Oct. 30—ROCHESTER — Doughnut fans have a fright coming this Halloween as the Dunkin' shop in downtown Rochester is going dark for good.
The Dunkin' shop at 15 First Ave. SW in the Kahler Hotel complex posted a letter to customers this week.
"We regret to inform you that Dunkin Donuts will be closing its doors with our last day of operation being October 31st. This decision was not made lightly, and we want to thank you for your support and loyalty over the years," wrote Dunkin' Manager Lisa Blicken in the letter. "Our team is grateful to have been part of the Rochester business community over the years."
The shop has six employees. The staff is saying that the Kahler's decision to not renew their lease is the main reason for the closing.
Rochester Retail Services, a division of the Kahler Hospitality Group, opened the Dunkin' shop in June 2014. It was the first Dunkin' shop to open in Minnesota, after the brand's state-wide hiatus.
A Dunkin' Donuts shop in Austin was previously the last one in Minnesota. It closed in 2005.
The original plan was for Rochester Retail Services to open five more Rochester shops in the next few years, but that changed in 2015 .
"Rochester Retail Services, the franchisee of record, will continue to own and operate the existing restaurant in the Kahler. However, they will not develop more Dunkin' stores as we previously reported," wrote Dunkin' Donuts Senior Director of Franchising Patrick Cunningham in a letter.
While downtown is losing its shop, Rochester does still have a Dunkin' location at 2519 Commerce Dr NW., under the ownership of the Donut Kings franchisee. Donut Kings, who also own shops in Mankato and St. Cloud, opened the West Circle location in 2019.