If the idea of 365 days worth of free Dunkin’ coffee sounds good, you’re going to want to set your alarm early Tuesday.
The grand opening of Soddy-Daisy’s new Dunkin’ drive-through location starts at 5 a.m., and the first 100 customers will score free coffee for an entire year. But if you want to be in the first 100, you’ll probably need to get an even earlier start.
“The last time we had an event like this, we already had our first 100 customers lined up by 3:30 a.m.,” said Tara Bock, marketing specialist for Dunkin’s franchise network, the Bluemont Group.
Soddy-Daisy residents José and Geraldina Martinez may just be there. José Martinez commutes each day to his job at CarMax in Hixson, where he stops at that Dunkin’ location for his daily order of coffee and avocado toast.
He’s been awaiting the opening of the new location for weeks, if not months — and the thought of free coffee for a year sounds pretty good, too. Local options for drive-through coffee are limited, the couple said, with only a couple of small sit-down cafés and McDonald’s as alternatives.
When it comes to brand loyalty, José Martinez is definitely a Dunkin’ guy, he said. He grew up drinking Dunkin’s hot chocolate, and it’s the brand he and Geraldina Martinez buy and make at home. 
The new Soddy-Daisy Dunkin’ drive-through, shown Wednesday, is in the Walmart parking lot off Dayton Pike. The grand opening begins at 5 a.m. Tuesday. / Staff Photo by Jennifer McNally.
Geraldina Martinez is excited to have a Dunkin’ closer to home, too. She loves pretty much anything pumpkin spice and orders one of the Dunkin’ lattes about once a week.
“We’re super excited,” José Martinez said. “I was trying to quit coffee — but not now.”
(READ MORE: Dunkin’ builds bakery in North Georgia)
“Everybody’s fired up about Dunkin'” coming to town, Soddy-Daisy Mayor Steve Everett said.
Right now, to find a similar place for a coffee or pastry, residents have to drive to Dayton or Hixson — which isn’t far in terms of miles, but depending on traffic, can be a lengthy trip.
“It’s nice to have things a little more local, a little more convenient,” he said.
Everett added that his only concern was for the Coffee Community Collective, a sit-down café that raises funds for the Northshore Neighborhood House, a local nonprofit providing financial assistance to residents. But overall, he doesn’t believe Dunkin’s presence will affect the nonprofit’s financial stability.
People who go to the Coffee Collective will continue to support it, Everett said.
“I think it will be hard for Dunkin’ to pull customers away from them,” he said. “The people who go to the Coffee Collective go there for other reasons.”
(READ MORE: Photo gallery of Dunkin’ opening on Broad Street)
As part of the grand opening, the North Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce and the Dunkin’ Foundation will host a ribbon-cutting at 8 a.m., where they plan to present a $3,000 check to a local food pantry.
The Bluemont Group had been on the lookout for a Soddy-Daisy location and finally secured a spot in the Walmart parking lot off Dayton Pike, Bock said. While the new store is drive-through only, customers can still expect Dunkin’s classic menu, complete with seasonal treats and beverages.
“We think Soddy-Daisy will be a pretty amazing place to be,” Bock said.
Contact Jennifer McNally at jmcnally@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416.