Dunkin' Plans To Hire About 25,000 Employees

(RTTNews) - Dunkin' Brands said it plans to hire up to 25,000 new employees at its restaurants as the U.S. economy begins to reopen from coronavirus-induced lockdowns.

The jobs will range from front-counter to restaurant management, the coffee and baked goods chain noted.

Dunkin's hiring spree comes even as the restaurant industry, the second-largest private-sector employer in the U.S., is among the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurant operators nationwide have reported sharp declines in sales and employment levels in recent months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdowns.

Dunkin' said it is launching its first-ever national advertisement campaign aimed at hiring employees. In addition, the company has launched a new partnership with Southern New Hampshire University or SNHU to offer an online college education to franchise employees.

As part of the national advertising campaign for recruitment, Dunkin' will launch a series of new "Dunkin' Runs on You" broadcast spots that will help distinguish jobs at all levels at Dunkin' restaurants and also provide a glimpse of Dunkin' team members.

The campaign will also emphasize the benefits of working at a Dunkin' franchise, including the development of core skills and the foundation for professional growth, flexible and affordable education opportunities, and flexible work schedules.

The campaign, created in collaboration with BBDO New York, will launch in both English and Spanish today. It will be featured on TV and digital.

Dunkin' said its new partnership with SNHU will offer low-cost college degrees to the company's independent franchisees and their employees. SNHU is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 135,000 students online and on campus.

Through this program, Dunkin' franchisees will be able to offer their restaurant employees an affordable and flexible pathway to an associate or bachelor's degree from SNHU.

Dunkin' said it restaurants have implemented enhanced safety standards and measures, including social distancing and required hygiene training.

The company has distributed single-use gloves and face masks, installed plexiglass shields for each restaurant's front counter, and recommended restaurant employee health checks using infrared thermometers.