On Jan. 27, 2003—22 years ago next week—the first Exchange-run Dunkin’ Donuts (pictured above) opened at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. Customers stood in a long line, some in the rain, to get a taste of home. A representative/trainer from Dunkin’ Donuts University said at the time that in his 27 years with the company, the Kadena Dunkin’ Donuts was the second largest facility.
Dunkin’ Donuts was already part of the Exchange lineup as a concessionaire, with most of its Exchange locations in the Eastern Region, including at Hanscom AFB and Westover Air Reserve Base (both in Massachusetts, where Dunkin’ was founded), as well as shops at Fort Belvoir Shoppette, Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB and more.
In the present day, the Exchange has four direct-operated Dunkin’ locations (the company changed its name to Dunkin’ in 2018 in a step to “transform itself into the premier beverage-led, on-the-go brand”): At Kadena, Fort Moore, Fort Cavazos and Kirtland Air Force Base. In addition, there are 43 Dunkin’ concessions worldwide.
Here’s a look at a few of them:
2023: Dunkin’ associates made special doughnuts for the grand opening of the Dunkin’ at the Hohenfels Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany.
Sources: Exchange Post archives, Exchange History on Flickr, Dunkin’ Newsroom.
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