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Indian Americans hold key roles on Dunkin’s franchisee board
The 2026 board includes franchise operators from Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 02, Apr 2026
- 17:52 EDT
- 58
Shams Charania/ Dharmisth Patel / National DCP, LinkedIn
National DCP, the supply chain management cooperative serving Dunkin’ franchisees, announced its 2026 Board of Directors, with Indian American franchise leaders holding several key positions.
Shams Charania was re-elected chairman of the board, while Vishal Shah was named vice chairman and Dharmisth Patel was named treasurer, an official release stated.
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National DCP said its board is an active working body elected by Dunkin’ franchisees within designated regional areas, known as Series, to represent franchisee interests across the cooperative system.
Charania, who represents Series E and is based in Atlanta, Georgia, has more than a decade of experience as both a Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins franchisee. He owns 43 restaurants across the Southeast as well as a central manufacturing location (CML)
He previously served as board treasurer and has chaired multiple committees. He was also a member of Dunkin’s brand advisory committee and served as vice chair of the Atlanta Ad Committee. Before the 2012 merger that created National DCP, he served on the Southeast DCP Board.
Charania holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Georgia State University and an MBA from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Shah, representing Series D, has served on the NDCP board since 2021 and most recently held the role of secretary. A second-generation franchisee, he owns Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins restaurants in Illinois and Iowa and has been in the business since 1991.
He has served on NDCP’s finance, sourcing, operations, and strategic initiatives committees and was a member of Dunkin’s brand advisory committee from 2011 to 2015. Shah graduated from Northern Illinois University.
Dharmisth Patel, also representing Series D, is a founding board member and has been part of the Dunkin’ franchise community since 1992. His restaurants are primarily located in the western suburbs of Chicago. Over the years, he has also served as board chairman, vice chairman, and secretary, and has chaired several board committees.
Other Indian American franchisees also continue to serve on National DCP’s board.
Dipak Patel, a founding board member of National DCP, served as board co-chair from 2008 to 2011 before the merger that created the organization. Since then, he has served four times as chairman of the board, held the vice chairman role, and chaired every NDCP committee.
A Dunkin’ franchisee since 1989, Dipak operates around 100 stores in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Dipak holds degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering, and industrial engineering.
Atul P. Patel, who represents Series C and is based in New Jersey, became a Dunkin’ franchisee in 1994. He owns and operates five Dunkin’ restaurants and a CML in South Jersey. He currently serves on Dunkin’s brand advisory council and its manufacturing subcommittee, and previously served on the restaurant excellence committee.
Before entering franchising, he held senior roles at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. Atul holds a master’s degree in computer science from NYU Polytechnic University.
Pathik Patel, representing Series E and based in North Carolina, owns and operates 16 Dunkin’ restaurants, three Buffalo Wild Wings Go locations, and several additional retail businesses.
National DCP said he brings nearly 20 years of Dunkin’ experience and has served on multiple committees, including the regional advisory council, regional marketing committee, and Baskin-Robbins profitability committee in South Central.
Georgia-based National DCP, is a $3 billion organization that supports over 10,000 quick-service restaurants in the U.S. and distributes products to more than 40 countries.
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