For Baton Rouge donut lovers, life got a little bit sweeter Tuesday.
Dunkin’ Donuts opened the first of 11 planned locations for the city’s capital area just south of Interstate 12 on Sherwood Forest Boulevard.
Another location will open sometime this fall on the corner of Burbank Drive and Bluebonnet Blvd., a company spokeswoman said.
The Massachusetts-based company famous for its donuts and coffee plans to open up at least nine more locations by 2018, according to a news release from Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.’s vice president of franchising and market planning, Grant Benson.
“They have a good product, and they have a good franchise, but the more business the area does, the better for all of us,” said W.I. Dunlap Jr., vice president of Chef Products, Inc. franchisor of Mary Lee Donuts, which has eight Baton Rouge locations and 17 spread across south Louisiana.
Dunlap Jr. said the franchise has no plans to expand, but that it’s always looking for new spots.
Criminology senior Randyl Bouley has grown up in Louisiana, and although she’s never been inside a Dunkin’ Donuts, she regularly buys their packaged coffee from the grocery store.
“I would be so happy,” she said about the future opening of Dunkin’s Burbank location, since she works as a server at Boutin’s Cajun Restaurant on Bluebonnet.
Psychology senior Tan Vu said he thinks there should be more donut options in walking distance of campus, but is still looking forward to the new Dunkin’ stores.
“I am hella excited,” Vu said, “Dunkin’ has the best sprinkled donuts.”
The company did not confirm whether any locations would open closer to campus than the Burbank location.
The new Dunkin' Donuts sign on Sherwood Forrest in Baton Rouge on Tuesday. Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012.
