Dunkin' Donuts closing all their stores inside Pennsylvania Speedway gas stations

Many Dunkin' Donuts stores located inside of Pennsylvania gas stations will close by the end of the year, the company announced Monday.

The coffee shop franchise now officially known as simply "Dunkin'" said all Pennsylvania stores attached to Speedway gas stations are will gradually close. Speedway is a gas station and convenience store chain headquartered in Ohio but with locations across the East Coast and Midwest. 

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Approximately 450 such Dunkin' locations across the country will close by the end of 2020, representatives told the Today show. 

Affected Pennsylvania shops are located in Bristol, Allentown, Reading, and more cities across the state. The majority of them have remained open amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement follows the recent termination of Dunkin's partnership with Hess, a gas station corporation.

However, Dunkin said that closures are meant to help the chain focus on standalone stores. In a statement, the company emphasized that Dunkin' locations at Speedway stores are typically smaller than standalone stores.

"These points of distribution are lower volume units, in total representing less than 0.5% of Dunkin’ U.S. annual systemwide sales in 2019," Kate Jaspon, Dunkin's chief financial officer told Today. "We also remain committed to growing our presence in gas and convenience locations."

Jaspon added that the closures will help the company focus on "Dunkin’s newest Next Generation restaurant design that offers a broader menu and modern experience." 

Dunkin' dropped the "Donuts" from its name as one of these design changes that have occurred since early 2019. 

Additional brand changes include adding Matcha lattes and plant-based protein sandwiches to their menu, getting rid of environmentally harmful styrofoam cups, and installing new espresso machines.