Dunkin' Donuts Announces Plans For Seven New Restaurants In Duluth, Minnesota With New Franchisees Brian And Sharon Weidendorf

CANTON, Mass., July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with new franchisees, Brian and Sharon Weidendorf, to develop seven restaurants in Duluth, Minnesota and the surrounding areas. The first restaurant is planned to open in spring 2015.

Led by Brian and his wife Sharon, this new franchise group holds more than 30 years of experience in the real estate development industry. Joining this team is Pat Messina, a restaurant industry veteran, who will manage and oversee the daily operations for each restaurant.

"We are excited to expand the brand's presence in Minnesota and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," said Brian Weidendorf, Dunkin' Donuts franchisee. "We have a passion and loyalty for the brand and look forward to opening our restaurants in the years to come."

Last month, Dunkin' Donuts announced the grand opening of a new restaurant in Rochester, Minnesota at the Kahler Grand Hotel. In addition to this location, existing franchise group Rochester Retail Services plans to develop five freestanding Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the Rochester market over the next several years.

Franchise opportunities still remain available throughout Minnesota in Minneapolis and Mankato. To help fuel growth in these markets, special development incentives are available, which include reduced royalty fees for three years and up to $10,000 in local store marketing for stores that meet certain goals*.

Dunkin' Donuts franchising executives will host a franchising seminar in the Edina area on Thursday, July 31 from 6 – 8 p.m. This event will be held at the Marriott Residence Inn, 3400 Edinborough Way in Edina. To register for this event, visit, http://franchisingevents.dunkinbrands.com, for additional information on the company's growth plans for the market, contact Thomas Ennis at [email protected].

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. 

"Our secret to continued growth includes passionate franchisees who provide a high-level of customer service to our guests every day," said Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of global franchising and business development, Dunkin' Brands. "We are excited to welcome Brian, Sharon and Pat to the Minnesota market, and believe they will cultivate lasting customer relationships and become an integral part of the Duluth communities they serve."

Dunkin' Donuts' new look includes four distinct restaurant design options for franchisees, each featuring variations in layout, color schemes, graphics, textures, furniture and/or lighting. The designs enhance the current restaurant appearance, environment and layout to serve people all day long. Unlike other quick-service restaurants, Dunkin' Donuts allows franchisees to select individual elements from any of the four options, creating a restaurant design that reflects their personal tastes and preferences, and best serves their specific restaurant size and location. 

Since the 1950s, Dunkin' Donuts has been a daily ritual for millions of people and has offered guests delicious food, beverages and friendly service at a great value. Dunkin' Donuts offerings include iced coffee, flavored coffees, lattes, Dunkin' Donuts K-Cup® Packs, Coolatta® frozen drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, and a DDSMART® menu featuring better-for-you items.

To learn more about Dunkin' Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

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 hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced 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 eight years running. The company has nearly 11,000 restaurants in 33 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.  

*Details available in the Dunkin' Donuts Franchise Disclosure Document

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SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts