Dunkin' plans to hire 25,000 workers as restaurant industry begins pandemic recovery

KEY POINTS

• Dunkin' is launching its first advertising campaign centered on hiring to tout the benefits of working at its restaurants.
• It is partnering with Southern New Hampshire University to offer store employees an online college education.
• Millions of restaurant workers have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and the U.S. unemployment rate is 13.3%.

A Dunkin' worker hands a coffee out of a drive-thru window wearing gloves and a mask as the Coronavirus continues to spread on March 17, 2020 in Norwell, Massachusetts.

MediaNews Group | Boston Herald | Getty Images

As the restaurant industry tries to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, Dunkin' is looking to hire 25,000 employees.

The coffee chain is launching its first advertising campaign centered on hiring to tout the benefits of working at its restaurants. Dunkin' said it is partnering with Southern New Hampshire University to offer store employees an online college education.

The summer months typically spark fast-food hiring as consumers spend more and teenagers look for work. Yum Brands' Taco Bell, for example, is looking to hire 30,000 new workers this summer.

Even as states relax social-distancing measures, millions of restaurant workers are out of work. The U.S. unemployment rate is 13.3%, the Department of Labor reported Friday.

Fast-food chains are bouncing back from the pandemic faster than other segments in the restaurant industry. Dunkin's own sales have been improving, although the shift to working from home means that many workers are still making coffee and breakfast at home as well.

As of May 23, same-store sales at open Dunkin' locations had fallen 23% quarter to date. During the week ended May 23, same-store sales fell 15% at open restaurants, an improvement from declines in late April. More than 90% of its locations are open with modified operations. 

Dunkin' share were trading up 3% in premarket trading after receiving an upgrade from KeyBanc Capital Markets. Analyst Eric Gonzalez said the company "has executed well during the pandemic," and he predicted that its same-store sales will improve relative to the fast-food category as Northeast states reopen.

The stock, which has a market value of $5.91 billion, has fallen 4% in 2020.