Couple Sues Dunkin' Donuts, Alleges Discrimination

A couple who once owned a is suing the coffee-and-donut chain for racial discrimination, alleging that the company gave more lucrative locations to white owners, the Boston Globe reported.

 The Globe said Reggie and Amy Pretto filed suit in New Jersey Superior Court, claiming that Dunkin’ Donuts steered them to franchises in poorer neighborhoods and lied to them about the projected revenues for stores in Maryland.

According to the report, the couple, who is black, approached Dunkin’ Donuts in 2004 to inquire about locations in New Jersey and New York. The company directed them instead to locations in poorer, predominantly African-American communities in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, the couple said.

From the Globe:

Eventually the Prettos settled on several locations in Maryland, including Odenton, based on projections from Dunkin’ that the store there would average weekly sales of $15,500.

But their actual sales at the Odenton and other stores turned out to be substantially less, the Prettos said.

Court records show the Pretto’s owned the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise in Piney Orchard until 2007.

Read the full story in the Boston Globe.