Dunkin' Donuts facts for kids
Logo used in the U.S. since 2022
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Dunkin' in Hiawassee, Georgia
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Trade name
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Dunkin' (U.S. and other selected countries, 2019–present) Dunkin' Donuts (other selected countries) |
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| Founded | 1948 (as Open Kettle) 1950 (as Dunkin' Donuts) in Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Founder | Bill Rosenberg |
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United States
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Number of locations
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$1.370 billion (2019) |
| Parent | Inspire Brands |
Dunkin' is a super popular American company known for its coffee and donuts. It started out as Dunkin' Donuts in 1950. The company was founded by a person named Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Dunkin' is one of the biggest coffee and donut shop chains in the world. It has about 12,900 locations in 42 different countries! Besides coffee and donuts, they also sell bagels, breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and donut holes called Munchkins. In 2019, the company started changing its name to just "Dunkin'" in the U.S. and some other places. This was because they wanted to be known more for their drinks, like coffee.
Contents
History
How Dunkin' Started (1948–1963)
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The story of Dunkin' began in 1948 when Bill Rosenberg opened a small restaurant called Open Kettle. It sold donuts and coffee in Quincy, Massachusetts. Bill got the idea after seeing how popular donuts and coffee were when he sold food at factories. In 1950, he changed the name to Dunkin' Donuts. The restaurant did very well, and Bill started letting other people open their own Dunkin' Donuts stores in 1955. This is called franchising.
Growing Bigger (1963–1998)
In 1963, Bill Rosenberg's son, Bob, became the boss of the company when he was only 25 years old. That same year, Dunkin' Donuts opened its 100th store! Back then, Dunkin' Donuts was part of a bigger group of food businesses. Some Dunkin' stores sold full breakfasts, while others only sold donuts and coffee.
Over time, the company focused only on Dunkin' Donuts. They made sure all stores had a similar menu and look. They also added new items to the menu. In the early 1980s, stores changed from having staff serve customers at a counter to self-service, and they started using paper cups instead of ceramic ones. By 1998, Dunkin' Donuts had grown to 2,500 stores around the world. Dunkin' Donuts also bought two other donut chains, Mister Donut and Dawn Donuts, which helped them grow even more.
Recent Years (1998–Present)
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At one point, Dunkin' even made a special donut with a handle, just for dunking! But they stopped making it in 2003 because it was made by hand and cost too much compared to machine-made donuts.
In 2004, the company's main office moved to Canton, Massachusetts. In 2005, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins (which were together called Dunkin' Brands) were sold to a group of companies for $2.4 billion. By 2010, Dunkin' Donuts was making $6 billion in sales worldwide.
In 2013, Dunkin' Donuts showed off a new store design. In 2016, they started testing a way for customers to pick up their orders without leaving their cars. In 2018, new stores began to look more modern, with cold drinks on tap and special lines for mobile orders. This was part of their plan to become more of a "drink-focused" brand. Also, in 2018, Dunkin' said they would stop using foam cups by 2020 to help the environment.
In 2019, Dunkin' started working with Grubhub to deliver food. They also teamed up with Beyond Meat to offer a meatless breakfast sandwich. In 2020, Dunkin' Brands was bought by another company called Inspire Brands for $11.3 billion. This meant Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins became part of Inspire Brands.
Marketing and Slogans
Dunkin' Donuts has had many famous advertising campaigns. One of the most well-known was "It's Worth the Trip," which featured a sleepy baker named "Fred the Baker" and his famous saying, "Time to make the donuts." Actor Michael Vale played Fred for 16 years.
In 2006, Dunkin' Donuts changed its main slogan to "America Runs on Dunkin'." They even made funny commercials that made fun of fancy coffee chains, saying you could order "Delicious lattes from Dunkin' Donuts. You order them in English."
In 2018, Dunkin' Donuts worked with the shoe company Saucony to create a special running shoe that looked like a strawberry-frosted donut, complete with rainbow sprinkles! This was to celebrate the Boston Marathon.
Some famous people have also appeared in Dunkin' commercials. For example, actor Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Lopez starred in commercials that aired during the Super Bowl in 2023 and 2024. Affleck's friends, like Matt Damon and former NFL star Tom Brady, also joined in the fun. Dunkin' even added a special drink to their menu based on Ben Affleck's favorite order!
Logo Changes
Dunkin' Donuts has changed its logo over the years. In 1961, they started using a bright pink color and a logo that looked like a coffee cup. In 1980, they added bright orange to the pink. The logo you might know best has the words "Dunkin' Donuts" in orange and pink, with a coffee cup design.
In 2018, the company announced it would shorten its name to just "Dunkin'." This change started in 2019 in the U.S. and will eventually happen in all international stores. The company said that people already called it "Dunkin'" for short, and the new name shows that they are focusing more on drinks like coffee, as people are buying fewer donuts.
Sports and Other Partnerships
Dunkin' has strong ties with many sports teams, especially in Boston. They often make commercials with the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. They also sponsor other teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees.
In 2001, Dunkin' Donuts bought the naming rights for a sports arena in Providence, Rhode Island, which became the Dunkin' Donuts Center. It's often called "The Dunk" by locals. Dunkin' also partnered with the English football club Liverpool F.C. in 2014 and became the official coffee and breakfast sandwich partner of the National Women's Hockey League and the National Hockey League.
Locations Around the World
United States
Dunkin' Donuts has stores all over the United States. In 2013, they announced plans to open many new stores in California, starting in 2015. They also planned to expand in Texas.
Sometimes, Dunkin' stores are combined with Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops. These stores usually have separate counters, but you can often buy products from both brands at one counter. You can find Dunkin' shops inside gas stations, supermarkets, malls, airports, and even Walmart stores. In 2020, Dunkin' Brands announced they would close about 800 stores in the U.S. because of lower sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Locations
Dunkin' Donuts is a global company with many stores outside the U.S.
- South Korea: This is Dunkin' Donuts' biggest international market, with over 900 stores. It even has the only coffee roasting plant outside the U.S. there.
- China: Dunkin' opened its first store in Shanghai in 2008 and plans to open many more.
- Brazil: Dunkin' Donuts opened its first store in Brazil in 1980 and plans to open more.
- Colombia: The first store in Bogota opened in 1983. Now, there are over 150 stores across the country.
- England: Dunkin' relaunched in England in 2014 after being away for 20 years.
- Sweden: Dunkin' opened its first store in Sweden in 2014, but all locations closed in 2018.
- Denmark: The first store opened in Copenhagen in 2015.
- Poland: Dunkin' opened its first cafe in Warsaw in 2015.
- South Africa: Dunkin' tried to expand here in 2016, but all stores closed by 2019 due to financial problems.
- Switzerland: The first store opened in Basel in 2016, with plans for more.
- India: The first Dunkin' Donuts store in India opened in New Delhi in 2012. By 2019, there were 32 stores in 10 Indian cities.
- Spain: Because another company already owned the name "Donuts" in Spain, Dunkin' stores there are called "Dunkin' Coffee."
- Canada: Dunkin' Donuts used to have many stores in Canada, but they mostly disappeared due to competition from Tim Hortons. The last few stores closed in 2018, ending Dunkin' Donuts' presence in Canada. However, Baskin-Robbins stores still operate there.
- Lebanon: Dunkin' opened its first store in Lebanon in 1998 and has become very popular, with many branches.
- Japan: Japan was the first Asian country to get Dunkin' Donuts in 1970. However, all stores closed in 1998 due to low sales, except for those on U.S. military bases.
- Philippines: The first Philippine store opened in Makati in 1980. By 2023, Dunkin' opened its 800th store in the Philippines, making it the largest coffee operator in the country.
- Saudi Arabia: Dunkin' opened its first store in Saudi Arabia in 1986. By 2022, it had over 500 stores and plans to open even more.
- Israel: Dunkin' Donuts opened in Israel in 1996 and was very popular at first. However, all 9 branches closed in 2001.
- New Zealand: The first store opened in Auckland in 2001. By 2022, there were 15 stores in Auckland and three in other cities.
Notable Endorsers
- Yoon Shi-yoon
- Eli Manning
- Charli D'Amelio
- Janno Gibbs (2002–2003)
- Joey de Leon (1981–2010)
- Derek Ramsay (2013–present)
- Jennylyn Mercado (2015–2016)
- Piolo Pascual (1990s, 2017–present)
- Dingdong Dantes (2019–present)
- David Ortiz
- Rob Gronkowski
- Meghan Duggan
- SB19 (2021–present)
- Kim Soo-hyun (2022–present)
- Ice Spice (2023–present)
- Joseph Paul Gentica (2019–present)
See also
- List of coffeehouse chains
- List of doughnut shops
- Coffee wars
- Dunkin' Park – baseball stadium in Hartford, Connecticut
