Dunkin’ Donuts Starts Restructuring

The Dunkin’ Donuts Company announced on Thursday one of its franchisees would close 100 Dunkin’ Donuts kiosks, and gave a results forecast that disappointed investors, sending its already suffering share price down sharply.

The Dunkin’ locations that will be closed in the next 15 months are in-store self-serve kiosks run by convenience store chain Speedway and these locations generate only 0.1% of sales. Dunkin’ said these closings give it the opportunity to re-enter some areas with full-service locations. The company reiterated its 2015 plan to have 410 to 440 new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants and the U.S. Speedway accounts will remain a franchisee.

At its analyst day presentation, which was streaming lived online, Dunkin’ said that it expects a profit of $1.87 to $1.91 a share this year, below the $1.92 analysts expected.

That, along with sluggish 1.1% growth in same-store sales, spooked Wall Street and investors.

That growth was below what Dunkin’ has posted in recent quarters, and reflects how aggressive the breakfast wars have gotten. McDonald’s is eager to claw back market share (all-day breakfast is coming soon), and Starbucks is expanding its array of pastries.

What’s more, Dunkin’s clientele is lower income than Starbucks’, making it more vulnerable to the fluctuations in the economy.

For a look at the presentation, which Dunkin’ filed with regulators, click here.

In a worrisome development for the company, Dunkin’ stores said the number of visits to its stores last quarter fell 0.7%. Before the presentations, Dunkin’ shares had been slumping, falling 20% in since June.