Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of two multi-unit store development agreements in Atlanta, GA totaling 15 new restaurants. Yellow Mountain, LLC purchased 11 units and Ioan Donuts, LLC purchased four. The first restaurant is anticipated to open in 2011, three are slated for 2012 and the remainder by 2017. Dunkin’ Donuts development in Metro Atlanta 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 the leading coffee and bakery chain’s growth.
Steve Silva and Derek Weilbaecher are founders of Yellow Mountain, LLC. They have been involved in the quick service restaurant business for over six years and together own and operate eight Zaxby’s restaurants, two in Douglas County, GA and six in Jefferson County, AL.
James Laskaris, president of Ioan Donuts, LLC and Stephen Attard, director of operations of Ioan Donuts, LLC have been Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees since 2000 and currently have 16 open locations in Atlanta.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is excited to expand its footprint in Metro Atlanta with Yellow Mountain, LLC and Ioan Donuts, LLC,” said Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of franchising and market planning, Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. “Our secret to success is our passionate franchisees that provide a high-level of customer service to our customers everyday, and we’re confident both groups will grow and prosper in the community.”
In addition to the development agreement mentioned above, Dunkin’ Donuts is still seeking new and existing franchisees to develop restaurants in Metro Atlanta. Growth markets targeted within the region include Athens, Riverdale, Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Ellijay, Dawsonville, Peachtree City, Gainesville and Cleveland. Opportunities also exist throughout Florida, Georgia, Washington, DC, Illinois and Michigan, among other states.
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 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.
Building a solid network of stores within a market enables Dunkin’ Donuts to invest in a distribution model that provides a consistent, high-quality product customers 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 stores, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas, universities, as well as other retail environments.
According to Benson, “Dunkin’ Donuts is proud to energize Americans and keep the honest, hard-working, value-driven people of this country running every day. 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.”
Historically a doughnut and hot coffee chain, Dunkin’ Donuts has expanded its offering to include frozen and iced beverages, a full bakery assortment including bagels and muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and an all-day Oven-Toasted menu which includes flatbread sandwiches, hash browns and buttermilk biscuits. The new platform marks the most significant change to Dunkin’ Donuts product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages in 2003.
