The Dunks Is Coming!

It was a lazy afternoon at my “real” office. The communications director was going through her massive inbox. And there it was – the press release to end all press releases: a note from Dunkin Donuts. Yes, the DD!

Dunkin Donuts will be opening seventy-eight (78 !) new stores in the DC area over next few years. Knowing my love for all things “Dunks,” she sent this to me with one of those funny red exclamation marks from Microsoft Outlook that is supposed to be reserved for extreme emails, like time sheets due and early close for snow. But to me, the arrival of 78 Dunkin Donuts-es, is definitely an occasion for for the punctuation of power.

Yay!

UPDATE:
This just in from our BFF commentor, JoeHoya:

JoeHoya: Got a second?
gansie: shoot
JoeHoya: Just wanted to give you a quick heads up: I walked past the old Shimba Hills Coffee location in the Verizon Center, and saw their building permit – it’s going to be a Dunkin’ Donuts.
gansie: OMG
thank you!
JoeHoya: Thought you might be happy to hear that.

Continue reading for the official presser.

Dunkin’ Donuts, the world’s largest coffee and bakery quick-service restaurant chain has just announced that Washington DC is now open for market development with plans for 78 new restaurants over the next several years. This growth fuels Dunkin’ Donuts goal to triple its franchise locations in the U.S. to 15,000 by 2020 by expanding in existing markets and entering new cities throughout the country.

Entering the DC market will satisfy a growing demand for high quality coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts sells more than one billion cups of coffee a year and wants to offer those qualified franchisees in DC the opportunity to own and operate a minimum of five restaurants with several design concepts that conveniently accommodate customers’ everyday needs. Dunkin’ Donuts looks forward to playing a key role in the lives of the DC community.

If interested, I’d like to connect you with Lynette McKee, Dunkin’ Donuts vice president of franchising, to discuss the company’s DC growth and their aggressive national expansion. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Attached below is a press release with more detailed information.

Best,

Angela Betancourt
Fish Consulting
954-893-9150

EXCITEMENT BREWS AS DUNKIN’ DONUTS ENTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. MARKET

World’s Largest Baked Goods and Coffee Chain Plans to Open 78 Restaurants;
Offer Fast, Fresh and Affordable Foods and Beverages to Keep Washington, D.C. Running

CANTON, MA (November 28, 2007) — Dunkin’ Donuts, the world’s largest coffee and bakery quick-service restaurant chain, is in the midst of a national expansion to triple its franchise locations in the U.S. to 15,000 by 2020. Fueling this growth is today’s announcement that Washington, D.C. is now open for market development with 78 new restaurants projected over the next several years.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ Columbus launch is part of an aggressive national growth strategy, which includes expanding in existing markets while entering new cities throughout the country. The company is actively seeking new franchisees to own and operate a minimum of five new restaurants in Washington, D.C. and all throughout the country to help direct the company’s future growth.

“To fulfill our national expansion goals, Dunkin’ Donuts is looking for developers with a strong organization and the ability to manage multiple restaurants effectively and successfully in the Washington, D.C. market,” said Lynette Mckee, Dunkin’ Donuts vice president of franchising and business development. “We also look for some prior restaurant operations and real estate development experience.”

Building a network of stores also enables Dunkin’ Donuts to invest in a distribution model that ensures consistent, high-quality products that customers expect when visiting a Dunkin’ Donuts location. In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin’ Donuts offers franchisees a variety of designs and venues, including free-standing stores, sites within shopping centers and convenience stores and other retail environments.

According to McKee, “Dunkin’ Donuts will satisfy a growing demand in Washington, D.C. for high quality coffee and baked goods that are available all day. Dunkin’ Donuts is proud to energize Americans and keep the honest, hard-working, value-driven people of this country running every day — whether it’s in a boardroom, a schoolroom or a construction site. We look forward to being a vibrant part of the community and playing an important role in the daily lives of the people who live and work in Washington, D.C.”

Dunkin’ Donuts has been serving world-class coffee – freshly ground and freshly brewed – and great bakery items for more than 57 years. The company is the country’s leading retailer of hot and iced coffee, selling more than one billion cups of coffee each year, and sells more donuts and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. The passion for Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is almost unmatched in any category. AOL.com readers recently rated Dunkin’ Donuts the “Best Overall Coffee” and the “Best Fast-Food Coffee. In addition, Brand Keys, a leading authority on customer loyalty, named Dunkin’ Donuts the number one brand for customer loyalty in the coffee and donut category.
About Dunkin’ Donuts

Founded in 1950, today Dunkin’ Donuts is the number one retailer of hot regular coffee-by-the-cup in America, selling 2.7 million cups a day, nearly one billion cups a year. Dunkin’ Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more hot regular coffee, iced coffee, donuts, and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 7,200 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. For additional franchising information, visit www.dunkinfranchising.com or call (877) 9-DUNKIN.

Photo: The Phoenix