#FlashbackFriday: Dipping Into Dunkin’ History at the Exchange
On Jan. 27, 2003—22 years ago next week—the first Exchange-run Dunkin’ Donuts (pictured above) opened at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. Customers stood in a long line, some in the rain, to get a taste of home. A representative/trainer from Dunkin’ Donuts University said at the time that in his 27 years with the company, the Kadena Dunkin’ Donuts was the second largest facility.
Dunkin’ Donuts was already part of the Exchange lineup as a concessionaire, with most of its Exchange locations in the Eastern Region, including at Hanscom AFB and Westover Air Reserve Base (both in Massachusetts, where Dunkin’ was founded), as well as shops at Fort Belvoir Shoppette, Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB and more.
In the present day, the Exchange has four direct-operated Dunkin’ locations (the company changed its name to Dunkin’ in 2018 in a step to “transform itself into the premier beverage-led, on-the-go brand”): At Kadena, Fort Moore, Fort Cavazos and Kirtland Air Force Base. In addition, there are 43 Dunkin’ concessions worldwide.
Here’s a look at a few of them:
1995: One of the first Dunkin’ Donuts in the Exchange system opens at Hanscom AFB. At the time, it was only the third Dunkin’ on a U.S. military installation.
2012: Customers line up for doughnuts and coffee at a new Dunkin Donuts at Fort Bliss.
2018: Dunkin’ Donuts associates gather around a stack of their creations during the grand opening of a Dunkin’ at USAG Humphreys in Korea. The Dunkin’ was moved to another location on the installation in May 2024 to make getting a taste of home more convenient for the Humphreys community.
From 2020: The first Dunkin’ Donuts in Southwest Asia opened on New Year’s Day at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Associates gave away 500 doughnuts during the grand opening.
2023: Dunkin’ associates made special doughnuts for the grand opening of the Dunkin’ at the Hohenfels Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany.
2023: Dunkin’ associates made special doughnuts for the grand opening of the Dunkin’ at the Hohenfels Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany.
Sources: Exchange Post archives, Exchange History on Flickr, Dunkin’ Newsroom.
