Corey Uretz and Robert Edmundson are expanding the presence of the Dunkin Donuts chain in metropolitan Milwaukee after years of decline.
The doughnut business once had about 20 locations in southeastern Wisconsin, but that count has dwindled to less than five.
Uretz and Edmundson intend to reverse that decline by opening new Dunkin Donuts locations in the region. However, this time, the Dunkin Donuts restaurants will be combined with Baskin Robbins and California sub franchise Togo’s Great Sandwiches.
Triple Play Hospitality LLC, plans to open 30 to 40 combined Dunkin Donuts/Togo’s/Baskin Robbins restaurants in southern Wisconsin over the next five years.
"We are reintroducing the brand of Dunkin Donuts to Milwaukee," said Uretz, president and chief executive officer of Triple Play Hospitality. "We are bringing it back in a new, exciting and fresh way, both with the store appearance, the offerings that Baskin Robbins and Togo’s have and by adding a drive-thru."
The combined restaurants are referred to as "All Day Cafes," open 24 hours, serving products from all three of the brand names at all times and from all registers.
Customers can order a sandwich, coffee and ice cream – all at the same time at the same counter.
Triple Play Hospitality has already penetrated the market with four locations: 4950 S. 27th St., Milwaukee; 242 E. Capitol Dr., Milwaukee; 11401 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee; and 7180 W. 75th St., Kenosha. Uretz said two new locations, a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins at 2015 W. Ryan Road, Oak Creek, and a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins/Togo’s at 8111 Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee, will open in the next two months, according to Uretz.
Edmundson, chief operating officer for Triple Play Hospitality, said putting the three restaurants together was economically efficient, and the company strives to maximize convenience for the customer.
"We are focusing on order accuracy and speed of service. The brands are complementary, so we can offer one-stop shopping," Edmundson said. "We look to make things as easy as we can for our guests."
Triple Play Hospitality is a franchisee of Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants (ADSQR), the Boston-based American affiliate of the British company, Allied Domecq PLC.
Allied Domecq PLC has acquired the Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins and Togo’s franchises over the course of the last 20 years.
"Baskin Robbins really cannot stand by itself anymore because it is too seasonal of a product," Edmundson said. "When it is combined with Dunkin Donuts, which has the highest traffic in the morning, and Togo’s which is popular throughout the day, we are able to serve anyone at anytime."
Most of the Triple Play restaurants will be 23,000 to 24,000 square feet, according to Uretz, and will seat 25 to 40 customers.
Large wooden chairs have replaced the traditional plastic pink and orange chairs at the old Dunkin Donuts and the small ice cream parlor chairs formerly found at Baskin Robbins.
Triple Play Hospitality’s franchisee region consists of southern Wisconsin, from Kenosha to Mequon and west through Madison.
Uretz said Triple Play is very particular in selecting locations for the All Day Cafes because the company wants the stores to have enough traffic to be successful.
Uretz and Edmundson said three requirements must be met before they even consider a site. The traffic count has to be at least 20,000 to 25,000 cars per day, particularly focusing on morning traffic. For Dunkin Donuts to be a convenient stop for people heading to work, the site must be on the "morning side" of the street’s traffic flow.
Togo’s mainly has customers during the lunch hour in the workweek. Uretz said market research indicated that 50 to 75 percent of his customers are white-collar workers coming in for lunch.
According to Uretz, Baskin Robbins is most successful in a residential area, with a population of 20,000 to 30,000 within a 3.5- to 5-mile radius.
"We plan to open between six and 10 stores per year for the next five years, including four or five stores in Madison," Uretz said. "This is our focus. We are 110 percent committed to this market, and once we have all of the pieces in, we will stop developing. I think a lot of businesses make the mistake of growth for growth’s sake. We want to develop a long-term bond with this market, because we are here to stay."
June 11, 2004 Small Business Times, Milwaukee, WI
