Dunkin' Donuts is trying out a new name.  The company recently announced that it will drop the word "donuts" from the name of its new location in Pasadena, California.  That store, simply called Dunkin', will be the first of several new stores in the chain to try out the new name.  But will this change affect all of Dunkin' Donuts' locations?  Is the Owensboro store going to be affected?

According to reports in Money magazine and other publications, Dunkin' Donuts has been refocusing much of its marketing efforts on world-famous Dunkin' Donuts coffee.  This is an attempt to go head-to-head with coffee giant Starbucks.

Dunkin' Donuts currently has over 12,000 locations worldwide . . . including a location on Frederica Street here in Owensboro.  There are no definite plans to change the name of all locations, but if it happens the move could take place in early 2018.

According to local store manager Peggy, Dunkin' Donuts has reached out to discuss what the franchise has going on. In fact, the corporation is collecting feedback to see how this potential relaunch will be or is accepted by the public. Peggy adds that the primary reason behind changing the chain name to simply Dunkin’ is to promote a simplified way to order your drinks and food.  If the re-branding effort plays well in the national experiment, it’s a good possibility that our local franchise here in Owensboro will be getting a remodel in the years to come. But as of right now, there is not an exact timeline on how long Dunkin' Donuts' corporate office plans to measure the success in the tested markets.  I suppose it's safe to say . . . they're "dunkin" their toes in the water to test them.

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