Dunkin

Dunkin is a global quick-service coffee and baked goods brand that operates almost entirely through franchisees. Its restaurants focus on coffee, espresso drinks, iced beverages, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and other grab-and-go items that cater to customers throughout the day. Locations are commonly found in neighborhood and community shopping centers, freestanding pads with drive-thru, urban storefronts, transit-oriented sites, airports, and other high-traffic places with strong morning and commuter patterns.

The company was founded in 1950, when William Rosenberg opened the first Dunkin Donuts shop in Quincy, Massachusetts. From a single donut and coffee shop, the brand grew steadily across the Northeast and then nationwide as franchising took hold. Over time, Dunkin shifted from a donut-led concept to a broader, beverage-forward platform as iced, flavored, and specialty coffee became central to its offer. A notable milestone came in 2019, when the company officially shortened its name from Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin, signaling a focus on beverages while keeping its bakery roots.

As of December 2020, Dunkin had approximately 12,900 restaurants in 42 countries, almost all franchised. Since then, the brand has continued to refine and expand its footprint. In 2020, Inspire Brands, Inc. acquired Dunkin, positioning it alongside other large quick-service chains in a shared portfolio and explicitly framing Dunkin as a scaled coffee platform. Over the last five years or so, public statements and brand actions have emphasized ongoing new-unit development, systemwide remodels, and upgraded drive-thru capabilities, as well as continued international growth through master franchise agreements and multi-unit operators.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Dunkin brings a highly recognizable national brand, a predominantly franchised model, and formats that work in a wide range of settings, from inline and endcap spaces to freestanding and nontraditional units in travel and transit environments. The concept tends to generate repeat daily visits tied to breakfast and coffee occasions, which can help support traffic in grocery-anchored centers, convenience- and fuel-oriented sites, and mixed-use or transit-adjacent projects. The company and its franchisees remain active in infill and relocation deals in mature markets, especially in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while also pursuing selective growth in Sun Belt and Midwest markets and continued international expansion.