Continuing an expansion plan that's rushing out to envelope most of the great state of Texas, Dunkin' Brands (DNKN) announced Monday that it has just signed an agreement with its Utah franchisee, Sizzling Donuts, LLC, to open up 19 new locations in Southern Texas. Sizzling Donuts already runs six Dunkin' locations in El Paso, plus one in Salt Lake City, and another in Las Cruces, N.M.

According to Dunkin', the new restaurants will consist of 18 traditional Dunkin' Donuts locations, plus one combo Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin-Robbins eatery. The first location should open next year, with the rest filling in through 2018. With 43 restaurants scheduled to be developed across Utah, Denver, Colorado, and Texas at last report in April, this new announcement lifts the total number of new eateries in the works to 62.

And that may be just the beginning. In a statement, Sizzling Donuts' parent company vice president of development Mitchell Lowe noted: "We have a passion and loyalty for the brands and look forward to opening many more Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and Baskin-Robbins shops throughout Texas in the years to come."

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