Dunkin' Franchise

For a Shopping Center/Storefront restaurant, Item 7 of Dunkin's 2026 FDD puts the total initial investment from $443,000, and at least $40,340 of it must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate (FDD cover page); a Freestanding restaurant starts from $532,400. Both totals exclude real property and the delivery vehicle you must buy, and the low end of building costs assumes a build-to-suit lease in which the landlord incurs most development costs (FDD Item 7). Both also count the Marketing Start-Up Fee at $0 at the low end, although Item 5 requires you to spend at least $10,000 on opening promotions for a Dunkin' restaurant (the "Standard Marketing Start-Up Fee").

The initial franchise fee for a Standard Dunkin' Restaurant runs from $40,000, depending on the Development Area Type. It is due when you sign the Franchise Agreement (FDD Item 5).

When you sign the Franchise Agreement, you pay Dunkin' an initial access fee, currently $340, for The Center, its online training platform, and you must join National DCP, paying its one-time membership fee, currently $2,500 (FDD Items 5 and 8). Initial training for each person beyond the two covered by the initial franchise fee (for your first five restaurants) costs $4,000 (the Initial Training Fee), and you must spend at least $10,000 on opening promotions (FDD Item 5).

Dunkin' charges a Continuing Franchise Fee of 5.9% of Gross Sales, plus a Continuing Advertising Fee of 5.0% of Gross Sales. Both are paid weekly (FDD Item 6). Depending on where the restaurant will be, a Franchise Agreement for a traditional restaurant signed on or before March 31, 2027 may qualify for the Standard or Strategic incentive program, with a Continuing Franchise Fee credit of $125,000 or $225,000 and a lower Continuing Advertising Fee in the first years, if all program conditions are met (FDD Items 5 and 6). In the Pacific Northwest Territory, a Franchise Agreement for a traditional restaurant signed on or before March 31, 2027 may qualify for the Pacific Northwest Incentive program, with a Continuing Franchise Fee credit of $25,000 for each restaurant and other credits, if all program conditions are met (FDD Items 5 and 6). Under the VetFran Program, a qualifying veteran or returning service member signing with Dunkin' for the first time receives a $10,000 Continuing Franchise Fee credit for each restaurant opened under the program's conditions, with a $100,000 maximum (FDD Item 6).

Each restaurant pays a Loyalty Program Contribution Payment on Loyalty Program Sales (in-store sales of eligible products to Loyalty Program members), weekly with the Continuing Franchise Fee. The FDD states its rate in Item 6 and in Exhibit J. Item 6 gives a current rate of 1.4% and a maximum rate, based on Dunkin's fiscal years, of 1.4% for 2025 through 2026 and 1.2% for 2027 and beyond. Exhibit J, the Loyalty Program Participation Agreement you must sign when you sign the Franchise Agreement, sets the rate at 1.6% of Loyalty Program Sales from relaunch of the Loyalty Program (or the date you open the restaurant to the general public or assume operations through a transfer) through the end of the first full fiscal year. The annual subscription for The Center, Dunkin's online training platform, is currently $340 per restaurant (FDD Item 6). Item 6 also lists a possible service fee for Inspire Payment Services, through which an affiliate may collect amounts from franchisees and pay vendors; Item 6 gives no amount ("Varies"). Technology is bought and maintained through approved suppliers, which may include Dunkin' or its affiliates. Item 11 lists recurring technology costs, including annual POS maintenance from $3,119, back-of-house software from $51 per month, Store Network services from $225 per month per restaurant, a Service Desk contract from $570 per restaurant per year, and digital menu board services from $13 per panel per month.

As of December 28, 2025, there were 9,999 Dunkin' restaurants operating in the USA, including 1,219 combo restaurants with Baskin-Robbins (2026 FDD, Item 1).