American coffee and donut chain Dunkin' is returning to Almaty a decade after pulling out of the Kazakh market. Residents have already spotted the brand's signage at the corner of Kunaev and Gogol streets, where a new outlet is being prepared, according to infohub.kz.
No details have yet been announced on when the location will open or how many outlets will appear in Almaty and other Kazakh cities. The chain's menu features coffee, donuts and other baked goods. Notably, in 2019 the brand dropped the word Donuts from its name, switching to the shortened Dunkin'.
As Forbes Kazakhstan notes, the chain is already familiar to Almaty residents. About 10 years ago, Dunkin' donuts were sold in Ramstore supermarkets. In 2015, an attempt was even made to launch delivery in Almaty, though the chain had no outlets of its own in the city at the time. The products later disappeared from the Kazakh market.
The brand's history began in 1948 in Quincy, Massachusetts, with a small shop called Open Kettle. Its founder, William Rosenberg, noticed that donuts and coffee were the most popular items at his cafe, and in 1950 he renamed the business Dunkin' Donuts. Over time, the brand grew into one of the world's most recognizable American fast-food chains. According to the company, it sells about 2 billion cups of coffee a year worldwide.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Europeans will build a donut factory near Almaty by 2027.