Dunkin' Donuts eyes the heart of Dixie

Dunkin' Donuts said today that its national expansion plans now include Alabama.

The Canton-based coffee-and-baked-goods chain announced that the state of Alabama is now open for franchise sales with plans to open more than 142 new restaurants over the next several years.

Local markets targeted for franchise development include Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville, Dunkin' Donuts said.

The plan is for Dunkin' Donuts to have roughly 15,000 stores by 2020, about three times the number of stores that the chain had in 2006 when its parent company was purchased by a trio of private equity firms for $2.43 billion.

"To fulfill our national expansion goals, Dunkin' Donuts is looking for developers with a strong organization and the ability to manage multiple restaurants effectively and successfully in the state of Alabama," Lynette McKee, vice president of franchising for Dunkin' Donuts parent, Dunkin' Brands Inc. "We also look for some prior restaurant operations and real estate development experience."

   Building a network of stores enables Dunkin' Donuts to invest in a distribution model that ensures consistent, high-quality products, the chain said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)