A Pivotal 2018 for Dunkin' Positions the Brand for Future Growth & Innovation

Ubiquitous donut and coffee chain Dunkin’ (a re-brand from the former Dunkin’ Donuts) is coming off a mixed Q4 after a largely successful 2018, according to an article in QSR. The article said that, despite a comparatively lukewarm showing in the final quarter of last year, Dunkin’ CEO and president David Hoffman “expressed optimism about Dunkin’s recent changes and what they mean for the near- and-long-term future of the brand.”

According to the article, Hoffman said of the previous year: "Together with our franchisee and licensee partners, we achieved many significant milestones that will unlock healthy growth and modernize our brands for the next generation of consumers."

In 2018, the brand dropped “Donuts” from their name, introduced two iterations of their online ordering app and partnered with third-party delivery services DoorDash and GrubHub, according to the article. The year kicked off a “five-year transformative plan” that will involve “efforts to excel in areas like brand relevance” as well as “restaurant-level excellence, net unit growth, and menu innovation (the launch of espresso and expansion of Dunkin’s product offerings as it progresses to a more beverage-led positioning),” the article said.