Massive sinkhole opens in parking lot of Pittsburgh-area Dunkin, leaving customers concerned

Dunkin' Donuts, or...dunking tires? 

That's the question in Penn Hills, where a growing sinkhole is raising concerns at the busy coffee shop. 

For so many, missing their morning coffee puts a hole in the day, and it's being taken to the next level at the Penn Hills Dunkin Donuts on Rodi Road. 

The sinkhole has been growing for more than a month now. 

"It's big, it's growing, and it looks like something is going to crawl out of there," said Angel Jackson, a customer who was at Dunkin this morning. 

The sinkhole is deep enough that it has exposed old storm drainage under the parking lot. 

Jackson said she noticed the sinkhole back in September, and since then, it has doubled in size. 

"I think something needs to happen before somebody's car falls in it, because it's huge," she said. 

"The hole continues to grow," added Nick Buckshaw, another customer. "Just very dangerous as cars pull out of the drive-thru; it's really hard to see sometimes, especially in the mornings." 

Heartland Restaurant Group owns the Dunkin, and they said the issue isn't new; it's actually the third sinkhole due to the piping underneath. Now, they're looking to the municipality and state for help. 

"We want to make sure this is a long-term solution," said Mike Zappone of Heartland Restaurant Group. "We've had some other issues on this same pipe over the years that have been at our expense, now well over $100,000 in repairs." 

That bill is only getting larger - not unlike the sinkhole. 

"We do have some additional safety measures that are coming in [on Wednesday]," he said. "We certainly feel their frustration; we have the same frustration. We just want to get that area as safe as possible for people while we work through this with the authorities and try to come up with a solution." 

Zappone said they have heard PennDOT is planning to do a study, and they are hopeful they can work together toward a more permanent solution.