Dunkin
Written on February 15, 2008
Dunkin' Donuts announced Thursday it plans to bring more than 100 new restaurants over the next several years to the St. Louis market.
The baked goods and coffee chain is seeking new franchisees to own and operate a minimum of five new Dunkin' Donuts locations in St. Louis and surrounding counties on both the Missouri and Illinois side.
Building a network of stores enables Dunkin' Donuts to invest in a distribution model that ensures consistent, high-quality products, according to Lynette McKee, Dunkin' Donuts vice president of franchising and business development.
Within the past year, the company has launched plans or entered into agreements for significant expansion in Kansas City, Nashville, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Dallas, Austin and Houston, among other locations. Dunkin' Donuts is also increasing its presence in international markets, including the company's recent announcement to expand into mainland China.
The addition of Dunkin' Donuts to the marketplace will mean more pressure locally for companies like Starbucks, McDonald's, Kaldi's and others competing for coffee customers instant payday loan.
The market segment that includes coffee shops is expected to grow 6.8 percent to $20.9 billion in 2008, outpacing the 4.4 percent sales growth predicted for restaurants overall, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Dunkin' Donuts announced Wednesday that it launched a new line of products that will allow the chain to capture sales in a bigger slice of the day.
Among the changes are flatbread sandwiches, personal pizzas and hash browns, which gives more options for lunch and dinner. New cooking ovens will give items the oven-toasted taste. Besides the new selections, breakfast baked goods can be warmed for customers.
Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts sells 2.7 million cups of coffee per day, nearly 1 billion cups a year. Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands Inc.
Filed in: economics.