Dunkin' Donuts To Open 45 Locations in Southern California
By Sam Lewis
First restaurants expected to open in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in 2015
On July 25th, Dunkin’ Donuts announced its first Southern California multi-unit store development agreements have been signed. Four franchise groups have committed to opening 45 new restaurants — the first of these stand-alone restaurants are expected to open in 2015, with non-traditional locations (institutions of higher learning, casinos, military bases, supermarkets, airports, and travel centers) opening within the next few months.
At the end of 2012, Dunkin’ Donuts had 10,500+ stores. With the long-term goal of having 15,000+ stores, the search began in January in California to recruit multi-unit operators in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Orange counties.
“We are delighted to see both existing and new franchisee groups, each of whom has tremendous business experience, bring Dunkin’ Donuts to The Golden State,” said Paul Twohig, president, Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. & Canada. “Our continued focus on franchisee profitability and restaurant economics has made our long-awaited expansion into California possible.”
Frontier Group, led by Dan Almquist and Robert Jonas, is the first to sign Dunkin’ Donuts’ Southern California development agreement and will open 18 new restaurants in Orange County and the South Bay Coastal region of Los Angeles County. Current New Jersey Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchise owner Gary Haar will be expanding his stores from coast to coast with plans to open 10 restaurants in Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Malibu. Prell Restaurant Group founders Danny and Coby Sonenshine will develop 16 restaurants in central L.A. and San Gabriel Valley.
Opening stores in southern California is the second effort by Dunkin’ Donuts this summer to update its brand. In June, the company revealed a new restaurant design, its first in almost seven years. The new look includes four new concepts — Original Blend, Cappuccino Blend, Dark Roast, and Jazz Brew. These four different concepts allow franchisees to enhance the restaurant’s appearance to fit various sizes, locations, and needs. Expansion west of the Mississippi River, flexible design concepts for franchise owners, along with a plethora of coffee and coffee related products available for sale in grocery aisles and end-caps will be the backing force in Dunkin’ Donuts’ on-going battle to be the go-to name in coffee.