A closer look: how Mickey’s, Dunkin’ project took shape in Shelby
By David Jacobs
A months-long project that culminated in the May 5 opening of a new Mickey’s and Dunkin’ combination store near Lamplighter Lane didn’t begin with ribbon cuttings or corporate fanfare — it began with a traffic study and a keen eye on location.
“We’ve been looking for something in between here and Mansfield for a while,” said Kent Kick, vice president of Mickey’s, in an interview at the site. “We see a location, do a traffic study on it, go from there.”
Public input is part of that.
“The public says, ‘Maybe you ought to look at this location,’ or something like that,” Kick said. “We filter through whether it’s worth it or not.”
The Shelby facility, in the area of the former Skarl Motors lot, houses a Mickey’s store alongside the adjoining Dunkin’. The scale of the operation includes space for large rigs at a truck island, diesel exhaust fluid at the pumps, and an all-hours open-door policy on Mickey’s side.
“They can pull through, fuel and pull out back," Kick said. "There’s parking out back. Come in, get a Dunkin’ and coffee, get Mickey’s coffee, soft drinks, whatever they want.”
Mickey's is open 24/7 with around 12 employees on the Mickey's side.
Inside the Dunkin’ operation, which employs between 45 to 50 people, the food offerings go far beyond coffee and donuts.
“We also have our sandwich station,” said Chuck Wadsworth, vice president of operations for the restaurant division of Coles Group that owns and manages Dunkin’, Subway, and Taco Bell locations in Ohio.
“There's a lot of things we can do, whether it’s a bagel, whether it’s croissants, whether it’s turkey sausage, whether it’s regular sausage, whether it’s bacon — a lot of different options there," he said, also noting a beverage lineup.
Opening day started at 5 a.m.
"Typically, they go to the drive-through because it’s convenient and they place mobile orders,” Wadsworth said of customers. “People are coming in and they’re wanting to see the donut case. They’re wanting to see the selection and the variety that we have. So it’s really cool.”
The Dunkin’ side operates on the 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule, seven days a week, though that could expand.
“We might look at adjusting that down the road,” Wadsworth said.
Public anticipation had built up in the weeks leading up to the Shelby Dunkin’ launch.
“There’s been a lot of Facebook, social media," Wadsworth said. "There’s a buzz in the community. Everybody’s excited that we’re here. We just want to serve great coffee, delicious donuts and amazing food.”
Anticipation for Dunkin’ stretched beyond Shelby.
"We’re in Bellville, and people were going to that restaurant or saying, ‘Hey, when are you opening?’ And so here we are," Wadsworth said.
Wadsworth was asked about the decision to expand to Shelby.
“We’re growing,” Wadsworth said. “All over Ohio, we're looking for places that we can continue to expand our footprint, and so Shelby was definitely one of those places.”
Mickey's and Dunkin' are along the Mansfield Avenue (State Route 39) corridor connecting Shelby with nearby communities of Ontario and Mansfield.
Site preparation work started in April 2024 to get the former Skarl Motors site ready for construction that began last fall.
Fred Olivieri Construction of North Canton served as the general contractor, along with various subcontractors.
“There had to have been 50, 60 guys on the construction team, I’m sure,” Kick said.
The team pushed through months of work to deliver a full-service fuel center and food stop featuring pizza, breakfast sandwiches, chicken, and more.
“You name it,” Kick said. “We do it all.”
Both sides of the business expect their presence to elevate the area’s amenities.
The Mickey's portion spans 5,500 square feet.
The fuel sold on-site is unbranded and marketed under the Mickey’s name. “We’re branding it as Mickey’s, but we can buy on the open market, whatever we want to put in,” Kick said
Customers can also save at the pump with a rewards program offering 10 cents per gallon off the posted gas price.
"So all they need to do is sign up for it and use their phone number for that," Kick said.
Still coming at the time of the May 5 opening was an electronic signboard at the road.
“Usually, we have a street sign so we can post up ‘Now Open’ or something like that,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have that available (today).”
Formerly known as Mickey Mart, Mickey’s is now the name of the food and fuel stops in Ohio.
“We changed it probably six to eight months ago more because of fuel branding and so forth," Kick said. "We don’t want to be looked at as a convenience store. We want to be looked at as – 'We’ve got pretty much everything'.”
Mickey’s is a part of the Coles Group of Milan, Ohio.
The new location is part of Mickey’s broader presence in Ohio. The company, founded in 1984, now operates 43 locations, including the Shelby location.
“We’re going to try to stay in our north central Ohio footprint,” Kick said. “But I think for the most part, there’s a possibility we could go anywhere.”
“People need to come check us out, see what we’re all about,” Wadsworth said. “There’s a lot of excitement just looking at the general radius of the closest Dunkin’. We’re in Bellville, and people were going to that restaurant or saying, ‘Hey, when are you opening?’ And so here we are.”
AT A GLANCE
Photo gallery: Mickey’s and Dunkin' open in Shelby