The first of 12 new eastern Iowa Dunkin’ Donuts locations kicked off construction in Coralville last week, and is already “ahead of schedule.” The Coralville location is scheduled to open this summer, and all 12 locations are set to open by 2018.

The Coralville restaurant will be located at 604 Second St. The exact opening date is not yet known, but officials said they are optimistic about an easy start.

“I can tell you we are a little ahead of schedule,” said Andrea Farley, a managing partner of Eastern Iowa Food Services. “The stars seem to be aligning. We are definitely on track to open this summer, and I don’t see any hiccups in opening when we want to.”

The Dunkin’ Donut restaurant is owned by the Eastern Iowa Food Service LLC. Farley said that over the next few years, her job will include overseeing the development of the Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants the company plans to open. 

The reason the construction is going so well is because of the location itself, she said. The only major addition they are building is a walk-in cooler and freezer.

“The building that was there is perfect for a Dunkin’ Donuts,” she said. “We feel really good about our ability to serve our guests at that location.”

Before Eastern Iowa Food Service purchased the property, it was a Sonic Drive-In. The next location for the second Dunkin’ Donuts will be on Blairs Ferry Road in Cedar Rapids. Farley said along with beginning construction of the Coralville location, they have begun hiring.

“We are absolutely targeting University of Iowa students,” she said.  “We’ve got a great audience there. We are hiring, and we are hiring a lot of people.”

UI freshman Virginia Davis said while Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t much of a draw for her, she thinks some students from other parts of the country will be more excited about it.

“People who grew up with Dunkin’ Donuts would go out there, but for [others] … they will probably just go somewhere in Iowa City,” she said.

Many students said transportation problems would make it difficult for them to make the trek all the way out to the restaurant once it is constructed.

UI junior Philip Newton said he loves Dunkin’ Donuts, but he wishes the location were closer to campus.

“I really don’t go out to eat much, and if I do, it’s downtown,” Newton said. “Mainly because I don’t have a car. For students, I think it’s kind of useless.”

UI freshman Ryan Krutwig said he would be willing to overcome the transportation barriers to go to Dunkin’ Donuts after it is constructed simply because of the familiarity the eatery provides.

“I don’t think we even have a doughnut place around here, and we need one,” he said. “[I could see myself] getting up early in the morning, jumping on a bus, go get the doughnuts, and come back. It’s kind of like home.”