Dunkin Donuts - Company profile

Dunkin' Donuts claims to be the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, serving 2.7 million customers per day at approximately 8,800 stores in 31 countries which includes approximately 6,400 Dunkin' Donuts locations throughout the USA.[4] This figure compares with the 15,011 stores of coffee chain Starbucks, whose baked goods are usually prepared out of shop. Most Dunkin' Donuts stores are franchises.[5] Only 75 franchisees exist west of the Mississippi River, mostly in Arizona, Nevada and Texas.[6] Within their New England home base, however, Dunkin' Donuts is particularly dominant and can be found in many gas stations, supermarkets, mall and airport food courts, and Wal-Mart stores across the region.
The inventor of the Dunkin Donut Munchkin was Larry DelVerne in the 1950s. He opened the first Dunkin Donut Franchaise in Valley Stream, New York on Sunrise Highway. Larry comes from a family of 11, which his younger brother Albert DelVerne, was a shoe designer for Capezio Dance Wear for over 50 years. He designed shoes for broadways plays such as Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Annie and many more. The DelVernes were a successful family.
Dunkin' Donuts, along with Baskin-Robbins, is owned by Dunkin' Brands Inc. (previously known as Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants, when it was a part of Allied Domecq). Dunkin' Brands used to own the Togo's chain, but sold this in late 2007 to a private equity firm. Dunkin' Brands was owned by French beverage company, Pernod Ricard S.A. after it purchased Allied Domecq. They reached an agreement in December 2005 to sell the brand to a consortium of three private equity firms, Bain Capital Partners, the Carlyle Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners.
In the U.S., Dunkin' Donuts is sometimes paired with Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops. While such locations usually have two counters set up for each chain (much like the Wendy's/Tim Hortons co-branded locations), depending on business that day both products can be bought at the same counter (usually the Dunkin' counter), much like the Yum! Brands stores.
The company's largest competitors include Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Starbucks, as well as small locally owned doughnut shops. In Canada and parts of the northern United States, Tim Hortons is a major competitor. Mister Donut had been its largest competitor in the United States before the company was bought by Dunkin' Donuts' parent company. The Mister Donut stores were rebranded as Dunkin' Donuts.
In the province of Quebec, Alimentation Couche-Tard owns the master franchise to Dunkin' Donuts. In the United States, that company's Circle K convenience stores also share some locations with Dunkin' Donuts. However, Dunkin' Donuts began to close several locations in Quebec within the 2000s because of competitor Tim Hortons opening many Quebec locations. Some Dunkin' Donuts locations continue to open in Quebec, most recently at the Lionel-Groulx metro station. Couche-Tard agreed in August 2008 to terminate its role as master franchisee within 12 to 18 months.[7]
On October 4, 2009, Paul Morris and Andy Harper stepped down as Co-CEOs and Presidents of Dunkin' Brands, after 15 years with the company.[8]