Dunkin’ will not be opening its first Boise location at 6940 W. State St. after all, following the withdrawal of a city application that would have converted a Papa Murphy’s pizza spot inside Northgate Shopping Center into the coffee and donut chain’s debut Idaho outpost. The project collapsed after the building’s owner decided not to move forward with the buildout, citing the site’s lack of a grease trap or interceptor.
BoiseDev identified Ethos Architecture Group as the applicant, while the Idaho Statesman reported that the proposal would transform the Papa Murphy’s space near Glenwood into a Dunkin’, reusing the existing drive-thru lane and adding indoor seating for 18 customers at four tables. But on October 16, John Sponseller of Ethos withdrew the application, as first reported by BoiseDev. In his letter, Sponseller said the parties could not reach an agreement and that building ownership decided not to proceed with the Dunkin’ buildout.
The sticking point, per the same letter, was the building’s missing grease trap or interceptor — equipment designed to keep fats, oils and grease out of sewer systems and required for many types of restaurants to operate. Sponseller’s letter also raised concerns that grease from the building’s existing tenants could enter the sewer. The City of Boise had worked with Dunkin’ on the proposed location before the application was pulled, and developers told Yahoo News the city had confirmed a grease trap or interceptor would be required for the new use.
What the Withdrawal Does and Doesn’t Say
Importantly, the project team was careful about what it was — and wasn’t — claiming. Per a statement cited by Yahoo News, the developers said: “Our team is not in a position to determine whether the current operations meet the City's requirements nor are we suggesting that they do not.” The building currently houses both Papa Murphy’s and Boise Fry Co.
BoiseDev’s reporting, attributed to city spokesperson Maria Ortega, lays out why the two existing tenants aren’t being accused of any violation. Boise Fry Co. uses an in-ground grease interceptor that is maintained on an adequate schedule, and the restaurant disposes of its fryer oil by recycling it, according to Ortega. Papa Murphy’s, meanwhile, does not have grease abatement — but Ortega said that’s because the take-and-bake pizza chain began operating before Boise required such equipment for that type of restaurant, since take-and-bake operations do no cooking on site. The city does not consider the grease situation at either existing business to be a problem, per Ortega’s account relayed by BoiseDev.
Why a Coffee Shop Triggers Different Rules
The hang-up traces to how Boise treats retrofits. The city requires grandfathered restaurants to install grease abatement only when a retrofit triggers a new plumbing permit — which a full Dunkin’ buildout apparently would. Boise also requires all coffee shops to have some form of grease abatement, a policy that followed a 2018 city study finding that coffee shops generate significant fats, oils and grease by pouring expired milk and heavy cream down drains. New or retrofitted coffee shops must install the equipment, Ortega told BoiseDev, and city documents describe a broader requirement: food-service operations must have suitable and adequate grease-abatement equipment and follow Fat/Oil & Grease Best Management Practices, according to the City of Boise.
Boise isn’t the only Treasure Valley city that has had to enforce grease rules the hard way. Neighboring Garden City sued the Applebee’s at 7025 N. Glenwood St. in September 2024, accusing the restaurant of dumping grease, fats and oils into the sewers despite repeated warnings, per the Idaho Statesman. City officials said problems dated back to 2018, when a nearby business reported blocked sewers that investigators traced to the Applebee’s, and Garden City has said the grease threatened continued use of Boise’s shared sewer system. The two sides settled in October, with Applebee’s required to install a second grease trap, stay on a 60-day pumping schedule and pay Garden City roughly $5,000.
Dunkin’s Idaho Push Isn’t Slowing Down
Despite the setback at Northgate, Dunkin’ is still angling for a major Treasure Valley footprint. The chain is looking to add as many as 20 locations across the Boise area, according to two commercial real estate firms cited by the Idaho Statesman, and a TOK Commercial partner said the company was close to signing three leases in the region. As of the most recent reporting, there were no Dunkin’ locations operating anywhere in Idaho, per Yahoo News. Whether the State Street site resurfaces with the grease-abatement issue resolved, or whether Dunkin’ lands its first Idaho shop somewhere else entirely, remains to be seen.
