Dear Shareholders,
Since going public in July 2011, we have added nearly
2,500 stores globally, grown our revenues by more
than 25 percent, grown operating income by
more than 50 percent, and returned nearly
$860 million to shareholders. Highlights from our
performance in 2014 included:
This success has been achieved by
our unremitting focus on franchise
economics and commitment to
driving value for our shareholders.
Besides being extremely proud
of what we’ve accomplished since
becoming a public company,
I am also very excited about the
long-term growth prospects for
Dunkin’ Brands.
In addition to our strong financial performance in
2014, both brands had notable achievements
last year, including:
Very strong domestic restaurant level unit
economics and robust U.S. restaurant develop-
ment for both of our brands, including the
opening of our first traditional Dunkin’
Donuts restaurants in California;
Growing transactions in the
Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. business in the
face of macroeconomic and
competitor headwinds;
Positive net store growth and comparable store sales growth
for Baskin-Robbins U.S. for the second straight year;
The launch of the DD Perks loyalty
program, which grew to more than
members in the first year;
The launch of Baskin-Robbins online
ice cream cake ordering, which
has been a major catalyst for our cake
category and overall brand growth;
Significant progress retooling
our international businesses,
demonstrated by new international
development agreements in Sweden,
Austria, and China;
A successful debt refinancing, which we began at the end of 2014 and completed
early this year. As a result of our new debt structure, we have more financial flexibility,
a stable fixed-interest rate, and the ability to return value to shareholders by repurchasing
shares with the net proceeds.
I’m proud of all we accomplished in 2014 and the significant progress we made
to position our company and our brands for the future. Looking ahead, we remain focused
on delivering on both our short- and long-term financial targets and are aligned as an
organization behind five key priorities:
Grow the relevance of our brands around the world
with a focus on beverages. Dunkin’ Donuts is a
leader in the U.S. beverage category, and we continue
to strengthen this leadership as we grow our restaurant
footprint in the U.S. as well as around the globe.
We recently took another major step forward with this
priority with our announcement that we had signed an
agreement with J.M. Smucker and Keurig Green Mountain
to make Dunkin’ K-Cups® available both online and in
thousands of retail outlets in addition to our restaurants.
Expand global consumer engagement efforts in mobile, loyalty and social media.
Enhance the guest experience around the world.
First and foremost, the success of our brands begins
with the guest experience. Together with our franchisees
and licensees, we are focused on constantly improving
every aspect of that experience from the service
behind the counter, to the products we serve and the
appearance of our restaurants.
Continue to implement our sustainability plan. Our work
to find a more environmentally friendly alternative to our
iconic Dunkin’ Donuts foam cup is just one example of the efforts we have underway to be
an even more responsible retailer. Another initiative is our DD Green program, which is our
sustainable U.S. restaurant development program that we introduced in 2014.
Intensify our focus on high potential domestic and
international markets, including California, Europe,
the Middle East, and China. Given our two strong global
brands and the consumer appeal of our concepts, we
believe we have an incredible runway for expansion.
I would like to thank our franchisees, licensees, crew members
and corporate employees for all they have contributed to our
success, and thank you for your investment in Dunkin’ Brands.
We look forward to continuing to drive value for you,
our shareholders.
Nigel Travis
CEO Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.