Dunkin’ Donuts to convert closed Donut Connection site in Canton

September 1, 2017

Michael Bradwell
Observer Reporter

Washington County has lost a longtime connection to one doughnut chain, while another is further cementing its presence here.

Anthony Braun, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Heartland Restaurant Group, the Strip District-based franchisee for Dunkin’ Donuts in Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Friday Heartland will convert the former Donut Connection store at 1271 W. Chestnut St. to a Dunkin’ Donuts unit by the end of the year or early next year.

The changeover, which will take place over the next 12 to 14 weeks, will involve a retrofit of the Canton Township building and its property.

According to Braun, the work will include expanding and repaving the parking lot, moving the drive-up window to the west side of the building to improve queue times and adding a patio in the front of the building.

He said the opening is targeted for between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15.

The conversion of the West Chestnut Street store marks the end of Donut Connection’s presence in Washington County. The other two stores, at Murtland Avenue and in McMurray are also closed. On Thursday, the Washington stores had signs thanking customers for their patronage.

Braun said many of the employees of the closed locations have been rehired by Dunkin’ Donuts.

Jim Edwards, whose Washington-based Donut Services Group was the franchisee for the three closed units, did not return a call seeking additional information.

When it opens, the West Chestnut site will be the fifth Dunkin’ Donuts store operated by Heartland in Washington County.

In December, it opened a unit on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township that was preceded by one that opened in November at the bottom of Murtland Avenue in South Strabane Township, and another that opened last September on Washington Road in Peters Township.

Heartland opened the county’s first Dunkin’ Donut on Cavasina Drive in Canonsburg in May 2015.

Braun said Friday the company is looking at the possibility of locating a Dunkin’ Donuts in Waynesburg.

Canton-Mass.-based Dunkin’ has been in an expansion mode for several years.

In July, it slowed its expansion to between 380 and 450 stores for 2017 instead of the 585 it had planned, but most of the cutback involved overseas targets.

At the time of the announcement Dunkin’ CFO Kate Jaspoon said it still expected to finish the year as one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S. restaurant industry.