Dunkin' Will Jump on Connecticut Turnpike

Dunkin’ Donuts announced the signing of a multiunit agreement with existing Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee Men at Work IV LLC for the development of 23 restaurants in service plazas on I-95, the Merritt Parkway/RT-15, and I-395, commonly known as the Connecticut Turnpike. The first six locations are expected to open in 2011 and the remainder by 2014.

Led by Thomas J. Hughes, Alex Smigelski, and Thomas P. Carpenter, the partners of Men at Work IV LLC have opened or acquired 20 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants since 2007, including one in Greenwich, Connecticut, 10 in South Central Pennsylvania, and nine in the New York Metro market. The three partners attended college at the United States Merchant Marine Academy where they were classmates, teammates, and best friends. Together with their management team they have over 90 years of corporate practice and 80 years of quick-service restaurant experience.

“We are excited to expand Dunkin’ Donuts’ presence throughout Connecticut and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work, and visit here,” says Smigelski, managing partner of Men at Work IV LLC. “We have a strong passion and loyalty for the brand and look forward to the opening of these restaurants in the years to come.”

During the first half of 2010, Dunkin’ Donuts opened 338 net new locations worldwide with 75 of those new restaurants opening in the U.S. The company also signed 72 new domestic development commitments.

To drive its expansion efforts, Dunkin’ Donuts has 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 multiunit opportunities with no minimum unit requirements.

“Dunkin’ Donuts welcomes Men at Work IV to the Connecticut market,” says Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of franchising and market planning for Dunkin’ Brands Inc. “As existing Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees, they possess a wealth of knowledge on the brand, and we are thrilled they are expanding their network in the Northeast. These restaurants will satisfy a growing demand in Connecticut for high-quality coffee and baked goods that are available all day.”