When Independent Joe reached out to industry-watchers to get their reaction to the Inspire Brands $11 billion purchase of Dunkin’, we heard terms like “stratospheric” and “through the roof” used to describe the $106.50 per share price Inspire agreed to pay for the Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins flag. Jonathan Maze, editor of Restaurant Business magazine, put…
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While the coronavirus pandemic has changed many things in our daily lives, it has not had much of a jolt on coffee consumption. In fact, our collective thirst for coffee is only expected to grow next year. For Dunkin’ franchisees, that is just the kind of reassurance they need after a uniquely challenging year and…
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It’s easy to typecast the Dunkin’ customer as a blue-collar, regular joe, who cares about basic coffee and donuts. It’s especially easy when comparing Dunkin’ to Starbucks. But, Dunkin’ has consistently shown its willingness to shake up the menu and give customers a chance to sample healthier alternatives. Consider the veggie egg-white flatbread, or the…
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New book by Robert Rosenberg, son of the founder, highlights Dunkin’ Donuts’ early growth After a 35-year career devoted to the restaurant industry, it’s only fitting that Robert Rosenberg, describes his new book as “…a buffet.” “There’s something for everyone, from the hopeful entrepreneur, to the company that’s scaling, to the large company with a…
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The Dunkin’ shop on Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville, N.C. is a microcosm of the impact COVID-19 has had on the chain restaurant business. The newly remodeled next-generation shop is near a cluster of quick serve and fast casual restaurants like Krispy Kreme, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Dominos, along with local barbeque, Chinese and Mexican take-out…
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On a typical weekday, any Dunkin’ in an urban setting would be bustling: walkers, commuters awaiting public transportation, tourists, and students would populate the register lines while the plan-ahead types would breeze in and out of the mobile pickup station. But since the COVID-19 pandemic first prompted shutdowns across the U.S. in March, urban franchisees…
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Virtual learning has helped bring people together to learn, connect, and help business move forward during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It’s a key component for how Dunkin’ Brands has, during this unprecedented time, been able to uphold its motto: people over profits. “As a learning team, we take that seriously and have been working to…
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According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), travel on U.S. roads fell nearly 40 percent in April 2020 compared to the previous April, dropping to the lowest point in 25 years. FHA notes the Northeast region saw the largest drop in miles driven. As COVID-19 upended life’s typical routines – like commuting to work –…
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In the months before anyone was talking about coronavirus, the outlook at Jack in the Box was bleak. Since 2015, sales had been on a mostly flat trajectory, powered by low price meal deals. Increases in sales were modest and typically not enough to offset the rising cost of labor and goods. For the franchisees,…
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The restaurant industry – and particularly the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry – is facing many challenges, among them finding and retaining good, reliable employees. It’s no secret that restaurants have an extremely high turnover rate with employees flowing through the revolving door. Data compiled before the coronavirus pandemic, showed employee turnover ran as high…
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