Dunkin' Brands Group Inc.'s DNKN, +0.75% eponymous doughnuts chain has revealed plans to expand to California, a significant step in its push to expand West.

Dunkin' Donuts is recruiting franchisees for Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura and Orange counties. It expects restaurants in these markets will begin to open in 2015.

The company said it is also interested in identifying food-service operators for venues such as colleges and universities, casinos, military bases, supermarkets, airports and travel centers.

"We are delighted to begin 2013 with the long-awaited announcement that Dunkin' Donuts will be opening restaurants in California, where there is already incredible passion for our brand," Dunkin' Brands Chief Executive Nigel Travis said. "Expansion to California has always been part of our plan to grow Dunkin' Donuts' presence in the U.S."

Dunkin', which opened 291 net new locations--amounting to a net new unit growth rate of 4%--in the U.S. last year, said in 2013 it plans to open 330 to 360 net new restaurants in the country--representing an increase of 4.5% to 5%--with growth coming from both new and existing markets.

The parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins began trading on the stock exchange in July 2011, and has since then has seen its share price rise as it focuses on expanding its doughnut shops westward in the U.S., improving their performance abroad, and staging a turnaround of Baskin-Robbins domestically.

Last year, the company's doughnut chain signed multi-store agreements in 32 U.S. markets, and remodeled more than 600 of its restaurants across the country.

In October, Dunkin' Brands reported that its profit rose in the third quarter, fueled by its doughnut sales in the U.S., new store openings around the globe and its international ice-cream business.

Shares rose 1.1% to $34.38 in recent light premarket trading. Through Tuesday's close, the stock has climbed 31% in the past 12 months.

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