Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/386440
C o n ve n i e n c e Re ta i l e r S h o w D a i l y Th u r s d a y, O c to b e r 9 , 2 0 1 4 2 2 DUNKIN' DONUTS SEEKS FRANCHISEE CANDIDATES IN MINNEAPOLIS AND MANKATO Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced the signing of a multi- unit store development agreement with new franchisees, Brian and Sharon Weidendorf, to develop seven restaurants in Duluth, Minn., and the surrounding areas. The first restaurant is planned to open in spring 2015. The company continues to recruit in Minnesota and franchise opportunities still remain available in Minneapolis and Mankato. To help fuel growth in these markets, special development incentives are available, which include reduced roy- alty fees for three years and up to $10,000 in local store marketing for stores that meet certain goals. (Details available in the Dunkin' Donuts Franchise Disclosure Document.) "We are excited to expand the brand's presence in Minnesota and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," said Brian Weidendorf, Dunkin' Donuts franchisee. "We have a passion and loyalty for the brand and look for- ward to opening our restaurants in the years to come." In June, Dunkin' Donuts announced the grand opening of a new restaurant in Rochester, Minn., at the Kahler Grand Hotel. In addition to this location, exist- ing franchise group Rochester Retail Services plans to develop five freestand- ing Dunkin' Donuts restaurants through- out the Rochester market over the next several years. In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin' Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate for- mat, including free- standing restaurants, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas and universities, as well as other retail environments. "Our secret to continued growth includes passionate franchisees who pro- vide a high-level of customer service to our guests every day," said Grant Benson, CFE, Vice President of Global Franchising and Business Development, Dunkin' Brands. "By joining our team, franchisees become part of a nationally established brand with over 60 years of experience and 95 percent brand recogni- tion. They also receive the benefits of a multi-million dollar advertising fund in addition to world-class training and ongo- ing support, among many other benefits." Dunkin' Donuts' new look includes four distinct restaurant design options for franchisees, each featuring variations in layout, color schemes, graphics, textures, furniture and/or lighting. The designs enhance the current restaurant appear- ance, environment and layout to serve people all day long. Unlike other quick-service restaurants, Dunkin' Donuts allows franchisees to select individual elements from any of the four options, creating a restaurant design that reflects their personal tastes and preferences, and best serves their specific restaurant size and location. Since the 1950s, Dunkin' Donuts has been a daily ritual for millions of people and has offered guests delicious food, beverages and friendly service at a great value. Dunkin' Donuts offerings include iced coffee, flavored coffees, lattes, Dunkin' Donuts K-Cup ® Packs, Coolatta ® frozen drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, and a DDSMART ® menu featuring bet- ter-for-you items. For more information about Dunkin' Donuts franchising, visit booth #5469 or go online to www.dunkinfranchising.com. OPENSTORE BY GASBUDDY CONTINUES TO INNOVATE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES OpenStore ® by GasBuddy is dedicated to adopting the latest technology and inno- vation for clients to build customer loyal- ty. The newest features include OpenStore Bluetooth Beacons and a Vendor Coupon Portal, which was unveiled at the OpenStore User Forum on October 7th in Las Vegas. These latest upgrades will enhance an already user-friendly and streamlined dashboard, where clients can easily man- age their mobile apps, website and prices on the GasBuddy app all from one loca- tion. Additionally, the dashboard allows the ability to send digital coupons, pro- mote in-store deals, manage customer feedback and check analytics easily! The Vendor Coupon Portal will give OpenStore clients the ability to access, distribute and clear vendor coupons with ease – all using their OpenStore dashboard, saving them time, effort and money, while providing their customers with valuable rewards. "We've been running digital and mobile coupons for five years and our clients have had great success. We know that coupons work. Customers who use coupons buy more and do it more often," Dustin Coupal, V.P. of OpenStore, stated. "The Vendor Coupon Portal is the realization of months of hard work, and OpenStore is naturally placed to be the liaison between our manufacturer partners and our valued clients." The addition of propri- etary OpenStore Beacons gives C-stores another method of communicating with their customers. OpenStore Beacons can be placed in stores and allow clients' apps to detect when a customer is standing at the pump, driving by or at the candy rack and send a digi- tal coupon or message to the customer's app. Far more accurate than GPS, bea- con devices will make hyper-local mar- keting a breeze. "The mobile space is changing rapidly and we're committed to helping our clients stay in the lead," he said. "We're going to be previewing some major innovations, including new cus- tomization options for our clients' apps and other goodies. I think I'm going to feel like Oprah!" Coupal concluded with a grin. If you are wondering what else OpenStore has up its sleeve, there were some big reveals on October 7 at the OpenStore User Forum: www.openstore conference.com. About OpenStore OpenStore by GasBuddy is a powerful solution that increases customer loyal- ty by providing much needed two-way communication between C-store owners and customers using leading-edge web technologies and custom branded mobile applications. The OpenStore dashboard makes it easy to collect customer feed- back, manage social media, deliver mobile coupons and text message cam- paigns all from one single location. For more information, visit OpenStore at booth #4827, go to www.openstore loyalty.com/Home, email sales@open storeloyalty.com or call 866-266-5658.