The History of Dunkin’ Donuts

In 1948, Bill Rosenberg opened a donut restaurant called “Open Kettle’’ on Southern Artery in Quincy, Massachusetts. (Notably, the restaurant is still there today.) In 1950, it was renamed Dunkin’ Donuts. Five years later, the first franchise was signed in Worcester and by 1963, there were 100 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in operation. In 1972, the famous Munchkins were released; muffins were added to the menu in 1978. In 1979, the 1,000th franchise opened its doors and by 1990, there were 2,000 Dunkin’ Donuts locations. That number grew to 3,000 in 1992. Bagels were added to the menu in 1996 and breakfast sandwiches made their Dunkin’ debut in 1997. In 2004, company headquarters moved to Canton, Massachusetts and in 2006, the company began its now-famous “America Runs on Dunkin’” marketing campaign. (It’s worth noting that Dunkin’ Donuts was acquired by a consortium of private equity firms that same year.) In the late 2010s, Dunkin’ Donuts changed their name simply to Dunkin’. The company noted that the change was due in part to their increased emphasis on drinks. Today, there are over 12,500 Dunkin’ locations in 46 countries; over 9,000 of them are located in the United States. Impressively, the brand also notes that there are reportedly 25,000 different ways to order your coffee at the famous chain. Dunkin’ continues to be a well-established favorite of many coffee-minded consumers and is especially iconic in the New England area.