Dunkin’ Donuts announced today that it has signed agreements with three franchisees to develop 17 new restaurants in South Florida and Jacksonville over the next several years. Dunkin’ Donuts development throughout Florida is part of a steady and strategic growth strategy, which includes expanding in existing markets while entering new cities across the country to help drive growth.
Two restaurants will open throughout the state in 2011 with the remaining units scheduled to open by 2017. Locations targeted for development include the following:
*Ten units will be developed in the Northeast Dade, Doral-Hialeah, and South Miami regions of Miami-Dade County by MMM Franchising Group Inc., with the first restaurant opening in 2011 and the remaining nine completed by 2017. Marc Weinstein, operating partner will oversee all aspects of development.
*S. Gordon Restaurant Group, LLC, headed up by Stanley and Lenore Gordon, will open five units in Southeast Palm Beach County and Southwest Broward County. The first location is scheduled to open in 2011, and the remaining locations are scheduled to open by 2016.
*Two restaurants will be developed in Jacksonville by existing franchisee John Griffey. One location will open in 2012 and the following in 2013.
“The Sunshine State is a priority growth market for Dunkin’ Donuts in 2010, and we’re excited to expand our footprint in South Florida and Jacksonville with two new and one existing franchisees,” says Grant Benson, CF and vice president of franchising and market planning for Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. “Our secret to success is our passionate franchisees who provide a high-level of customer service to our guests everyday, and we’re confident our franchisees will cultivate lasting relationships and become an integral part of their respective Florida communities.”
Most recently, the company added six non-traditional locations along the Florida Turnpike travel plazas in addition to opening 13 locations at various airports and five units at universities throughout the state.
In addition to the development agreement mentioned above, Dunkin’ Donuts is seeking franchisees to develop restaurants in Florida, specifically in Tampa, Orlando, and Tallahassee. Opportunities also exist throughout Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
To drive its expansion efforts, Dunkin’ Donuts aligned its strategy to support the growth opportunities and consumer needs of individual markets. As a result, the company continues to expand with single and multi-unit opportunities with no minimum unit requirements.
Ideally, franchisees should possess a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $250,000, but financial qualifications will vary based on the opportunity available by market. This evolution of Dunkin’ Donuts’ franchise sales effort enables the brand to expand in markets more aggressively, while balancing its market penetration and maturity.
“The opening of these new restaurants will allow franchisees to continue to invest in their community by hiring from and being a part of the city in which they live and operate,” Benson says.
Building a solid network of restaurants within a market enables Dunkin’ Donuts to invest in a distribution model that provides a consistent, high-quality product that guests expect “in the way and on the way” of their daily routines. In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin’ Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate format including free-standing restaurants, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas, and universities, as well as other retail environments.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is proud to energize Americans and keep the honest, hard-working, value-driven people of this country running every day,” Benson says. “Our recent and ongoing menu enhancements meet the needs of today’s on-the-go consumers, moving Dunkin’ Donuts beyond breakfast with high-quality food and beverage items available all day.”
