Leading Coffee and Bakery Brand Seeks Franchisee Candidates in the Jacksonville/Sneads Ferry and Burlington/Mebane Areas

Canton, MA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with franchise group Safari Foods Inc. to develop six restaurants in Greenville and three new restaurants in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina over the next several years. The first restaurant is planned to open in Greenville in 2017.

William “Bill” Daughtridge owns Safari Foods Inc. and his son, Gray, will lead the day-to-day operations for each restaurant. This group has more than 80 years of experience in the gas, convenience and quick service restaurant (QSR) industries. Safari Foods Inc. is a division of Daughtridge Gas and Oil Company, a oil company founded by Bill’s grandfather in 1929. Daughtridge Gas and Oil Company provides propane and oil for customers across eastern North Carolina and operates retail stores in the auto care and convenience markets. This group joined the Dunkin’ Donuts brand in 2007 and currently owns and operates five Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Halifax, Greenville, Rock Mount and Wilson.

“We are thrilled to continue to expand the brand’s presence in North Carolina and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit these communities,” said Gray Daughtridge, President at Safari Foods Inc. “We have a passion and loyalty for the Dunkin’ Donuts brand and look forward to opening our restaurants in the years to come.”

Currently, there are over 300 Dunkin’ Donuts located throughout North Carolina, and the company is continuing to recruit franchisees in the Jacksonville/Sneads Ferry and Burlington/Mebane areas. To help fuel growth in North Carolina, special development incentives are available, which include reduced royalty fees for three years and up to $5,000 in local store marketing support for timely openings.*

“Our enthusiastic and dedicated franchisees contribute to our brand’s growth, which has helped solidify our position as one of the fastest growing companies by unit count in the quick-service restaurant industry,” said Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of global franchising and business development, Dunkin’ Brands. “We are thrilled that these existing franchisees have chosen to expand their presence in the North Carolina market, and know these new restaurants will satisfy a growing consumer demand in the Greenville and Raleigh-Durham communities they serve.”

In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin’ Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate format including free-standing restaurants, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas, universities, as well as other retail environments.

Dunkin’ Donuts offerings include hot coffee, iced coffee, flavored coffees, lattes, macchiato, espresso, cappuccino, Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup® pods, Coolatta® frozen drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, and a DDSMART® menu featuring better-for-you items.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

About Dunkin’ Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 10 years running. The company has more than 12,000 restaurants in 45 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.