Dunkin' Donuts Coming to West Des Moines by Fall

The metro's first Dunkin’ Donuts store is expected to open at 1301 Eighth St. in a former gas station and convenience store, the Des Moines Register recently reported.

Franchise owner Drew Cownie is seeking city approval for site modifications so he can remodel the former Kum & Go building to use as a doughnut shop. Cownie told the newspaper he plans to add a drive-through window and transform the look of the 30-year-old building.

The building was last used as a convenience store before Kum & Go built a larger store on a lot south of the old store.

Cownie said the location was perfect for Dunkin’ Donuts because it’s on a major commuting route.

Cownie, a former teacher who owns the Bird’s Nest restaurant at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, told the Register the store could open in September.

As a franchise owner, Cownie has said he would build about a dozen stores with his father, Des Moines businessman Jim Cownie. The duo’s franchise territory stretches over a seven-county area from the Des Moines River west almost to Adair, and from the southern state border up to Fort Dodge, according to the paper.