Van der Valk International, part of Dutch hotel group Van der Valk, takes control of Dunkin’s 76 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium, with plans to open a further 60 sites across the next five years 

VDVI plans to open 60 new outlets across the Netherlands and Belgium by the end of 2028 | Photo credit: Isabella Fischer

Dutch hospitality group Van der Valk International (VDVI) has acquired a majority stake in Dunkin’ Netherlands and Belgium for an undisclosed sum. 

 

VDVI, part of the Van der Valk hotel empire, will take control of Dunkin’s 76 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium and plans to open 60 new outlets across the two markets by the end of 2028.  

The prospective new stores are expected to open either as on-site kiosks or near to VDVI’s 10 hotels in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Dunkin’ Netherlands and Belgium’s current management team, led by CEO Roberto Fava, will retain day-to-day management of the coffee chain, with Fava holding a minority stake in the business. 

VDVI Commercial Director Kirsten Hulscher said the hospitality group viewed Dunkin’ as an attractive proposition given its young consumer-base, which she described as ‘the hotel guests of the future’. 

Inspire Brands, the Atlanta-based parent company of Dunkin’, is ‘delighted that VDVI has chosen to take the iconic brand to the next level’, Hulscher added. 

 

A statement from Director Gert Van der Valk said VDVI would examine potential synergies within its current operations, including sales channels, logistics, staff training and IT solutions, to ‘put Dunkin’ even more firmly on the market’. 

Dunkin’ signed a master franchise agreement with Amba Daoud B.V, now Jordan BeNeLux Holding B.V., to open stores in The Netherlands in December 2016, with its first site opening in Amsterdam in March 2017. The coffee chain made its debut in Belgium in June 2020 with an outlet in Antwerp. 

Founded in Massachusetts in 1950, Dunkin’ currently operates more than 13,200 stores across 38 markets. The coffee chain was acquired by Inspire Brands in December 2020. 

The US coffee chain is the second food and beverage operator to enter VDVI’s brand portfolio following the acquisition restaurant chain Vapiano’s Dutch outlets in 2020.