Dunkin’ Brands is preparing to rebrand Dunkin’ Donuts, but has not decided if that change will affect the name of Hartford’s Dunkin’ Donuts Park.
Dunkin’ Brands is the naming-rights sponsor for Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the home of the Hartford Yard Goats (Class AA; Eastern League). The company is preparing a name change for the Dunkin’ Donuts brand, as it is planning to drop Donuts from its moniker to reflect an emphasis on other menu items at its locations.
The Dunkin’ Donuts brand is very prominent around Dunkin’ Donuts Park, with elements including exterior signage (shown above), an in-ballpark location, and over-sized coffee cup atop the videoboard (our 2017 visit to Dunkin’ Donuts Park covered some of these tie-ins). Whether the upcoming Dunkin’ Donuts rebrand will affect the ballpark’s name remains to be seen, as Dunkin’ Brands says that it has not made a final decision regarding the facility’s moniker. More from The Hartford Courant:
City leaders say they have not heard whether the stadium’s name will change. Dunkin’ Brands said it is still weighing what to do at the ballpark.
“We haven’t made any final decisions regarding the branding of Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford,” the company said in a statement released Tuesday by the Yard Goats, the Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
Dunkin’ Brands pays at least a quarter of a million dollars per year for the ballpark’s naming rights. The stadium opened in 2017 after a year of construction delays.
Josh Solomon, the Yard Goats’ owner, has refused to disclose exact figures, but he said the team receives the first $50,000 annually for naming rights. The city and the team split the rest. Hartford’s share is $225,000 per year.
In either case, the naming-rights agreement will continue. The question is whether the rebrand of Dunkin’ Donuts leads to the home of the Yard Goats being renamed to something along the lines of Dunkin’ Park, or some similar variation.