It's True: Dunkin' Donuts Comes to California in 2015

In the nearly ten years that we've been blogging at Franklin Avenue, I've been asking the question: Why are there no Dunkin' Donuts in California? (I've also had to bat down trolls over the years who were convinced, CONVINCED, that Dunkin' was already here.)

We were met with silence by Dunkin' Donuts corporate office. A decade later, that silence has been broken. The day has arrived.

Dunkin' Donuts is returning to California.

It's happening starting in 2015. Here's what Nigel Travis, CEO, Dunkin' Brands and President, Dunkin' Donuts U.S., has to say:

Since the day I joined Dunkin’ Brands, one of the questions I’ve been asked most is, “When will Dunkin’ Donuts open in California?” I hear requests to come to California almost every day from our fans on the West Coast and all throughout the country, and of course from our passionate communities on Facebook and Twitter. Some big-name celebrities have even made pleas on national TV for us to bring our famous coffee to Hollywood.

And so, today is an extremely happy and momentous day for our brand, as I have the privilege of making the long-awaited announcement that Dunkin’ Donuts will in fact be expanding into Southern California. We are now actively seeking franchisees to open Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernadino, Ventura and Orange Counties in California. We expect the first new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in California to open in 2015.

We are absolutely thrilled to be coming to California. Expansion to the West Coast has always been part of our growth plans, and we’ve always said that we will enter California when the timing is right and when the infrastructure is in place to help our franchisees be successful. We believe we have reached that point today. It’s wonderful to know that there is already such incredible appetite for our brand in California, as evidenced by the popularity of our bagged coffee at grocery stores, the recent launch of Dunkin’ K-Cup packs at Baskin-Robbins shops throughout the state, and the overwhelmingly positive response to the opening of the Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant on Camp Pendleton.

And now, I look forward to be sick of, and utterly disgusted by, Dunkin' Donuts in 2016. But here's to enjoying their arrival, before bemoaning the days before Dunkin' Donuts put the mom and pop shops out of business. (Ooh, I took a dark turn there, didn't I!)

Previously on Franklin Avenue:

Dunkin' Donuts Finally Returns to California - But There's A Catch (February 2012)

Is Dunkin' Donuts Finally on the Way to Los Angeles? (January 2012)

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You (May 2010)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (June 2009)

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles (August 2008)

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams (May 2008)

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times (April 2008)

Turns Out Not Having Dunkin' Donuts in L.A. Is a Blessing (July 2007)

Still No Dunkin' (September 2006)

Dunkin' Again? (December 2005)

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts (October 2003)

It's Safe to Visit the New Dunkin' Donuts in Santa Monica Now

The crowds have finally died down at the region's first Dunkin' Donuts (in at least 20 years). Located at 12th and Wilshire in Santa Monica, Dunkin' Donuts' first revived L.A.-area outpost has seen long lines since it opened a few weeks ago. But not anymore (at least on the weekdays). I was there on Monday, and managed to grab a box of Munchkins and a coffee without any wait.



And here's a nice bonus: They were all out of pumpkin Munchkins, but the worker threw in a free pumpkin donut just 'cause.



Previously on Franklin Avenue:

April Fools: No Dunkin' Donuts in Burbank... Yet (March 2014)

Dunkin' Donuts' California Invasion Begins: Our First Taste (November 2013)

It's True: Dunkin' Donuts Comes to California in 2015 (January 2013)

Dunkin' Donuts Finally Returns to California - But There's A Catch (February 2012)

Is Dunkin' Donuts Finally on the Way to Los Angeles? (January 2012)

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You (May 2010)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (June 2009)

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles (August 2008)

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams (May 2008)

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times (April 2008)

Turns Out Not Having Dunkin' Donuts in L.A. Is a Blessing (July 2007)

Still No Dunkin' (September 2006)

Dunkin' Again? (December 2005)

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts (October 2003)

Dunkin' Donuts Finally Returns to California - But There's A Catch

Dunkin' Donuts is coming! Dunkin' Donuts is coming! The first California location for Dunkin' Donuts will reportedly be opening soon, but there's a catch: You need a military I.D., or know someone who has one, to eat there. (And I haven't had a military I.D., sadly, since I graduated from college and was officially no longer an Air Force brat.)

According to CBS Los Angeles, the first California branch of Dunkin' Donuts in over 15 years will open at Camp Pendleton as part of their new base exchange:

MCCS Camp Pendleton Facebook page is already recruiting workers: “Need a Job? Dunkin’ Donuts is Coming to the new Camp Pendleton MCX! Want to be apart of the 1st Dunkin’ in CA? Looking to Hirer Management positions!”

The job posting went up Tuesday, but there is no mention as to when the first California location will reopen.

Dunkin' Donuts' return to California has been rumored for years, most recently in January.

Previously on Franklin Avenue:

Is Dunkin' Donuts Finally on the Way to Los Angeles? (January 2012)

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You (May 2010)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (June 2009)

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles (August 2008)

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams (May 2008)

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times (April 2008)

Turns Out Not Having Dunkin' Donuts in L.A. Is a Blessing (July 2007)

Still No Dunkin' (September 2006)

Dunkin' Again? (December 2005)

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts (October 2003)

April Fools: No Dunkin' Donuts in Burbank... Yet

Pal and Dunkin' Donuts enthusiast Steve forwarded this pic of a sign that was hanging in the Disney Channel building (3800 Alameda in Burbank) on April 1. Yep, April 1 -- so despite how well-designed this is, it apparently was an April Fool's joke. (I called the building to double check, and the security guard who answered the phone confirmed that it was a gag).

Nonetheless, the Dunkin' Donuts train is steaming toward Los Angeles. A location already exists in Barstow, and one in San Diego just opened.

Previously on Franklin Avenue:

Dunkin' Donuts' California Invasion Begins: Our First Taste (November 2013)

It's True: Dunkin' Donuts Comes to California in 2015 (January 2013)

Dunkin' Donuts Finally Returns to California - But There's A Catch (February 2012)

Is Dunkin' Donuts Finally on the Way to Los Angeles? (January 2012)

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You (May 2010)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (June 2009)

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles (August 2008)

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams (May 2008)

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times (April 2008)

Turns Out Not Having Dunkin' Donuts in L.A. Is a Blessing (July 2007)

Still No Dunkin' (September 2006)

Dunkin' Again? (December 2005)

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts (October 2003)

Is Dunkin' Donuts Finally on the Way to Los Angeles?

Don't get your hopes up yet. We've been asking the question for years: Why no Dunkin' Donuts in Los Angeles? The chain left Southern California nearly 20 years ago, and so far rumors of its return have been just that: Rumors.

But today, the company gave another hint that it is in aggressive expansion mode -- and one would have to assume that Southern California is a gaping hole in their nationwide strategy. Here's what CNN Money had to say:

Dunkin' Donuts plans to double its locations in the United States over the next 20 years, the company announced Wednesday.

The coffee and doughnut chain currently operates nearly 7,000 stores nationwide. Each new store adds an average of 20 to 25 new employees, both full and part-time a Dunkin spokeswoman said.

Dunkin' Donuts controls roughly 23% of the coffee and snack-shop market, according to Los Angeles-based industry research firm IBISWorld.

Of course, before you get too excited, Dunkin Donuts' owner made essentially the same announcement back in 2005. And granted, a move into SoCal is not mentioned in this latest statement, six years later. Plus, "20 years" is quite a long time frame. So for now, you still gotta drive to Las Vegas for your fix.

Previously on Franklin Avenue:

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You (May 2010)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (June 2009)

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles (August 2008)

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams (May 2008)

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times (April 2008)

Turns Out Not Having Dunkin' Donuts in L.A. Is a Blessing (July 2007)

Still No Dunkin' (September 2006)

Dunkin' Again? (December 2005)

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts (October 2003)

Rumors of Dunkin' Donuts Coming to L.A. Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

The Orange County Register's Fast Food Maven blog teased readers today with this headine: Is Dunkin’ Donuts headed to Southern California?

The answer, as regular Franklin Avenue readers know, is no. At least for the forseeable future. And after the Fast Food Maven gets our hopes up... she tells us the same thing:

My co-worker Jon Lansner recently spotted this “Tweet” from Dunkin’ Donuts: “Calif is our No.1 asked/answered Q on the social media. A) We’re coming; when, tbd.”

What?!!

I immediately followed up with Dunkin’ Donuts, an 8,000-unit chain with no brand presence in California. Is Dunkin’ Donuts really coming?

Turns out, we shouldn’t hold our breath. A marketing rep for Dunkin’ Brands, parent company of the doughnut chain and Baskin-Robbins, sent me this statement:

“We get these kinds of tweets, emails and blog posts all the time about Dunkin’ opening in California. Dunkin’ Donuts will eventually be in California, but there is no date set yet. We will, of course, let you know if we get more specific news on the California market. “

Dunkin' Donuts owner Bain Capital has been rapidly expanding the chain, including in the Southwest. We wrote last year:

According to NPR, the "nine new stores in Phoenix is just a start. Dunkin' Donuts has plans for 150 in this (Arizona) area. And 10,000 new stores in the next decade, starting in the Southwest, and then moving toward Starbucks' home territory in the Northwest."

So yes, the plan appears to be an eventual return for Dunkin' Donuts in Southern California -- which it abandoned about 14 years ago -- but when that will finally happen is still a secret.

Dunkin' Donuts' California Invasion Begins: Our First Taste

The Dunkin' is coming! The Dunkin' is coming! Actually, it's already here. After a decade of covering the slow march of Dunkin' Donuts to California, Franklin Avenue was there this weekend -- the first Dunkin' Donuts location in California (well, the first open to the general public, not counting the Camp Pendleton location).

Maria and her sister, mom and sisters-in-law road tripped it to Vegas last weekend, and on the way back stopped in Barstow to check out the new Dunkin' Donuts. Apparently hundreds of others did too: The store was out of coffee, and had just a limited number of donuts left. Thankfully, there was enough left to bring home a dozen for me and the Blogger Kids.



The timing was right: The Dunkin' Donuts location had just opened a few days earlier. Via the Victorville Daily Press:

The coffee-and-donut chain has been popular on the East Coast for decades and is about to make a major run at the California consumer. Since January, the company has made 70 franchise agreements to open free-standing restaurants starting in 2015.

Alex Apodaca, the company's chief operations officer, said the location in Barstow could not have been any better to introduce Dunkin’ Donuts to California residents and tourists.

"I grew up in Southern California and this was always the stop-point to Vegas as a kid with my parents — we always stopped here," Apodaca said. "So when the business opportunity came up, it was a no-brainer. We have big hopes. We can't wait to get entrenched in the community. We love this tight-knit community."

Of course, now that Dunkin' Donuts is here, well, I'm not sure how often I'll actually visit.

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You

Now, Dunkin' Donuts is just taunting us.

We've written countless times about the strange omission of Southern California from the Dunkin' Donuts chain's footprint. Dunkin' was once in SoCal, but apparently felt the market was already saturated by chains like Winchell's and an overabundance of mom-and-pop stores.

They're probably right. And Dunkin's donuts aren't really any better than Winchell's. But we always want what we can't have. So if Dunkin' Donuts refuses to open a store in SoCal, we're gonna make some noise.

And now that they're taunting us on Facebook by inviting us to a FREE DONUT DAY on June 4, something we clearly can't be a part of, I've decided to also invite folks to an imaginary event on the social networking site. It's called I Can't Attend FREE Donut Day Because You Refuse to Open a Store in SoCal. Join in!

And after that, join up with a group on Facebook that someone else has launched, WE WANT A DUNKIN DONUTS IN LA. Dunkin, we will be heard.

Dunkin Donuts Opens L.A. Shop... In My Dreams

Is this what it's come to? I'm blogging in my dreams? I can still recall it vividly: Walking down a Los Angeles street, I see it: A Baskin-Robbins shop, converted to include a brand-new Dunkin' Donuts outlet. The first Dunkin' Donuts in Los Angeles in over a decade.

I race to grab my camera to take a photo for Franklin Avenue. I start plotting the blog post in my head, beginning with the all important "EXCLUSIVE!" in the headline.

Then I wake up. Sorry kids, I was dreaming -- there's no Dunkin Donuts here in L.A., something we've written about several times through the years. And as of yet, no plans to resurrect the brand here. So carry on with your business, nothing to see here.

Dunkin' Again?

Could Dunkin' Donuts finally be making a return to Southern California?

The brand closed all of its remaining shops and left the Los Angeles area in the early 90s. Since then, Angelenos have had to travel to Phoenix to get their fix.

But the chain's new owners -- who purchased Dunkin' Brands (which also includes Togo's and Baskin-Robbins, two chains that are here) for $2.43 billion this week -- plan to expand into new markets:

The partners, Bain Capital Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners and the Carlyle Group, are buying the company from Pernod Ricard and plan “an aggressive expansion program across the U.S. and throughout the world” for the Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s chains.

“With our new owners ready to support us in our growth efforts, a strong management team on board and continued excellent franchisee relationships, Dunkin’ Brands is well-positioned for global expansion,” Dunkin’ Brands CEO Jon L. Luther said in a statement.

Dunkin’ franchises more than 12,000 total restaurants worldwide, with some 6,500 Dunkin’ Donuts shops in 29 countries, 5,600 Baskin-Robbins worldwide and 400 Togo’s in the U.S. The coffee and donut chain has 4,400 stores in 36 states, mainly clustered in New England, its stronghold.

No word on whether Southern California will become a part of that expansion, but we'll keep you posted.

Still No Dunkin'

I noticed a spike in the Franklin Avenue traffic late last week for people looking for info about Dunkin' Donuts in Los Angeles. So I decided to investigate and see if there was any movement in plans to bring the chain here.

Last December, we wrote that the new Dunkin' Brands owners (Bain Capital Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners and the Carlyle Group) were planning an aggressive expansion across the U.S. for its Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo's chains.

Baskin-Robbins and Togo's are both well represented here, but Dunkin' Donuts has been out of the L.A. market for well over a decade. Sadly, that won't be changing anytime soon.

According to a Dunkin' spokesman, the company's national expansion plans include Southern California -- eventually. His words: "It's not going to be for some time."

In other words, don't get your hopes up yet. And I'm sure Krispy Kreme's collapse here hasn't helped. L.A. is already saturated (pun intended) with mom-and-pop donut shops, as well as chains such as Yum Yum and Winchell's.

Time to Make the Donuts... And Doublecheck Your Facts
Dunkin' Donuts recently announced plans to add espresso to its menu -- a move SoCal author Joseph Wambaugh ("Fire Lover") has fun with in Tuesday's L.A. Times. The former cop-turned-scribe wrote a short, whimsical op-ed piece, describing how the shocker might impact his old LAPD buddies (thanks to L.A. Observed for pointing it out).

Tongue in cheek, Wambaugh -- who lives in Rancho Mirage -- imagines the reaction of one black-coffee LAPD lifer, who calls Dunkin' Donuts' decision "the apocalypse."

One problem: Dunkin' Donuts doesn't operate in Los Angeles. Or the entire state, for that matter. Oops.

Dunkin' Donuts Moves Closer to Los Angeles

Three years ago, we wrote that new Dunkin' Donuts owners Bain Capital planned a massive expansion of the chain -- which hasn't been seen in Los Angeles in at least 13 years.

We're still waiting to see if Dunkin' makes its way back to L.A. -- but if this NPR report is any indication, the chain plans a massive push into the American Southwest over the next few years.

According to NPR, the "nine new stores in Phoenix is just a start. Dunkin' Donuts has plans for 150 in this (Arizona) area. And 10,000 new stores in the next decade, starting in the Southwest, and then moving toward Starbucks' home territory in the Northwest."

(Thanks to SeanYoda for the link!)

Retro Friday: Eyes Glazed Over, Dunkin Donuts

Oh, how delightfully offensive, Dunkin Donuts! And this ad isn't even that old, just from the early 1990s. But to promote its line of mini donuts, the company brought in the late Herve Villechaize-- because, get it? he's mini.

Even the "time to make the donuts" guy seems embarrassed. In honor of National Donut Day, here you go.

Dunkin' Tease at the L.A. Times

Spotted this big ad on the front page of the Los Angeles Times' website, promoting Dunkin' Donuts. One problem: There are no Dunkin' Donuts in Southern California.

Time to Eat the Doughnuts

Not that you ever need an excuse to enjoy a donut -- hell, every day should be donut day. But today is apparently National Doughnut Day -- and that's good enough for me.



Apparently the holiday began in 1938 as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army (see the video above).

Here's a round up of donut goodness today:

:: The Guide's Elina Shatkin puts together a list of L.A.'s best doughnuts, leading with the Donut Man in Glendora. Her top three:

1. Donut Man, Glendora: "Among the celebrity fans of this modest 35-year-old shop was Elvis, who used to send his bodyguard to purchase jelly doughnuts."

2. Stan's Corner Donut Shoppe, Westwood / West L.A.: "In addition to all the standard raised and cake doughnuts, they have unique flavor combos like peanut butter-filled banana doughnuts topped with chocolate chips and a cheese-filled doughnut topped with blueberry glaze."

3. Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts, Miracle Mile: "Definitely better than your average doughnut."

:: Laura over at L.A. Story clues us in that both Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts (sigh, not for us, SoCalians) are passing out free doughtnuts today. In case you wanna go more gourmet, she also notes:

If you're looking for something a little more upscale Grace Restaurant on Beverly Boulevard is celebrating all weekend with a gourmet tasting menu.

:: The L.A. Weekly writes that for every doughnut sold at shops displaying the official National Doughnut Day poster, BakeMark will make a donation to the Salvation Army. He are the participating locations in L.A. proper:

Alex's Donuts, 6211 Franklin Ave.
Corner Donut Shop, 10948 Weyburn Ave.
Donut House, 3500 Overland Ave Ste 150
Donuts U.S.A., 11624 Venice Blvd.
Maggie's Donut, 4377 W. Pico
Super Donut House, 7307 Sunset Blvd.
Westdale Donut Shop, 2918 Sawtelle Blvd.
Westside Donuts & Croissant, 11277 Santa Monica Blvd.

You Scream, I Scream

Sixty years ago, the Baskin-Robbins chain began... around the corner from our house in Glendale.



These days, most mornings the owner of the building sells coffee and danishes out of the spot... but the birthplace of Baskin-Robbins sits mostly empty.

I think it's time for Baskin-Robbins owner Dunkin' Brands (which also owns Dunkin' Donuts and Togo's) to bring the ice cream chain back to its original home. I'm not sure the building's current owner would agree... but the history buff in me would love to buy a cone in the same spot that Irv Robbins first got into the ice cream biz, 60 years ago.

Darleene at the Glendale News-Press shares the story of how the global ice cream franchise began life as a single scoop shop, right in Glendale's Adams Hill neighborhood:

Irv Robbins opened his first ice cream shop, called Snowbird, on Dec. 1, 1945, at the corner of Adams Street and Palmer Avenue in south Glendale. Robbins' brother-in-law, Burton Baskin, opened Burton's in Pasadena the next year. Eventually, the two teamed up to create Baskin-Robbins and established its corporate headquarters, plant and storage facilities in Burbank and Glendale along Victory Boulevard.

"The first store to carry the name opened in 1953 in Pasadena," said John Carlson, director of the company's franchise services in the West, who started at the company as a 16-year-old ice cream scooper. "Then, over time, Irv converted the Snowbirds to Baskin-Robbins."

The duo sold its first licensing agreement in 1948, the same year they introduced the 31st flavor, chocolate mint, the forerunner of mint chocolate chip. The company was part of the Southern California landscape, even introducing a "baseball nut" flavor to commemorate the Dodgers move to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958. The flavor was changed in 1962 -- the peanuts replaced by cashews -- to welcome the Los Angeles Angels to the American League.

The ice cream shop that began as a Snowbird in Glendale is now a franchise operation with more than 5,400 retail shops throughout the world.

Foreign Concepts: Adjusting in New York

East Coast/West Coast: It's not just for 1997-era gangsta rappers anymore. I must admit, because it's been three years since I last stepped foot in New York, I'd forgotten about a few things. Such as:

:: People do indeed smoke. Mostly out on the streets of NYC. Walk ten feet and you'll be suckin' in some second-hand nicotine. Actually, we noticed this in San Francisco too.



:: Jaywalking is not only OK, it's the norm. Maria and I were both slapped with jaywalking tickets in Burbank several years ago, so since then we're extra cautious about waiting for the signal to change. It's such an ingrained habit that I couldn't quite shake it throughout the week in NYC. I'd be waiting to cross, while people all around me freely flaunted their ability to dash across the street the second a gap emerged between cabs.



:: You know how we bitch about the parking lots at most Trader Joe's spots (especially the Silver Lake locale)? At least we're not this poor chump, walking across town to his apartment, two heavy TJ bags away from a hernia.



:: Ahh, Dunkin' Donuts. When will you finally return to Los Angeles?

The Ghost Pepper Donut Challenge

Nathan and I were eager to try the new Dunkin' Donuts ghost pepper donut. The verdict? Delicious, with just a little bit of spice! Here's Nathan's verdict.

The Search for L.A.'s 24-Hour Starbucks Location

Los Angeles may be the second-largest metro area in the country -- but when it comes to finding an open coffee shop after 11 p.m., Angelenos are still mostly out of luck.

There are, of course, some coffeehouses open late -- the Insomnia Cafe on Beverly, for example, is open until 1:30 a.m.

But late coffeeshops are rare -- particularly chains like Starbucks or Coffee Bean. According to multiple web reports, Starbucks once operated at least one 24-hour location in L.A., but it long ago pulled back on that location's hours. People still claim that they know of 24-hour Starbucks locations -- but these are probably the same people who claim they've seen a Dunkin' Donuts location here in SoCal. They don't know.

As a result, these days late-night caffeine addicts have had to settle for the 7-Eleven swill.

That is changing, at least temporarily, downtown. According to Blog Downtown, the Starbucks location at L.A. Live is testing extended hours, keeping open until 2 a.m. (except Sunday, when it closes at 1 a.m.). Move was in response to the opening of new JW Marriott hotel this week.

Where do you usually go for your late-night coffee runs?