Dunkin' in America Is Part Immigrant's Tale
Immigrants and their families have carved out pockets in the US to own and operate Dunkin’ Donuts stores.
In Chicago, 90 percent of the stores are run and owned by people of South Asian descent; in New England and New York, 60 percent of the stores are in the hands of those of Portuguese descent.
“The second generation is a group that’s more retail-oriented,” said Dunkin’ CEO Nigel Travis. “They are more into the systems. They’re into guest service, they’re into managing the business. A lot of them have been to business school.”
The Panjwani family in Illinois now has 23 Dunkin' stores.
“They [Dunkin'] came to us,” said Amin Show, CEO of the Panjwani Network, “and said, ‘Today, you have three stores, and tomorrow, do you see yourself having 10 stores and how would you run those 10 stores?’ ”
Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising premieres Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 9pm ET.
