The Canton, Mass.-based company also said Tuesday that certain shareholders  would hold a secondary offering of stock, looking to sell 22 million shares in  the fourth quarter. Dunkin’ Brands is not selling stock and will not receive  proceeds from the pending sale.

Looking at third-quarter results, Dunkin’ officials said new menu items,  consumer engagement and operational improvements helped performance during the  company’s first full quarter as a public company, which ended September 24. The company  held its initial public offering at the end of July.

Read more: Nation’s Restaurant News

Serving Responsibly outlines Dunkin’ Brands’ ongoing commitment to grow its business in a sustainable manner while taking into consideration the needs of guests, employees, franchisees, local communities and the environment. The creation of the report follows Dunkin’ Brands’ membership in 2009 into Ceres, a network of investors, environmentalists and other public interest groups that works with companies to address sustainability challenges.

Key highlights of the report include:

· Nutrition – Dunkin’ Brands offers guests a variety of better-for-you options and nutrition information so they can make the best choices for themselves. The DDSMART® and BRight Choices® menus include food and beverages that fit any lifestyle or dietary wants and needs. Additionally, the company’s Nutrition Advisory Board, comprised of leading experts on nutrition, health and wellness, provides research and insight into new health and wellness trends and helps Dunkin’ Brands incorporate current nutritional science in menu development.

In 2007, Dunkin’ Donuts became the first major QSR brand to introduce a donut with zero grams trans fat. All Dunkin’ Donuts menu offerings nationwide have been zero grams trans fat since October 2007. Baskin-Robbins’ offerings, including its ice cream inclusions and ribbons, became zero grams trans fat in 2008.

· Sustainable Sourcing – Dunkin’ Donuts was the first national brand to sell espresso beverages made exclusively with 100% Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, helping farmers and their families earn a better income and invest in the quality of their harvest. By the end of 2010, Dunkin Brands purchased nearly 26 million pounds of Fair Trade CertifiedTM coffee and delivered approximately $1.9 million in premiums back to farming communities.

· Environmental Impact –In 2008, Dunkin’ Brands opened its first “green” restaurant, in St. Petersburg, Florida, which achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification in 2010. A second green restaurant will open later this year. The company implements many findings from its LEED restaurant to help make its restaurants greener. The company is actively engaged in finding more sustainable building solutions and utility options that reduce costs for franchisees while benefiting the environment.

Dunkin’ Brands strives to offer packaging that balances the expectations of guests and franchisees while minimizing impact on the environment. In collaboration with its suppliers, peers and external experts, Dunkin’ Brands is aggressively exploring alternative materials, recycling and waste reduction opportunities, with priority placed on identifying viable substitutes for Dunkin’ Donuts’ foam cups and Baskin-Robbins’ polystyrene pink spoons.

· Support for local communities: Over the years, Dunkin’ Brands and its franchisees have given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations supporting a variety of local community causes, including Special Olympics, American Red Cross, The Jimmy Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Toys for Tots, and countless more. In the education arena alone, over the past 15 years, the company and its franchisees have provided more than $3 million in scholarships to high school seniors and college students.

The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF) serves the needs of local communities through initiatives that provide food for the hungry, support children’s health and wellness and ensure neighborhoods are safe and secure. Since its inception in 2006, The DDBRCF has awarded more than $2 million in grants, and has established long-term partnerships with Feeding America, the USO, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Do Something.

“Serving Responsibly is more than just a title; it’s the guiding principle behind Dunkin’ Brands’ CSR efforts,” said Karen Raskopf, Dunkin’ Brands’ senior vice president of communications and co-chair of The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation. “We have made good progress in many areas, such as providing more nutritional information for our guests and decreasing the impact of our packaging on the environment, while recognizing there is still much more for us to do. This report represents not only our achievements from the beginning of our CSR journey, but more importantly our commitment to continuing to address the social and environmental issues that face our business.”

The K-Cups can be used in Keurig brewing systems, which have gained popularity in offices and homes. The company that makes them, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., first announced its partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts in February. Since then, it has also announced agreements with Starbucks Corp. and ConAgra Foods Inc.’s Swiss Miss hot chocolate brand. Starbucks plans to start offering K-Cups in the fall.

The Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cups will sell for about $12 for a pack of 14. They will be available only at Dunkin’ Donuts shops, not at grocery stores or other retailers where Dunkin’ sells bagged coffee.

Scott Hudler, Dunkin’ Donuts’ vice president of brand marketing, said he’s certain that customers will buy the K-Cups even if they are more expensive than Dunkin’s bagged coffee. Customers have been asking for Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cups for at least the last year or two, saying they like the Keurig system because it’s quick, easy to clean up, and allows them to easily brew different flavors, Hudler said.

“We are a premium coffee compared to generic or store-brand coffee,” Hudler added. “(But) even at our pricing we’re offering a value.”

Dunkin’s decision to sell the K-Cups only in its outlets will help drive customers there and perhaps lead them to make additional purchases, Hudler said. It could also keep the brand from becoming too ubiquitous, which is widely believed to be a misstep made by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. when it started selling its products in gas stations and grocery stores.
BusinessWeek

The SYSCO Truck is Coincidental.

Reuters report investors hungry for restaurant growth gobbled up shares in Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc (DNKN.O) on its Wednesday debut, betting its popular coffee-and-breakfast chain will outpace rivals like Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) in U.S. market growth.

Shares in Dunkin’ Brands jumped as much as 56 percent on their first day of trading and closed at $27.85 — a gain of 47 percent.

The company’s unpretentious Dunkin’ Donuts brand drives its growth, has devoted fans and has plenty of room for domestic expansion, particularly west of the Mississippi River.

But some analysts warn that bitter competition looms in the coffee and other beverage business that accounts for 60 percent of revenue at Dunkin’ Donuts.

“It’s soon to be a battle for share as opposed to taking advantage of a growth market,” said Bob Goldin, executive vice president at food consulting firm Technomic.

Read more at: Reuters

In February, Dunkin’ announced a deal with Green Mountain’s Keurig brewers to  sell packs of 14 K-Cup servings at its coffee shops starting this summer.

While single portions are a booming area of the coffee business, the strategy  is not without risks for Dunkin’, which could see consumers trade in their  regular cup of morning Joe for K-cups.