Dunkin' to shut down about 800 stores by end of 2020

Dunkin’ said it plans to shut down about 800 of its U.S. stores by the end of 2020, according to a release posted Thursday.

There was no word on which stores would be closing.

A new Dunkin’ store is set to open soon in East Huntingdon’s Countryside Plaza.

The doughnut and coffee chain announced in a regulatory filing that its U.S. store sales dropped 18.7% in the second quarter, as a result of closed locations and a decline in traffic from the covid-19 pandemic. As of July 25, about 96% of Dunkin’ stores have reopened.

Dave Hoffmann, CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, said the chain was able to adjust quickly to the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, which saw Dunkin’ customers shift from early morning visits to later in the day.

“We are extremely proud of our great franchisees who kept the vast majority of our restaurants open during the quarter and really stepped up with a sense of urgency and grit to keep their team members employed, our guests served, and their communities running,” he said.

The 800 stores, which includes 450 locations within Speedway gas stations already set to close, account for about 8% of the total Dunkin’ U.S. footprint.

Despite the planned closures, Hoffmann said Dunkin’ U.S. comparable store sales have been improving week-over-week during the beginning of the third quarter.