Dunkin' Donuts' new French parent company, Pernod Ricard SA, announced intentions to sell Dunkin and its sister quick-service chains, Togo's sandwich shops and Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops. Pernod took control of the chains after it recently purchased Dunkin's former parent company, Allied Domecq.

Private buyout firms in Boston and Washington, D.C., are planning to bid on the companies, the Boston Globe reported. Dunkin' Donuts, the largest of the three chains, has more than 6,000 locations worldwide and continues to expand its product line beyond donuts.

More than 65 percent of sales come from beverages and coffee drinks, such as the Coffee Coolatta, a sweet iced coffee beverage. The company recently reorganized its central bakery distribution system, so that it can supply more locations west of its East Coast stronghold.

Expanding into more savory items, Dunkin Donuts is testing panini sandwiches in Rhode Island. Adding paninis to its product line is an attempt to increase lunch sales. The sandwiches, including meatball, steak and cheese and chicken fajita, are pressed in a warm panini grill and are designed to be convenient take-out alternatives to burgers and fries, according to company officials.