For years, Dunkin’ Donuts has been expanding its presence across the United States, akin to Starbucks, as a coffee shop and bakery offering locals a convenient spot to satisfy their caffeine cravings on every street corner. In New England, Dunkin’ Donuts outlets are nearly ubiquitous, with multiple locations often within close proximity.
However, Dunkin’ recently unveiled plans to close down 450 establishments located within Speedway stores along the east coast. This means that individuals accustomed to grabbing donuts or coffee while refueling their vehicles might have to make do with lower-quality gas station coffee and prepackaged donuts instead of Dunkin’s signature offerings.
The Dunkin’ branches situated within gas stations have contributed only minimally to the company’s revenue, accounting for “less than 0.5 percent of Dunkin’s domestic sales in 2019,” according to Scott Murphy, the president of Dunkin’ Americas. In light of this, Kate Japson, the chief financial officer, made the strategic decision to shut down these locations and redirect the resources into more profitable outlets.
Japson stated, “By discontinuing these sites, with minimal financial repercussions, we anticipate positioning ourselves better to serve these trade areas in the future with new Dunkin’ NextGen restaurants that offer an expanded menu.”