Baskin-Robbins Opens Minneapolis and St. Paul for Franchise Sales; Plans More Than...

Baskin-Robbins Opens Minneapolis and St. Paul for Franchise Sales; Plans More
Than 70 New Stores in the Region
America's Favorite Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop Hosts Local Franchising Seminar
on August 4, 2009

CANTON, Mass., July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Baskin-Robbins, America's favorite ice
cream shop, is rapidly expanding its national footprint with today's
announcement that Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding region are now
open for franchise sales. More than 70 new stores are projected throughout the
area.

Baskin-Robbins currently operates more than 6,000 stores in 35 countries and
opened more than 600 stores globally in 2008. With a domestic footprint of
nearly 2,700 locations, Baskin-Robbins is now seeking exceptional franchisee
candidates in Minneapolis and St. Paul to be part of an unprecedented growth
campaign designed to increase its U.S. presence over time. Built over the last
64 years, Baskin-Robbins currently enjoys 98 percent brand awareness across
the country and was named for the second consecutive year the number one ice
cream and frozen dessert franchise in Entrepreneur magazine's annual
"Franchise 500" ranking.

To fuel this growth in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul, Baskin-Robbins is
actively seeking store developers who possess strong financial backgrounds,
the desire to maximize their territory's sales and have a passion for the
communities they will serve.

"As the Baskin-Robbins brand continues to develop in Minnesota, we're excited
to provide new store owners with the unique opportunity to capitalize on their
territory's potential, serve as the face of the brand in the community, as
well as set the direction of the market's growth," said Salman Siddiqui, vice
president of global business development, Baskin-Robbins.

To share information about franchising opportunities in and around Minneapolis
and St. Paul, Baskin-Robbins is hosting a franchising seminar at the downtown
Minneapolis Hilton on August 4, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Included in
the discussion will be the brand's new store designs, marketing, training,
site selection and franchising in general. To register for the event and learn
more, please contact Scott Mellon at 254-640-5861 or
scott.mellon@dunkinbrands.com.

Baskin-Robbins enters 2009 with several new real estate concepts that provide
interested area developers with a range of flexible real estate design
options. Part ice cream indulgence, dessert-theater and test kitchen rolled
into one, the revolutionary Cafe 31 model operates as a high-end dessert bar
with unique ice cream and coffee products. Cafe 31 is currently being tested
outside of Boston. The traditional concept is an updated, stand-alone store
featuring all of Baskin-Robbins' standard equipment and offerings. Traditional
stores can also support a drive-thru depending on the real estate selected.
Lastly, the BR Express concept is a kiosk design offering a convenient and
simplified solution for malls, sports arenas, airports or other small
co-branded real estate opportunities.

"By continuing our history of developing new product innovations and keeping
our focus on customer service and business success for our franchisees,
Baskin-Robbins is providing a completely new experience in 2009," said
Siddiqui. "We share common objectives with our store developers, which focus
on building and sustaining a profitable business and strong brand in this
increasingly challenging economy."

Furthering its commitment to its franchisees, Baskin-Robbins also offers
extensive training programs and comprehensive operating systems designed to
help build business. A broad franchise support team is geared to simplify
operations and includes development and construction experts, operational
support professionals, training managers and field marketing managers.
Baskin-Robbins also employs state-of-the-art technology and the latest point
of sale terminals to help stores run more efficiently and cost effectively.
Baskin-Robbins has proven to be a simple business to run with convenient hours
of operation, minimal equipment, little waste and a majority of inventory that
has a shelf life of one year with proper storage.

Over six decades ago, Baskin-Robbins was founded by ice cream enthusiasts
Burton "Burt" Baskin and Irvine "Irv" Robbins who shared a dream to create an
innovative ice cream store that would be a neighborhood gathering place for
families. Today, over 300 million people visit Baskin-Robbins each year to
sample the more than 1,000 flavors available in its ice cream library, as well
as enjoy its full array of frozen treats including ice cream cakes, frozen
beverages and sundaes.

"Baskin-Robbins will satisfy a growing demand in and around Minneapolis and
St. Paul for high-quality ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages,"
said Siddiqui. "Over the past 64 years, Baskin-Robbins has become the brand of
choice for consumers and has consistently delighted them with our irresistible
flavors and treats. We look forward to being an important part of the
Minneapolis and St. Paul communities."

About Baskin-Robbins
Named the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by
Entrepreneur magazine's 30(th) annual Franchise 500((R)) ranking,
Baskin-Robbins is the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops.
Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium ice cream, specialty
frozen desserts and beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at
more than 6,000 retail shops in 35 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded by
two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000
ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Headquartered in
Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin' Brands, Inc. family of
companies. For further information, visit
www.baskin-robbins.com/FranchiseOpportunities.
Contact:
Chad Cohen
954-893-9150
ccohen@fish-consulting.com

SOURCE Baskin-Robbins

Chad Cohen, +1-954-893-9150, ccohen@fish-consulting.com, for Baskin-Robbins