Dunkin’ Donuts to Host Mill Avenue Grand Opening

Will Pay for Parking Meters All-Day on Monday Dec 1

TEMPE, Ariz. – In celebration of its new Mill Avenue store grand opening, Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, is proud to keep America running in Tempe by paying for all Mill Avenue metered parking on Monday, Dec. 1.

The paid parking meters along Mill Avenue (between University Drive and Rio Salado Parkway) and Fifth Street will be easily visible to visitors by the large, orange Dunkin’ Donuts meter-hoods and balloons – a reminder of how Dunkin’ Donuts is doing its part during these tough economic times.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman will attend the store’s grand opening and will serve coffee and donuts to Dunkin’ Donut’s customers starting at 6 a.m. Additionally, Mayor Hallman and other city officials will host the ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring a munchkin donut-ribbon with the Mayor and council’s favorite donut flavors, starting at 7:20 a.m. at 425 S. Mill Avenue (northeast corner of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street).

Recognized in October as one of the top 10 streets in the United States by the American Planning Association, the Mill Avenue location is the second store to open in Tempe. The first, located at 1335 W. University Drive, has been successful in providing a great value to the people of Tempe with a leading coffee choice and as a result, has seen high sales and customer counts.

“We’re excited to open our store on Mill Avenue and contribute to what has been named one of the best streets in America,” said Bert Hayenga, the franchisee that will operate all East Valley Dunkin’ Donuts locations. “We’re happy to be able to offer value options for everyone that is feeling the crunch during this time.”

In August, Dunkin’ Donuts initiated an aggressive growth plan for the market with plans to open 150 locations throughout the Valley. Since then, Dunkin’ Donuts has opened 13 stores including locations in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Glendale and Surprise.

For millions of people, enjoying a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is a daily ritual.  Dunkin’ Donuts has set the industry standard for offering a superior grade of coffee, and the company sells nearly 1.5 billion cups of coffee every year. In 2008, for the second year in a row, Dunkin’ Donuts ranked number one in customer loyalty in the coffee category by the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. 

According to the survey, Dunkin’ Donuts was the leading brand for consistently meeting or exceeding consumer expectations.

About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, today Dunkin’ Donuts is the No. 1 retailer of hot and iced regular coffee-by-the-cup in America. The company sells 1.5 billion cups of coffee a year. Dunkin’ Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 7,900 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide. In 2007, Dunkin’ Donuts’ global systemwide sales were $5.3 billion. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.dunkindonuts.com/.

About City of Tempe
Tempe, Arizona is a community of 165,000 residents located in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Home to Arizona State University and the state’s highest per capita rate of technology companies, Tempe is an innovative, forward thinking community. Tempe employs about 175,000 and draws 4 million tourists annually. Details: www.tempe.gov/business.

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