COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dunkin’ is planning a major expansion across the Columbus area, with at least nine new locations in development through 2027, according to a report from Columbus Business First covered by WhatNow.
The biggest share of the growth is coming from the Cincinnati-based Gilligan Company, which already operates 12 Dunkin’ locations in the Columbus market and has at least seven additional stores in development, Columbus Business First reported. Gilligan Company President Travis Sensabaugh told Columbus Business First that the operator aims to add four or five new units annually over the next five or six years.
The first of the new stores is closest to opening. A location at 6051 E. Main St. near Reynoldsburg is scheduled to open in late November 2026, and another at 710 Polaris Parkway is expected to open in December, according to the Columbus Business First report.
More openings follow in 2027. A new Dunkin’ at 1617 Holt Road in Columbus, in a former White Castle building, is expected to open in February or March 2027, and a location in Canal Winchester, along Winchester Pike near Gender Road, is planned for May 2027, the report said.
Three additional Gilligan Company locations remain in the contract stage and have not yet been publicly announced, according to Columbus Business First. Beyond the Gilligan projects, another franchisee is planning a Dunkin’ location in Delaware, while a Pataskala location is listed as coming soon on the company’s website, WhatNow reported.
The expansion comes as other drive-thru coffee chains, including 7 Brew and Dutch Bros, also develop new locations around Columbus, increasing competition for commuters and morning traffic across Central Ohio, according to the Columbus Business First report.
Dunkin’, founded in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, is known for its coffee, doughnuts and breakfast offerings, including hot and iced coffee, cold brew, espresso drinks, breakfast sandwiches and wraps. Its stores offer varying combinations of drive-thru service, takeaway and indoor seating.
Opening dates for some of the planned stores remain subject to change, and the three contract-stage Gilligan Company projects have not yet been publicly identified. WhatNow reported it will update its coverage as more information becomes available.
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