‘America runs on’ this chain. Coming to Boise area, it hopes for 20+ restaurants
When In-N-Out Burger turned on the flat-top griddle in Meridian, hordes of Idahoans bundled up, lined up overnight and shivered their way to grand-opening ecstasy.
Raising Cane’s fryers? Same story.
But when Dunkin’ — a coffee and breakfast chain — enters the Boise area, what reaction might that trigger?
“Huge. Huge,” predicts JP Green, partner and retail brokerage specialist at real estate company TOK Commercial. “Just based on how our market has responded to these kinds of brands ... I would envision that Dunkin’ is going to get a similar reception.”
Part beverage shop, part fast-food restaurant, Dunkin’ is a comin’. Formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts, the not-quite-ubiquitous chain is high on the list of most-wanted guilty pleasures in Idaho. But don’t grab your thermal underwear and start lining up for that opening day just yet. (When you do, at least Dunkin’ opens super early. And serves piping-hot coffee.)
Dunkin’ is in the early stages of looking for potential sites. On Wednesday, TOK Commercial reached out to other commercial real estate agents to let them know the hunt is on. Two franchise groups are working in the market, Green said.
Dunkin’ sees potential for up to 20 or more Treasure Valley locations, Green said. The soonest one could open is probably six months to a year, he added.
With its signature orange-and-pink branding scheme, Dunkin’ is a familiar morning sight to customers worldwide. Founded in 1950, it is “the largest coffee and donuts brand in the United States, with more than 14,000 restaurants in nearly 40 global markets,” according to a press release.
Although Dunkin’ is searching in the Boise area for spots to take over, there also could be new-construction opportunities, Green said.
“We’re looking at everything,” he said. “... It’s hard. They require drive-thrus, and drive-thrus are so challenging to find in our market right now.”
That’s part of the reason TOK reached out to other agents.
“If I’m an agent and maybe I have a client that has an end cap drive-thru that’s going to be coming available, but it’s not even on the market yet, we send that out so that agent sees it and calls me and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got something coming that would be perfect for Dunkin’.’ Because, obviously, any landlord is going to want to have Dunkin’.”
As the slogan goes, “America runs on Dunkin’.”
Soon enough, the Treasure Valley will be fueled by the chain, too.
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 4:00 AM.