Dunkin' Brands Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler Honored As 2012 MenuMasters Innovator Of The Year

CANTON, Mass., May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, today announced that Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands Executive Chef and Vice President of Product Innovation, has been honored as the 2012 MenuMasters Innovator of the Year. The Nation's Restaurant News' MenuMasters Awards, sponsored by Ventura Foods, were presented this past weekend at an awards ceremony in Chicago.

"It is a true honor to receive this prestigious culinary award on behalf of Dunkin' Brands," said Frankenthaler. "This is the type of recognition that reflects the hard work and continued effort of many individuals. I am proud to lead a team of distinguished culinarians who creatively pursue delicious new menu items that will delight our guests at Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins restaurants around the world."

The MenuMasters Awards were founded by Ventura Foods and Nation's Restaurant News to honor breakthrough ideas and individuals in menu research and development. The awards, currently in their 15th year, are among the most prestigious honors in food-service, honoring culinary innovation and the brightest minds behind the best menu concepts in the restaurant industry.

In winning the MenuMasters Innovator of the Year Award, Frankenthaler was recognized for the culinary innovation he has led for both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins. His culinary team's many menu innovations for Dunkin' Donuts include the Big N' Toasted® Breakfast Sandwich, Sausage Pancake Bites, Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich, Bagel Twists, Dunkin' Dark® roast coffee and freshly brewed Iced Tea. For Baskin-Robbins, Frankenthaler and his team have developed creative new flavors such as Salted Caramel Cashew, Superfudge Truffle and French Toast, as well as the brand's elegant line of ice cream Cake Bites.

"The product innovation that Stan and his culinary team have led at Dunkin' Brands has been a key ingredient in our success over the past seven years," said John Costello, Chief Global Marketing and Innovation Officer at Dunkin' Brands. "Stan is a chef with world-class culinary skills and a keen sense of operational simplicity. It's a true talent to be able to come up with creative and delicious products that will excite our guests, but also can be implemented easily in our restaurants around the world."

In addition to his work at Dunkin' Brands, Frankenthaler is an Executive in Residence at the Cornell Restaurant School and was the 2011 commencement speaker at the Culinary Institute of America. A three-time James Beard Award nominee, Frankenthaler also co-authored "The Occidental Tourist" in 2001, a cookbook on preparing Asian-influenced dishes at home.

For more information about Dunkin' Brands, visit www.DunkinBrands.com. 

About Dunkin' Brands
With more than 16,800 points of distribution in nearly 60 countries worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) is one of the world's leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice cream. At the end of 2011, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised business model included more than 10,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and more than 6,700 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. For the full-year 2011, the  company had franchisee-reported sales of approximately $8.3 billion. Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass. 

SOURCE Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.