Dunkin’ Donuts Inks Deal For 1,400 Stores In China

As of this month, one can count only16 Dunkin’ Donuts stores in all of China. The chain will have one more unit up and running by year’s end—but then the pace of grand openings really picks up: The Canton, Mass., chain has inked the largest development agreement in its history to open more than 1,400 stores across China over the next two decades.

The deal with Golden Cup Pte. Ltd., a joint venture between Jollibee Worldwide Pte Ltd. and Jasmine Asset Holding Ltd., gives the franchisee exclusive rights to expand Dunkin’ Donuts in new territories, including Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Macau, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin and Yunnan.

The agreement marks the chain’s latest step in its growth strategy for China. In 2013, Dunkin’ Donuts signed a master franchise agreement with Fast Gourmet Group to develop the brand in eastern China and open more than 100 restaurants in the Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. The chain currently has more than 11,000 restaurants in 36 countries, including more than 2,200 across the Asia- Pacific region.