The long-vacant husk of Gloucester Wendy’s saw stirrings of new life on Tuesday, and by mid-morning it was already causing traffic slowdowns and at least one heated Facebook thread. Where frosties once flowed, the sign now reads: “DUOLINGO — COMING SOON.”
“We’re excited to bring immersive, judgment-based language learning to the North Shore,” said Duolingo spokesperson Oliver Hootman. “Our brick-and-mortar locations allow the owl to maintain prolonged eye contact, which research shows increases fluency through fear.”
Local reactions were mixed. Some residents welcomed the chance to finally learn conversational Portuguese without being shamed by push notifications, while others expressed concern that the owl would remember who promised to learn Italian in 2019 and didn’t.
“I just hope they keep the drive-thru,” said one passerby.
The Dogtown Reader 