Dunkin' Donuts mulls name change, promises it's still doughnut company

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1 Dunkin' Donuts mulls name change, promises it's still doughnut company By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 445 Level 940L An assortment of Dunkin' Donuts ring, cream-filled and glazed doughnuts is pictured in a box in Washington, D.C., June 5, Photo by Eva Hambach/Getty Images Dunkin' Donuts is deciding whether to drop the second part of its name. But even if the name changes, the doughnuts won't be disappearing from their menu. CEO Nigel Travis said last week that the chain wants to remain the "No. 1 retailer of doughnuts." Just Dunkin' He said a second store with just the Dunkin' name will open in Quincy, Massachusetts, the city where the company was founded. It will open in the next year or so. A location in Pasadena, California, is already testing the shortened name. Travis said no decision has been made on whether to use the simpler name nationwide. "My two young kids think it should stay Dunkin' Donuts forever," he said. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Changing Menu Items At about 1,000 Dunkin' Donuts locations, the company has been making cuts to many items it has on its menu. They have removed some doughnut varieties. This should make the stores easier for business owners to run, Travis said. He said Dunkin' Donuts has too many different types of coffee syrups, sandwich breads and other items. All the variety makes it harder on employees. Higher sales at Dunkin' Donuts stores helped the company earn more money in the third quarter of the year, the company said last week. Sales of coffee and espresso at Dunkin' Donuts stores climbed. Frozen drink sales fell. Morning Sales Are Strong Travis said that the morning sales at Dunkin' Donuts increased at a faster rate than full-day sales. This is due to its current promotion it runs in the morning, the two-for-$2 egg and cheese wraps. He said he's confident about its latest promotion, two-for-$5 egg and cheese croissants. Value menus have been a success with customers. McDonald's this week credited $1 soft drinks, coupons on its app and a two-for-$5 promotion called McPick 2 for higher sales. The fast-food giant plans to offer more cheap eats next year. It will price new items at $1, $2 and $3. Dunkin' reported its revenue for the three months that ended September 30. Revenue is the total amount of money a company makes and Dunkin's revenue rose to $224.2 million from $207.1 million. That beat the $213.8 million that experts had predicted. Earnings Below Expectations In this last quarter the Canton, Massachusetts-based company earned $52.2 million. Earnings are different from revenue. Earnings are the profits that are made after the company pays its workers, taxes and other expenses. The latest earnings were still a little less than what Wall Street was hoping for. As of last Thursday afternoon, shares of Dunkin' Brands rose 40 cents to cost $55.79 each. Dunkin' expects full-year earnings in a range of $2.40 to $2.43 per share. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Quiz 1 Read the following detail from the section "Changing Menu Items." Higher sales at Dunkin' Donuts stores helped the company earn more money in the third quarter of the year, the company said last week. HOW does this detail develop the CENTRAL idea of the article? by elaborating on the changes that Dunkin' Donuts has made by emphasizing that the company was not doing well earlier in the year by illustrating that the company's changes have had positive results by introducing the way that Dunkin' Donuts measures its sales 2 Which statement summarizes a MAIN idea of the article? Dunkin' Donuts is trying out changes to its name and menu items at some locations. Dunkin' Donuts has not yet made a decision about whether to change its name. Dunkin' Donuts has many menu items that make it harder for employees and owners. Dunkin' Donuts is going to try promoting more deals on its breakfast foods. 3 Which section highlights the idea that other food companies have had success with the kind of strategies Dunkin' Donuts is trying? "Just Dunkin' " "Changing Menu Items" "Morning Sales Are Strong" "Earnings Below Expectations" This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 4 Read the paragraph from the section "Earnings Below Expectations." In this last quarter the Canton, Massachusetts-based company earned $52.2 million. Earnings are different from revenue. Earnings are the profits that are made after the company pays its workers, taxes and other expenses. The latest earnings were still a little less than what Wall Street was hoping for. What conclusion is supported by this paragraph? Dunkin' Donuts has figured out a way to earn more revenue next year. Dunkin' Donuts will not earn as much revenue next year as this year. Dunkin' Donuts will need to lower expenses to stay in business. Dunkin' Donuts has higher expenses than many experts thought. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 Answer Key 1 Read the following detail from the section "Changing Menu Items." Higher sales at Dunkin' Donuts stores helped the company earn more money in the third quarter of the year, the company said last week. HOW does this detail develop the CENTRAL idea of the article? by elaborating on the changes that Dunkin' Donuts has made by emphasizing that the company was not doing well earlier in the year by illustrating that the company's changes have had positive results by introducing the way that Dunkin' Donuts measures its sales 2 Which statement summarizes a MAIN idea of the article? Dunkin' Donuts is trying out changes to its name and menu items at some locations. Dunkin' Donuts has not yet made a decision about whether to change its name. Dunkin' Donuts has many menu items that make it harder for employees and owners. Dunkin' Donuts is going to try promoting more deals on its breakfast foods. 3 Which section highlights the idea that other food companies have had success with the kind of strategies Dunkin' Donuts is trying? "Just Dunkin' " "Changing Menu Items" "Morning Sales Are Strong" "Earnings Below Expectations" This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5

6 4 Read the paragraph from the section "Earnings Below Expectations." In this last quarter the Canton, Massachusetts-based company earned $52.2 million. Earnings are different from revenue. Earnings are the profits that are made after the company pays its workers, taxes and other expenses. The latest earnings were still a little less than what Wall Street was hoping for. What conclusion is supported by this paragraph? Dunkin' Donuts has figured out a way to earn more revenue next year. Dunkin' Donuts will not earn as much revenue next year as this year. Dunkin' Donuts will need to lower expenses to stay in business. Dunkin' Donuts has higher expenses than many experts thought. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 6