(Reuters) - Dunkin' Brands Group Inc reported a surprise 0.8 percent drop in sales at established U.S. Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, as fewer customers visited its outlets.
Analysts polled by research firm Consensus Metrix were expecting sales to increase by 0.8 percent.
The company, which also owns the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, said in October it lost customers after its franchisees hiked prices by 3 percent to offset the impact of a rise in minimum wages for workers.
The launch of all-day breakfast by McDonald's Corp in October and several limited-time offers by rivals such as Wendy's Co and Burger King may have hurt traffic at Dunkin' Donuts in the quarter, analysts had said.
The net loss attributable to Dunkin' Brands was $8.9 million, or 10 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 26, compared with a profit of $52.5 million, or 50 cents per share, a year earlier.
The company said it took a $54.3 million impairment charge related to its Japanese joint venture.
Excluding items, the company earned 52 cents per share, above analysts' average estimate of 50 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 5.5 percent to $203.8 million, in line with the average analyst estimate of $203.3 million.
(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru, Editing by Anil D'Silva)
