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239classiccartooner remembers...i love dunkin donuts the jelly filled and the cream filled and the glazed are my favorites i rember when ... More »
Posted on 07/15/08
PHOTOS:
Nothing starts the day like a piping-hot cup of coffee and a fresh made donut. Whether you are commuting to work or on your way to school, it’s the type of breakfast that is perfect for the person on the go. And for over fifty years, Dunkin Donuts has made its presence known as the place to go to ensure that you start your day awake and with a full tummy.
Dunkin Donuts was started in 1950, in Quincy, Massachusetts by a man named William Rosenberg. Shortly thereafter he began franchising his stores and built an empire that today numbers over 6,000 stores. With over 50 varieties of donuts and coffee that many people swear by, Dunkin Donuts has certainly made its mark. . The parent company is now known as Dunkin Foods and includes in its roster: ice-cream giants, Baskin-Robbins, and sandwich makers extraordinaire, Togo’s.
With many of Dunkin Donuts locations staying open for 24 hours, many people remember it as a great place to grab a bite and a few swigs of caffeine after a long night on the town. There just wasn’t anything like sitting there at three in the morning and people watching as you choked down a couple of jelly donuts, praying that the coffee would start to sober you up. Ah, the good old days.
Dunkin Donuts certainly made a few other contributions to popular culture. Many will recall the 1970’s introduction of the Munchkin donut holes, sweet little bite-sized puffs of donutty goodness but the image that is probably most branded into people’s heads is of “Frank the Baker”, the sleepy-eyed employee with the Hitler-esque mustache who always muttered “Time to make the donuts.” Played by actor Michael Vale, Frank the Baker was seen in commercials for over 15 years before he finally retired. Dunkin Donuts also has a long history of advertising alongside the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots sports teams.
Today, Dunkin Donuts primarily competes with the behemoth of a coffeehouse, Starbucks. While Starbucks certainly has more stores, Dunkin Donuts claims to sell more coffee (over a billion cups a year) to customers worldwide. Not too shabby for a donut store with such humble beginnings. Wherever you may travel (well, not so much on the west coast) there is sure to be a Dunkin Donuts nearby, ready to keep your stomach from growling and your eyes open.
