Dunkin' will be permanently closing 450 of its store locations inside of Speedway gas stations, multiple outlets are reporting.
The news was actually first reported back in February by Restaurant Business Online following an earnings call. During that call, president of Dunkin' Americas Scott Murphy said that by closing these locations, the company will be "better positioned to serve many of these trade areas with future Dunkin’ restaurants that reflect the full expression of our next-generation restaurant design." Many of these in-station locations offer a limited menu and are much smaller than the company's standalone restaurants.
It's unclear why the news is resurfacing months later, but Dunkin' confirmed the closures to The Today Show via a statement from Dunkin's chief financial officer Kate Jaspon:
These points of distribution are lower volume units, in total representing less than 0.5 percent of Dunkin’ U.S. annual systemwide sales in 2019. By exiting these sites, we are confident we will be better positioned to serve these trade areas with Dunkin’s newest Next Generation restaurant design that offers a broader menu and modern experience. We also remain committed to growing our presence in gas and convenience locations, as well as other non-traditional locations, including airports, universities, travel plazas and military installations.
Delish received the same statement from Dunkin'.
Reportedly not many of these locations have shuttered yet, but they are all on track to be closed by the end of 2020. If you're located on the East Coast you know that there is typically no shortage of places to get your Dunkin' fix, so if Speedway is typically your spot, start researching now!
