When Dunkin Donuts failed in India, it would’ve come as a significant setback to the multi-

billion dollar company and a surprise to most of the food-chain gurus around the world.‘India is
a diverse country’, and it rarely needs mentioning that this diversity extends to the eating habits
of Indians, as well. All the states, even different regions within that state, have disparate eating
cultures. Which contrasts heavily from western habits. Well, this is where the company
miscalculated.

Although, culturally speaking, most people prefer to have breakfast, the first meal of the day, at
home, with their family. So the franchise, founded to cater to the needs of the American office-
goer, who usually takes breakfast on the go, could not find footing in the Indian market.
Indians see doughnuts as a ‘dessert’ more than a breakfast item. Hence, the stores were seen as a
‘sweet shop’ rather than a breakfast place, as around the world. Thus, to adapt to this change, it
adopted a new strategy and changed to a ‘PM’ shop rather than an ‘AM’ shop.” To attract
customers, it also entered into the fast-food sector and expanded its menu to include burgers.
Variants of the traditional doughnut helped in catering to the taste buds of the Indian consumer.
Well, though it may be hard to believe, India is not the first country where the company has not
been able to live up to its standards of success.

It has entered and failed twice in China, and in 2015, it tried a third time, with smaller kiosks and
an ambitious plan of opening 1400 stores in the country.
This time, they seem prepared, with a menu that, on the one hand, retains the originality of the
restaurant, and at the same time focuses on catering to the needs of their Chinese customers.
Frankly, this time it seems they have good reason to be optimistic of their chances.