Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins (BR), today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 29, 2018.

"In 2018 we made substantial progress with our Blueprint for Growth designed to evolve Dunkin' U.S. into a beverage-led, on-the-go brand. Along with making an unprecedented investment into the business, we implemented a deliberate sequencing of strategic initiatives including simplifying our menu nationwide, making our first foray into national value, debuting our NextGen new store design, unveiling our new Dunkin' brand identity, and successfully relaunching our espresso beverages served at the speed of Dunkin'," said David Hoffmann, Dunkin' Brands Chief Executive Officer and President of Dunkin' U.S.

"While we did not drive consistent traffic momentum for the full year, we laid the foundation for future growth and, most importantly, along with our franchisees, are unified and well-positioned to capitalize in 2019 on our brand promise of 'great coffee, fast.'"

"We are pleased to have delivered our revenue, operating income, and earnings per share targets for 2018," said Kate Jaspon, Dunkin' Brands Chief Financial Officer. "We also achieved our Dunkin' U.S. net development goal for the year, including delivering more than double the expected number of NextGen restaurants and exceeding our first-year sales goals for new restaurants. Additionally, we announced this morning that the Board of Directors increased our quarterly dividend by nearly 8 percent over the prior quarter."

Global systemwide sales growth of 2.8% in the fourth quarter was primarily attributable to global store development.

Dunkin' U.S. comparable store sales were flat in the fourth quarter as an increase in average ticket was offset by a decrease in traffic. The increase in average ticket was driven by strategic pricing increases coupled with beneficial mix shift to premium priced Cold Beverages, Espresso, and Breakfast Sandwiches.

Baskin-Robbins U.S. comparable store sales declined 3.7% in the fourth quarter as a decrease in traffic was partially offset by an increase in average ticket. Unfavorable weather impact of more than 400 basis points significantly affected all product categories in the fourth quarter. The increase in average ticket was driven by strategic pricing increases coupled with beneficial mix shift to Beverages, Cakes, and Take Home Quarts.