By Katherine Waters

Sun Staff Intern

NORWICH – Eighteen Dunkin Donuts fans lined up this morning to experience the opening of the new store.

The new Dunkin Donuts store opened at 5 a.m. this morning to accommodate tired but enthusiastic early risers. Many customers were glad to see the doors of the Rt. 12 South Norwich store open.

“This is a celebration. There is no doughnut like a Dunkin Donut,” said Leslie Lawrence, who stood on line with her daughter, Tammy.

Based on input from local business groups and community members, general manager Tom Santurri expects a large crowd for opening day.

In anticipation for this crowd, approximately 37 new employees went through basic training prior to the opening. “We are bringing trained staff in from other areas in order to accommodate the lines,” said Santurri.

He expects the store to be slightly busier than normal for the first few days, but people will still be able to get their coffee in a timely manner.