Dunkin Donuts coming to Maui, but not for a few years | News, Sports, Jobs

Publish date: 2024-05-21

Aloha Petroleum announced Monday that it will be opening 15 new Dunkin’ Donuts in Hawaii, possibly three or four on Maui, according to an official with the Hawaii company.

However, Maui, which currently does not have a Dunkin’ Donuts, will probably not see one for two or three years.

Dunkin’ Donuts, based in Canton, Mass., announced Monday the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with the franchise group Aloha Petroleum, according to a news release. Under the agreement, Aloha Petroleum will develop 15 new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, with the first restaurant planned to open in 2017, according to the news release.

Richard Parry, president and CEO of Aloha Petroleum, said that the Hawaii gasoline and convenience store operator is looking at opening three or four restaurants on Maui but does not have definitive plans on where and when.

His guess is that Maui restaurants will be open in two to three years, earlier if the right location surfaces.

The goal is to open three or four restaurants on Oahu and then expand to the Neighbor Islands. It has not been decided which island would follow Oahu, he said.

Parry said that the restaurants will cater to tourists and local residents. He noted that Dunkin’ Donuts has “terrific brand recognition from tourists,” both domestic and internationally.

For the local market, Dunkin’ Donuts has given the Hawaii franchise flexibility to customize menus, Parry said. He said that there may be Spam or haupia doughnuts, for example.

The locations are a key component and will target the specific buyers expected to patronize that particular restaurant. In heavy tourist areas like Waikiki, there will be emphasis on foot traffic. That may not be the case on Maui where commuter-type locations would be better, sites where residents can pick up coffee and donuts on their way to work, Parry said.

“We like sites that are . . . easy to get in and out of,” he said. The idea is for people to be able to duck off the road, buy their coffee and donuts and get back on the highway.

Parry said that initially Aloha Petroleum will be building drive-thru sites and then moving on to convenience store-gas stations. The company that employs more than 630 Hawaii residents has experience in the latter sector, currently operating 46 Aloha Island Marts and four Menehune Food Marts as well as 100 Shell, Aloha and Mahalo branded fueling stations.

* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.

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