Luther's reformation: restaurant veteran Jon Luther is transforming the aging brands of Allied Domecq QSR.(Thought Leader)(Interview)(Cover Story)

Chain Leader, November, 2003 by Farkas, David

Jon Luther claims he really hasn't been shaking things up since joining Allied Domecq QSR in January. Yet how do you explain a remark of this magnitude: "Does 'Donuts' stay in our name as we go forward with our beverage plan?"

One too many espressos, perhaps?

Allied Domecq QSR's 59-year-old chief executive appears to enjoy contemplating big changes. During an exclusive interview in Boston, his conversation is peppered with references to innovation and new ideas--some quite drastic.

The newest brainchild at 4,139-unit Dunkin' Donuts is espresso. At its official launch in September, Luther, who's not without a sense of humor, stood at the site of the Boston Tea Party and bellowed, "We're liberating the nation from espresso oppression."...

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