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Dunkin' Donuts Makes a Russian Comeback. Still None in L.A.
Photo by makelessnoise via Flickr
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It comes up all the time in conversation in Los Angeles, especially if you're talking with East Coast ex-pats: Why are there still noDunkin' Donuts in Los Angeles?The international donut and coffee franchise has zero presence in California (the coffee you can buy at the grocery store doesn't count), which baffles many who swear by their sweets and caffeinated beverages. In fact, California still remains closed to development completely, perpetuating the rumors and myths. So it's kind of like adding insult to injury to hear that DD has returned to the Russian market, 11 years after they closed up shop due to a struggling economy there.
Poor sales led to the 2 Dunkin' Donuts in Russia in 1999, but now there are plans to open up 20 locations in Moscow this year, according to the Huffington Post. The franchisee for the Russian and Ukranian markets says "the number of outlets could rise to 50 within five years." Curiously enough, donuts aren't a huge draw in Russian culture, which franchisee Konstantin Petrov hopes to overcome by targeting the youth market and use social networking to promote the product.
"The U.S.-based chain operates more than 15,000 Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops in 44 countries." And none of those are in Los Angeles.
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