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<\/p>\nDunkin’ Brands, the franchisor of both Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has developed a highly effective operating model, well aligned with the Company\u2019s business model, which, upon successfully shifting from a donut-first to a coffee-first model, has increased the Company’s ability to execute its low-cost, consistent quality, service model within the quick service restaurant (QSR) market. I believe Dunkin’ Brands is highly effective in driving alignment of operating and business models given the Company’s consistent focus on low costs, high-quality site selection process, franchisee-owned location network, standardization of product offerings and quality and continued focus on marketing, brand management and menu innovation.<\/p>\n
Dunkin’ Brands is a leading QSR franchisor that has built a large network of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins locations which serve coffee, baked goods and other food items, including ice cream. Dunkin’ Brands generates revenues primarily through royalties from franchisees (owners of individual retail locations), rental income (also from franchisees), sales of goods within Company-owned stores and elsewhere and other licensing fees. Franchisee royalties represent the predominant portion of revenue, generated through gross sales at existing stores as well as royalties related to new store openings. Sales of ice cream (Baskin-Robbins) and rental income represent the majority of remaining revenue.<\/p>\n
Dunkin’ Brands has, until recently, primarily focused its franchisee network within the Northeast, aiming towards more “traditional” coffee customers, who often require less diverse menu options, and who appreciate the brand for its ability to offer a quality product quickly, efficiently and at a reasonable price. Dunkin’ Brands has successfully maintained a strong franchise network that has been adept in maintaining strong growth, profitability and brand recognition while significantly shifting its business model from food towards beverage. Without direct control over retail locations, Dunkin’ Brands has continued to focus on franchisee coaching and support, marketing and advertising and consumer feedback in order to maintain its overall business and has been quite successful in maintaining this quality without the distraction of day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n
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As a franchisor, Dunkin\u2019 Brands operates primarily as an overseer of stores\u2019 performance, with significant oversight of site selection, training and compliance, all in efforts to maintain consistency of service and product delivery across the network. Through requirements for site approval from Dunkin’ Brands, the Company ensures that franchisees locate in areas with high population density, quality traffic patterns and target demographics that align with the overall brand message and intended audience. The Company also helps franchisees to select locations that will allow for profitable growth of their own businesses in addition to profiting Dunkin\u2019 Brands.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the Company maintains tight control over its supply chain, ensuring consistency, quality and availability of coffee, food and other products, while maintaining minimal inventory. Through concentration in the Northeast, Dunkin’ Brands was able to develop and successfully implement this low inventory distribution model. In addition, Dunkin\u2019 Brands\u2019 focus on customers with less particular requirements around coffee bean type and source location, has allowed the company to maintain lower overall product costs.<\/p>\n
With regards to the shift towards a beverage-focused strategy, the Company responded to growing health consciousness and rising coffee consumption by focusing on providing the best value proposition to their customers, moving from donut-first to coffee-first. Dunkin’ Brands has been extremely successful in selling donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and other items, including Baskin-Robbins ice cream, through to customers drawn in by the coffee and other beverage offerings. Whereas competitors, such as Krispy Kreme, have focused on a donut-first strategy, and struggled, Dunkin\u2019 Brands has responded well to consumer shifts and has developed a strong method for acquiring customers and using beverage sales to drive food sales.<\/p>\n
The Company, knowledgeable that customers are focused on quality, cost and timing, has trained employees to focus on fast, consistent service and includes drive-in concepts across many of its locations. Many locations are in or near gas stations, supermarkets, malls and airport food courts, with a focus on the on-the-go beverage customer.<\/p>\n
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Dunkin’ Brands’ operating model, which focuses on site selection, franchisee training, supply chain management, marketing and brand management while ensuring low-cost, quality products and service to a targeted market of coffee drinkers, aligns very well with the Company’s goal of increasing franchisee revenues through increased gross sales as well as new store openings (gross sales royalties dwarf new store royalties). Dunkin’ Brands’ has successfully built its site selection process, whereby the Company is able to assist entrepreneurs in decisions around the best potential location for new openings, thereby creating profits for both the franchisees and the Company. Additionally, Dunkin’ Donuts’ transition towards the beverage business has been incorporated in the Company’s operating model, with increased brewing equipment, commitment to coffee turnover and a staffing model that emphasizes quick delivery of customer orders in order to maximize customer turnover. This operational emphasis maintains higher customer satisfaction, retention and overall volume, revenue and profit.<\/p>\n
The franchisor model allows Dunkin’ Brands to operate a significantly more profitable business model than peers who focus on direct management of stores, given lower overall margins within direct store management and beverage \/ food sales. Separation of core competencies between marketing, brand management, strategy, distribution and product innovation (Dunkin’ Brands) and food preparation and customer service (franchisees) allows both parties to execute at greater levels of efficiency. Additionally, Dunkin’ Brands’ capital-light investment model allows for quick, more flexible shifts in strategy as initial investment costs are generally borne by franchisees. In a highly competitive market, this is a great strength that will allow Dunkin\u2019 Brands to capture significant value.<\/p>\n
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Overall, Dunkin’ Brands has been highly successfully in designing an operating strategy that allows for the management of a network of stores dedicated to fast delivery of low-cost beverages, cross-sales of food items and consistent product quality across a well-targeted network of retail points of distribution serving the growing needs of consumers across the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n
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Sources:<\/p>\n
Success in the world of low-cost coffee, even in a sea of frappuccinos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1032,"featured_media":6770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[614,665],"class_list":["post-6749","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coffee","category-franchise"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/the-tom-challenge-tom-winners-and-losers-assignment\/","yoast_head":"\n