Dunkin’ Brands Inc. (Canton, Mass.) said it plans to open its first Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Shanghai, China, this spring, with 100 more Chinese franchise locations planned over the next 10 years.
The coffee and baked goods retailer said it also plans an additional 10 shops this year in Taiwan, where it opened its first location in 2007. Dunkin' Donuts now has 10 shops in the capital city of Taipei, operated by franchise partner Mercuries & Associates Ltd. (Taipei City, Taiwan). Mercuries was also granted franchise rights in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhijiang.
The mainland China shops will offer coffee, espresso, teas, frozen drinks, doughnuts, bagels and other baked goods. The company said the shops also will serve items customized for local tastes, such as green tea and honeydew melon doughnuts, as well as mochi rings, which are similar to cake doughnuts but made with rice flour.
“We are delighted to take this next step in our expansion into mainland China,” said Will Kussell, president and chief brand officer for Dunkin' Donuts worldwide. “Dunkin' Donuts, which has more than 7900 shops in 31 countries, is expanding globally at a robust pace. With our outstanding business partner, Mercuries & Associates, I am confident that we can carry our success in Taiwan over to mainland China.”
By comparison, industry leader Starbucks Corp. (Seattle), which has been driving overseas expansion, has more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries.