Dunkin' sees holes to fill in D.C. area

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Dunkin' Donuts plans to more than double its presence in the Washington area over the next five years.

The Canton, Mass., chain, which has about 200 shops in the Washington-Baltimore area, plans to open an additional 325 stores here.

The chain hopes to mimic its success in New England, where there is a Dunkin' Donuts for every 6,000 people and some customers make purchases two to four times a day, often for coffee, said Lynette McKee, vice president of franchising.

"We're continuing our growth out of New York into the Atlantic seaboard," she said. "The customer base for the folks in Washington is very much the Dunkin' customer base -- people on the go, looking for a ... product they can pick up quickly."

Dunkin' also has focused on expansion in Florida and the Midwest.

With the expansion, Dunkin' has introduced new menu items more appropriate for later in the day. Earlier this month, the chain said it was testing pizza and sandwiches in some of its stores.

"We are looking at extending [the product line] to additional day parts," Ms. McKee said.

Dunkin' has signed agreements to open 57 stores in the Washington area. Franchisees Five Points Partners plans to open 25 stores in the District and Maryland; Java Nova plans to open 20 in Northern Virginia; and Ram Singla plans to open 12 stores in Northern Virginia.

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