Boston Herald:
Dunkin’ Brands Inc., which
has had a contentious past with franchise owners, says it’s now focused on strengthening those relationships.
If a company with 1,000 corporate-owned stores wants to cut the price of its $2 bottled water, it simply goes ahead and makes the change, according to CEO Nigel Travis.
But for a coffee-and-doughnut chain with 9,000-plus franchised restaurants in 31 countries, getting franchisees to buy into company decisions such as installing a uniform point-of-sale system is critical to success, Travis said.
When company profitability is sometimes at odds with franchisee profitability, collaboration backed up with strong communication skills is required, Travis told executives at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum yesterday in Boston. Read more.