Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced the signing of a multiunit store development agreement with existing franchise group, Panama City Donuts LLC, to develop five new restaurants in New Orleans. The first restaurant under the agreement is planned to open in 2017.
Led by Vik Patel, this team will manage and oversee the operations for each Dunkin' Donuts restaurant. In August 2015, he signed an agreement to develop two new restaurants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Patel, a franchisee with Dunkin' Donuts for ten years, currently operates 31 restaurants in Florida, two in Alabama and three in Louisiana. With this agreement, the group also purchased two existing restaurants in New Orleans.
"We are excited to expand the brand's presence in New Orleans and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," Patel says. "We have a passion and loyalty for the Dunkin' Donuts brand and look forward to opening our restaurants in the years to come."
Franchise opportunities remain available in Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Monroe, Louisiana, as well as other states across the Southeast including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. To help fuel additional growth in the market, special development incentives are available which include reduced royalty fees for three years and up to $5,000 in local store marketing support for timely openings.
In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin' Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate format including freestanding restaurants, end-caps, inline sites, gas, and convenience, travel plazas, universities, as well as other retail environments.
"Our enthusiastic and dedicated franchisees contribute to our brand's growth, which has helped solidify our position as one of the fastest growing brands by unit count in the quick-service restaurant industry," says Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of global franchising and business development, Dunkin' Brands. "We are thrilled that Vik and his team have chosen to expand in the Louisiana market, and know these new restaurants they are developing will satisfy a growing consumer demand in the New Orleans community."
Dunkin' Donuts' new look includes four distinct restaurant design options for franchisees, each featuring variations in layout, color schemes, graphics, textures, furniture, and/or lighting. The designs enhance the current restaurant appearance, environment, and layout to serve people all day long. Unlike other quick-service restaurants, Dunkin' Donuts allows franchisees to select individual elements from any of the four options, creating a restaurant design that reflects their personal tastes and preferences, and best serves their specific restaurant size and location.
