SAN JOSE — Dunkin’ Donuts, a nearly ubiquitous chain on the East Coast, plans to make its debut in the Bay Area in 2016 and eventually open dozens of locations in the region.

Two franchisees plan to open a combined 39 Dunkin’ Donuts locations in the Bay Area, the company announced Monday, with 13 targeted at the San Jose area and the other 26 planned for San Francisco and surrounding cities. The franchisees, California Donut Kings and CT Coffee, both plan to launch their first stores in 2016.

While Dunkin’ Donuts has found its greatest success on the East Coast, it has been moving westward in recent years, adding locations in Southern California, Colorado, Texas and Utah. Along with its Bay Area plans, the chain announced new franchises in Monterey, Palm Springs and Bakersfield areas in Monday’s announcement.

“We’re thrilled to have agreements signed for the development of more than 250 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in California,” Dunkin’ Brands executive Grant Benson said in a prepared statement Monday.

While the chain is known for its namesake doughnuts, its coffee sales are a key driver for growth as well as an integral part of its strategy in California.

“That Northern California market has a lot of big coffee drinkers,” Steve Rafferty, senior director of U.S. franchise operations for parent company Dunkin’ Brands, told The Mercury News in January, when the chain’s intentions to enter the Bay Area were first announced. “Coffee holds a special place in the way that people plan their day.”

The chain also sells muffins, breakfast sandwiches and frozen drinks.

Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/jowens510.