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Dunkin’ now operates corporate stores again following the acquisition of 31 previously franchised locations in Ohio. The company acquired the locations from SMB Donuts and terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The company said in a statement that having a percentage of corporate-owned locations will give it closer access to day-to-day operations as well as the ability to test and learn in a controlled environment. The move will also help Dunkin’s development strategy in the Midwest where it’s looking to accelerate growth and test new concepts in a high-performing market.
Dunkin’ has been a part of Inspire Brands since it was acquired in 2020. Other brands in the Inspire Brands portfolio include Rusty Taco, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy Johns, and Sonic Drive-In. All the brands combined represent about 32,000 restaurants.
“Dunkin’ is committed to being a franchisor of choice, and the strong relationships we have with our franchisees differentiate us within the industry. These relationships have been further fueled by Inspire’s commitment to think and act like an owner,” said Scott Murphy, president of Dunkin’ and head of beverage-snack category at Inspire Brands. “We are thrilled to have corporate-owned locations in our system, which give us skin in the game and demonstrates to our franchisees that anything we ask them to do, we will now be executing at a large scale alongside them.”