Dunkin' Donuts reaches agreement to open 12 new restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa; first unit slated to open in 2012

Nevin Barich

CANTON, Massachusetts , November 8, 2011 (press release) – Dunkin' Donuts, America's every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with father and son team, Jim and Drew Cownie for 12 new restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa. The first restaurant is slated to open in 2012 and the remainder by 2018. Jim and Drew Cownie are Des Moines natives and well respected business leaders in the market with a long track record of success.

"We are excited to bring Dunkin' Donuts to Des Moines and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," said Drew Cownie, President and CEO, Sip, Sip Bite, LLC. "We have a passion and loyalty for the brand and look forward to the opening of our restaurants in the years to come."

The Cownies secured a partnership with Knapp Properties of Des Moines to find their initial locations. Sip, Sip Bite, LLC is currently hiring and those interested should send a resume to jobs@sipsipbite.com.

Franchise opportunities are still available in Iowa, specifically in Sioux City, Ottawa and Des Moines as well as in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. 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.

"Dunkin' Donuts is excited to expand into Des Moines," said Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of franchising and market planning, Dunkin' Brands, Inc. "Our secret to success is our passionate franchisees who provide a high-level of customer service to our guests every day. We believe the Cownies will cultivate lasting customer relationships in the Des Moines area and become an integral part of the community."

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 guests 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 restaurants, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas, universities, as well as other retail environments.

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 platform marks the most significant change to Dunkin' Donuts' product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages in 2003.

For information on franchise opportunities or to attend an upcoming webinar, please visit www.dunkinfranchising.com.

About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for five years running. The company has more than 9,700 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2010, Dunkin' Donuts' global system-wide sales were $6 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNKN - News). For more information, visit www.dunkinfranchising.com.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.