empty lot that occasionally transient vendors selling flowers or rugs would temporarily occupy.

That was then and this is now — a brand new, next generation Dunkin’ drive-thru officially opened Friday morning. The first 100 customers in line with a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank received free coffee for a year.

“The community has been awesome,” said Craig Anton of Salem-based White Donuts, the Dunkin’ franchise operator. “People have been coming through all morning donating to the food bank.”

The store is the 25th Dunkin’ franchise for White Donuts, operated by Anton and his partners, father and son Joe and Stew White. Their other stores are elsewhere in Trumbull, and in Mahoning, Columbiana and Stark counties, including a store that’s being built now in North Jackson, and two in the Hermitage, Pa., area.

It employs about 30 full- and part-time workers, is open all day and night and has the distinction of being a drive-thru-only location. That’s largely because of the size of the lot, or lack thereof. The building is 900 square feet and there are just enough parking spaces to accommodate the employees.

But the location was ideal because of its location — at a busy intersection and in an area where there’s really no other place to grab a quick cup of coffee, Anton said.

“Driving through town I had to go a ways to get a cup of coffee,” he said.

The store had a soft opening on July 24. Before that, workers trained at other Dunkin’ stores before shifting to the Warren location. It’s part of Dunkin’s next generation concept that incorporates the brand’s new signage and new equipment that helps make the drive-thru more efficient.

One of the new elements is a pour system where cold beverages are on tap.

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin and Sixth Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Saffold joined Anton and crew members Friday to cut a ribbon for the grand opening.

“Economic development is crucial, not only to the city of Warren, but to my ward,” said Saffold, a Democrat. “Specifically, these businesses are putting food on the table for many of my residents.”

rselak@tritbtoday.com