Dunkin’ Donuts Returning to Canada

American coffee and doughnut shop Dunkin’ Donuts is returning to Canada with plans to open hundreds of locations across the country.

Canadian restaurant operator Foodtastic announced this week that it has signed a master franchising agreement with Dunkin’ owner Inspire Brands that will bring the U.S. brand north of the border eight years after the company closed its final remaining locations in Quebec.

“Bringing Dunkin’ back to Canada is a significant growth opportunity for Foodtastic and our franchise partners across the country,” Foodtastic founder and CEO Peter Mammas said in a May 12 press release. “We are committed to growing the Dunkin’ brand thoughtfully to meet the needs of Canadian guests and communities.”

Foodtastic, which operates Second Cup, Milestones, and Freshii restaurants across Canada, has announced that its first Dunkin’ will open in late 2026 or early 2027 in Quebec or Ontario. The company, once known as Dunkin’ Donuts, also has plans to launch one store per week over a 12-month period with expansion east into the Maritimes, Mammas said.

The move will once again pit Dunkin’ against longtime competitor Tim Hortons, which has dominated the coffee shop scene in Canada for decades.

The chains competed fiercely in the past, at a time when Dunkin’ operated hundreds of locations across Canada. However, the brand exited the market in 2018 following a successful lawsuit by Quebec franchisees, who argued that the company failed to adequately promote the brand.

Mammas told The Canadian Press he is expecting Dunkin’ to be more successful this time around because Foodtastic will be managing market development, franchisee recruitment, and operations. 

The Dunkin’ menu will feature a wide range of hot and iced coffees, espresso beverages, teas, doughnuts, sandwiches, and snacks.

The chain founded in 1950 has more than 14,200 restaurants in nearly 40 markets around the world. Its largest presence is in the United States.

Foodtastic also entered into a master franchise agreement with Inspire in 2024 to introduce the sandwich shop Jimmy John’s to Canada.

Foodtastic is a Canadian restaurant holding company headquartered in Montreal. It was founded in 2016 and focuses on the acquisition and expansion of established brands like Dunkin’, owned by Atlanta-based company Inspire Brands.

Once a publicly traded company, Dunkin’ was taken private in 2020 by Inspire Brands and Roark Capital, following its previous listing as DNKN. Inspire Brands is currently thinking about taking Dunkin’ public again, following in the footsteps of Tim Hortons, which went public in March.

Tim Hortons went public on March 24 through an initial public offering (IPO) that raised more than CA$700 million, following its separation from Wendy’s International Inc. Shares began trading on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges at an initial price of CA$27.

The once wholly Canadian chain is now owned by Restaurant Brands International (RBI), a Canadian-American multinational holding company heavily influenced by Brazilian firm 3G Capital.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.