Dunkin' Donuts Opens First Shop in Mainland China

By: Dunkin' | 1,020 Shares 261 Reads

100 New Shops Expected To Open in Shanghai Over the Next 10 Years; Company Also Signs New Agreement to Open 50 Shops in the Guangdong Region of Southern China

CANTON, Mass.Nov. 21 // PRNewswire // -- Dunkin' Donuts, the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, yesterday opened its first shop in Shanghai. The restaurant is located on Fuzhou Road, one of the busiest commercial streets in the city. The company has to date secured agreements to open a total of 150 shops in Mainland China over the next 10 years, and expects to sign additional commitments for expansion in other regions of China in the near future.

Mercuries & Associates, Dunkin' Donuts' franchise partner in both Shanghai and Taiwan, is set to open 100 shops in Shanghai over the next 10 years. Two additional locations will open in the region by the end of this year. Mercuries, one of the largest companies in Taiwan,brings 25 years of retail experience, operating multiple consumer brands in the region. It currently operates 15 Dunkin' Donuts shops in Taiwan and will open another 85 shops there over the next several years.

"Shanghai represents the first step in Dunkin' Donuts' growth in mainland China," said Anthony P. Pavese, Chief Operating Officer for Dunkin' Donuts International. "We are committed to expanding our presence in the region and are actively looking for a portfolio of partners to further accelerate our growth."

The first shop opening in Shanghai comes on the heels of the company reaching an agreement with Shaanxi Stellerich Food & Restaurant Co., LTD, a Xian-based company, to open 50 Dunkin' Donuts shops in Guangdong within the next 10 years. Shaanxi Stellerich is also a franchise partner with Dunkin' Donuts' sister brand, Baskin-Robbins, opening the first Baskin-Robbins shop in Shanghai early next year.

"We are extremely proud to expand our partnership with Mercuries & Associates to open the first Dunkin' Donuts shop in Shanghai. Our success throughout the Asia Pacific region over the last 25 years gives us confidence that the Shanghaiese people will embrace Dunkin' Donuts," said Will Kussell, President & Chief Brand Officer for Dunkin' Donuts Worldwide. "There is tremendous opportunity for Dunkin' Donuts in China, and I believe that with our outstanding business partners, we will become one of the country's prominent international brands."

"Dunkin' Donuts is one of America's most beloved brands, and we believe that the people of Shanghai will embrace it as well. As Dunkin' Donuts' brand recognition continues to grow throughout the Asia Pacific region, we are excited to be a part of it," said Mercuries Food Division President Stephen Chen. "Mercuries is very proud to be Dunkin' Donuts' local partner in Taiwan and now in Shanghai to introduce the high-quality coffee and baked goods of this brand to the Shanghaiese people."

The Dunkin' Donuts restaurant in Shanghai will offer a complete menu of Dunkin' Donuts' internationally recognized coffee and baked goods. The restaurant will serve items customized to suit local taste preferences such as green tea donuts, mochi rings, which are cake donuts indigenous to the region, and iced fruit teas. The restaurant will be a welcoming environment for customers to connect with friends and family while discovering new food and beverage choices.

Today, the company has nearly 1,800 Dunkin' Donuts shops in the Asia Pacific region, including more than 550 in Korea, 600 in the Philippines, and 260 in Indonesia.

About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, today Dunkin' Donuts is the number one retailer of hot and iced regular coffee-by-the-cup in America, and the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. The company has more than 7,900 restaurants in 30 countries and territories worldwide. In 2007, Dunkin' Donuts' system-wide sales were $5.3 billion. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, please visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

About Mercuries & Associates

Founded in 1964, the Mercuries Group is one of the leading conglomerates in Taiwan with business group in the retail, trade financial service, and technology and public services sectors. Mercuries Food Service Division was founded in 1983 with the opening of first Chinese fast food chain restaurants in Taiwan specializing in beef noodles. The division now runs over 300 stores which include Napoli Pizza, Japanese Tonkatsu as well as Dunkin' Donuts. Mercuries has had a presence in mainland China since 1996 and is committed to developing the market through its partnership with Dunkin' Donuts. For more information, pleas visit www.mercuries.com.tw.

SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts

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