Dunkin’ Donuts, which used to be famous for its donuts and coffee, made a big announcement in 2020. They said they were going to close about 1,500 of their stores. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which really hurt the restaurant business in the United States. This was a big deal because it happened right after Dunkin’ Donuts changed its name to just “Dunkin’.”
But don’t worry too much because many Dunkin’ Donuts stores are still open.
How Many Dunkin’ Donuts Stores Are There?
As of February 13, 2023, there were 9,376 Dunkin’ Donuts stores all over the United States. New York has the most Dunkin’ Donuts stores out of all the states, with 1,418 of them. So, there are still lots of places to get your Dunkin’ fix.
A Bit About Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts is a big chain of donut and coffee shops that’s been around for more than 70 years. They’re known for their bagels, coffee, donut holes, sandwiches, and scones. The company was started by a guy named Bill Rosenberg in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts. In 1990, it was bought by the same company that owns Baskin-Robbins, the ice cream place.
Why Did Dunkin’ Change Its Name?
Starting in 2018, Dunkin’ Donuts began opening some stores that only used the name “Dunkin’.” This made people think they were getting ready to change their name. In September 2018, they announced that they would officially become “Dunkin'” by January 2019. This meant that new stores, logos, cups, and products would all have the new name.
What Happened During the Pandemic?
The pandemic affected all kinds of restaurants, including ones that serve dessert like ice cream or yogurt. Dunkin’ Donuts had to make changes to keep making money.
At first, they thought about closing only some of their stores located at Speedway gas stations (mostly on the East Coast) and smaller Dunkin’ Donuts stores with limited menus. These closures were talked about for a while, and Dunkin’ eventually confirmed them. These particular stores didn’t make much money for the company, less than half a percent of all the money Dunkin’ made in the United States in 2019.
Then, in the middle of 2020, after looking at their finances, Dunkin’ decided to close 350 more stores for good. By the end of 2020, a total of 800 stores might have closed. But here’s the good news: as of July 25, 2020, 96% of Dunkin’ Donuts stores were still open, and sales started going up again.
What About Now?
Things have been looking better since then, with about 3 million people visiting Dunkin’ Donuts every day. They made around $1.25 billion in 2020, which was enough to be one of the top 500 restaurant chains in the United States. In 2021, they kept doing well.
Dunkin’ and experts think they’ll make even more money in 2022 because the pandemic is getting better, and they won’t have to deal with all the problems from 2020. So, it seems like Dunkin’ Donuts is on the rise again after some tough times.