Dunkin’ and other quick-service franchise owners face some big challenges as we head into the summer. The good news is that the economy is picking up steam, with rising demand for everything from coffee and snacks to cars as people return to work. But as the economy comes back to life, the quick-service restaurant sector…
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Dunkin’ franchise owners were standout performers in the challenging times that followed the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic last spring. While the rest of the restaurant industry has struggled to stay above water, Dunkin’ and other quick-service restaurants have done a remarkable job adapting to difficult circumstances, quickly shifting their focus to app-based delivery and…
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It would be hard to think of a tougher year for the restaurant industry than 2020, which saw the coronavirus pandemic turn the world upside down. But as we head into 2021, there is light and hope on the horizon. A slew of new vaccines is rolling out across the country, while the $900 billion…
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Presidents and presidential candidates come and go, with this year’s election no different than many others in our country’s history in that regard. But many of the issues Dunkin’ franchise owners care about are not solely or even principally determined in Washington, D.C. Rather, state lawmakers and their counterparts on the local level – city…
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The last five months have been a trying time for Dunkin’ franchise owners and quick-service restaurants across the country. Now operators face a new threat to their bottom lines: cash-hungry city and state governments. Facing huge budget deficits in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic – and the harsh blow it has delivered to the…
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It was never easy running a quick-service franchise. But over the past few months, the lives of Dunkin’ franchise owners have gotten infinitely more complicated. Franchisees already had their hands full before the coronavirus crisis hit keeping customers happy, keeping employees satisfied, and keeping bottom lines healthy—all while negotiating the challenges posed by various federal,…
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In keeping with the nostalgic stories in this issue of Independent Joe, we asked writer Scott Van Voorhis to look back 20 (or so) years to a time when many feared an IT glitch would cause a global meltdown. Some of the world’s top Information Technology experts were warning that automated operating systems – controlling…
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Ready for a $20 an hour minimum wage? That’s just one of the burdensome new regulations recently proposed in cities and states that threaten to change the rules and raise costs for franchise owners across Dunkin’ and other systems. Democratic lightning rod and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib is leading the charge for what would amount…
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Ari Souliotis bought his first two Dunkin’ restaurants in Vermont during the worst economic downturn in decades. With the Great Recession in full swing and coffee prices skyrocketing, it was tough going. But Souliotis, who had previously launched and built the successful Pizza Chef network in Vermont and New Hampshire, never considered throwing in the…
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Plastic straw bans, predictive scheduling, and the increasing use of automation in quick-service restaurants. These are some of the trends Dunkin’ and other quick service franchisees can expect to be hearing more about as we head into 2019. The big Democratic gains in the mid-terms are the biggest new development on the political and regulatory…
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