The Curve-Ball State With The Most Dunkin' Stores

Whether it's the iced coffee or pink sprinkle donuts, Dunkin' is popular enough to operate over 11,700 stores worldwide with more than 9,400 locations in the U.S. alone. It might sound like a comical amount of Dunkin's, but the breakfast franchise has the demand for it. You know what they say, America runs on Dunkin'.

But if America does indeed run on Dunkin', which U.S. state sports the most Dunkin' stores of them all? The answer might surprise you. Although the chain was founded in Massachusetts, New York has more Dunkin' locations than any other state in America with a cool 1,415 locations — 15% of all of its U.S. stores.

Among the many New York Dunkin' locations, New York City is home to a whopping 436 Dunkin' locations across all five boroughs, making it the city with the most Dunkin' stores in America. Sounds like it's New York that runs on Dunkin'!

It's not just New York that loves Dunkin', it's the entire East Coast. If you look at a map of all of the Dunkin' stores across the nation, you'll notice that much of the Northwest is void of any Dunkin' locations at all. But the East Coast is littered with them, particularly New England and its surrounding states.

On the East Coast, Dunkin' is part of the culture. Unlike its stylish competitor Starbucks, Dunkin's ordinary aesthetic matches the spirit of the gritty hustle and bustle of East Coast cities. A New England woman told Boston Magazine in 2010, "I probably spent $1,000 a year there — coffee every day, the occasional bagel, doughnuts for the kids ... I'm not giving it up. I'd rather give up cable." Others say it's an innate tradition. Former Dunkin' franchisee Steve Siegel told the magazine, "You see it everywhere, on television every day ... You're born hearing it."

Dunkin' has been making moves across New York State since 1958 and before the pandemic, had over 600 locations in New York City. When the chain brought its 500th location to NYC, Dunkin' chairman Nigel Travis told New York Daily News in 2013 that the city "kind of captures the feeling of Dunkin' with the speed, the buzz, and the positive vibe that comes out, so we really feel great about New York."

Although New York boasts more Dunkin' stores than any other state, it's a quintessential breakfast institution across the East Coast and its historic American cities.