Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, more than 90 percent of Dunkin’ restaurants remained open to help keep America running, serving guests via drive-thru ordering, carry-out, curbside service and third-party delivery. Many of Dunkin’s guests are eager for the chance to once again enjoy indoor dining at their local Dunkin’, and the brand is pleased to share that it is working closely with franchisees to reopen dining areas, with plans to have indoor dining available in as many of our restaurants across the country as possible by summer.
Dunkin’ franchisees have already reopened dining rooms at more than 2,600 Dunkin’ locations, with more than 1,000 reopening in just the past six weeks alone. Dunkin’ expects to see additional Dunkin’ restaurants reintroduce indoor dining every week leading into summer.
In Atlanta, franchisees James Laskaris and Stephen Attard recently reopened dining rooms at all of their locations. Welcoming back guests across the region means welcoming back five long-time friends who have been frequenting their Sandy Springs, Georgia, location every day since 1984. The group was ecstatic when they learned their beloved dining room meeting place would reopen so they could once again sip their Dunkin’ in the same location together every day.
“Dunkin’ is the place for friends to come together, share their daily experiences, and enjoy a daily laugh and some sentimental talk with a sip of coffee and bite of food,” said Attard. “This group started running back to Dunkin’ as soon as we opened the dining room to carry on their tradition. Dunkin’ is their second home and we’re excited to welcome more groups like this back into our restaurants.”
In Connecticut and New York, Dunkin’ franchisee Jim Cain of Cain Management is excited to see the energy come back to life in his restaurants as well as welcome guests back to their “safe place”.
“Dunkin’ has been – and always will be – there for our guests,” said Cain. “As we continue to see restrictions loosen, and our dining rooms reopen, you can feel that spark of energy from our restaurant team members and guests fill the restaurants. We continue to build our guests’ confidence with great food and drinks and are thrilled to welcome them back to their special place.”
While Dunkin’ dining rooms are gradually reopening, the brand’s commitment to the health and safety of Dunkin’ franchisees, their restaurant employees and guests remains a top priority. As more cities open for business, Dunkin’ will continue to follow the guidance of public health officials as it assesses the best ways to reopen dining areas across the country. Safety standards and measures will continue, such as social distancing and required hygiene training, face masks, plexiglass shields for each restaurant’s front counter and recommended restaurant employee health checks using infrared thermometers.
“As we continue to navigate through the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, we want to reinforce our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of guests, franchisees, employees, and the communities we serve,” said Scott Murphy, President, Dunkin’. “We’re continuing our legacy of being there when people need us most and we have a thoughtful approach with our franchisees to reopen as many dining rooms as possible by summer to welcome our guests for inside dining.”
For more than 70 years, Dunkin’ has been at the heart of the communities we serve, keeping America running and taking care of our guests. Dunkin’ has had your back this past year as a place for guests when they need a place of comfort and a moment of normalcy, and now it looks forward to welcoming you back to its dining rooms in the weeks ahead.
