Franchised doughnut maker Donut King has exported its first shipment of roasted coffee to mainland China, as part of its growing presence in that country. More than 20 Donut King outlets are expected to be open in China by 2014.

The first coffee shipment will provide more than 23,000 shots of espresso. Due to arrive in Shanghai in early July, the 288kgs of DK Royal Bean coffee blend will be used by the four Donut King stores in Shanghai China, owned by China licensee Mak Brands Limited.

The DK Royal Bean coffee has been specifically developed at Retail Food Group’s dedicated coffee roasting facility in Sydney, called Caffe Coffee. It is used in all Donut King outlets and features a unique blend of international beans.

Donut King national marketing manager Tracey Catterall said Donut King was developing a strong reputation for coffee.

“While we’re synonymous with doughnuts, people are sometimes surprised to learn how good our coffee really is” she said.

“It’s such an important part of our business that we’ve invested in the creation of own coffee blend, DK Royal Bean, designed to match the taste preferences of our customers.

“We have also invested heavily in training coffee baristas in outlets to ensure the best beans become the best coffee.”

The Donut King franchise system has more than 300 stores across Australia, employing over 4,600 staff and serving 30 million doughnuts to Australians every year. It is part of the Retail Food Group Limited (RFG), the intellectual property owner and manager of the Donut King, bb’s cafe, Brumby’s Bakeries and Michel’s Patisseries franchise systems.