History of Dunkin' Donuts in Timeline

Dunkin', initially named Dunkin' Donuts, is a multinational coffee, baked goods, and quick-service restaurant chain established in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts. It grew substantially after being acquired by Allied Lyons in 1990, particularly through the conversion of the Mister Donut chain into Dunkin' Donuts locations across North America. Today, Dunkin' is a prominent player in the global coffee and food service industry, recognized for its coffee, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and other offerings.

1948: Bill Rosenberg opened the Open Kettle

In 1948, Bill Rosenberg opened the Open Kettle, a restaurant selling doughnuts and coffee in Quincy, Massachusetts.

May 1950: Name Change to Dunkin' Donuts

In late May 1950, Bill Rosenberg changed the name of Open Kettle to Dunkin' Donuts after discussions with company executives.

1950: Dunkin' Donuts Founded

In 1950, Bill Rosenberg founded Dunkin' Donuts, a coffee and doughnut company, in Quincy, Massachusetts.

1953: Introduction of First Logo

In 1953, Dunkin' Donuts introduced its first logo.

1954: Introduction of Mascot Dunkie

In 1954, Dunkin' Donuts introduced its mascot Dunkie.

March 31, 1955: Script Version of Dunkin' Donuts Filed

On March 31, 1955, a script version of the words Dunkin' Donuts was filed.

1955: Franchise Sales Begin

In 1955, Rosenberg began selling franchises of Dunkin' Donuts to others.

June 23, 1958: Application for Drawing and Word Logo

On June 23, 1958, Dunkin' Donuts applied for a drawing and word logo depicting a figure with a doughnut for a head and a coffee cup and doughnut body wearing a garrison cap, with Dunkin' emblazoned on both the coffee cup and cap.

February 2, 1960: Script Version of Dunkin' Donuts Registered

On February 2, 1960, the script version of Dunkin' Donuts was registered.

May 23, 1961: Registration of Drawing and Word Logo

On May 23, 1961, the drawing and word logo was registered.

1963: Bob Rosenberg Becomes CEO; 100th Location Opens

In 1963, Bob Rosenberg, Bill Rosenberg's son, became CEO of Dunkin' Donuts at age 25, and the company opened its hundredth location.

July 1, 1964: Drawing and Word Logo Put Into Use

On July 1, 1964, the drawing and word logo was put into use.

1966: Introduction of Hot Pink Branding

In 1966, Dunkin' Donuts began using a hot pink color for its branding and a logo showing a stylized coffee cup with the company's name rendered on one line as a circle, evoking a doughnut dunking into the cup.

1968: Dunkin' Donuts Goes Public

In 1968, Dunkin' Donuts became a publicly traded company.

1980: Addition of Bright Orange to Branding

In 1980, bright orange was added to the hot pink branding of Dunkin' Donuts.

April 3, 1983: First Dunkin' Donuts store in Singapore

On April 3, 1983, the first Dunkin' Donuts store opened in Singapore at Goldhill Square. The franchise was initially operated through Spes Universal Pte Ltd, which consisted of Singaporean and Filipino shareholders.

1986: Dunkin' Donuts Opens in Saudi Arabia

In 1986, Dunkin' Donuts opened its first location in Saudi Arabia.

1990: Acquisition by Allied Lyons

In 1990, Dunkin' Donuts was acquired by Allied Lyons, the holding company of Baskin-Robbins. This acquisition also facilitated Dunkin' Donuts' growth in North America through the conversion of the Mister Donut chain to Dunkin' Donuts.

1996: Dunkin' Donuts Opens First Location in Israel

In 1996, Dunkin' Donuts Israel opened their first location in Tel Aviv, Israel. The flagship store was located in Rabin Square, with a factory in Lod. This location broke Dunkin's sales records by selling 3 million doughnuts in the first eight months.

1997: Establishment of Dunkindonuts.org

In 1997, a customer established Dunkindonuts.org, a website for disgruntled consumers and employees to lodge complaints about Dunkin' Donuts.

1997: Retirement of Fred the Baker

In 1997, actor Michael Vale retired after playing "Fred the Baker" in Dunkin' Donuts' "It's Worth the Trip" campaign for 16 years. Fred the Baker was known for the catchphrase "Time to make the donuts".

1998: Growth to 2,500 Locations Worldwide

By 1998, Dunkin' Donuts had grown to 2,500 locations worldwide with $2 billion in annual sales.

1999: Dunkin' Donuts Purchases Dunkindonuts.org

In 1999, Dunkin' Donuts purchased Dunkindonuts.org, a website that had been created by a customer to lodge complaints.

2001: Dunkin' Donuts Israel Closes

In 2001, Dunkin' Donuts Israel decided to close due to accumulated debt. The Second Intifada slowed tourism, leading to the closure. Approximately $2 million was invested in the venture. At its peak, Dunkin' Donuts had 9 branches in Israel.

2001: First New Zealand store opens

In 2001, the first Dunkin' Donuts store opened in Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand, with three additional stores opening in Auckland that year.

2003: Discontinuation of 'Dunkin' Donut' with a Handle

In 2003, the 'Dunkin' Donut' with a handle was discontinued (except in Singapore) because it was hand-cut and uneconomical compared to machine-cut doughnuts.

2004: Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins become subsidiaries of Dunkin' Brands

In 2004, Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins became subsidiaries of Dunkin' Brands, which was headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.

2004: Relocation of Headquarters

In 2004, the company's headquarters were relocated to Canton, Massachusetts.

December 2005: Sale to Private Equity Consortium

In December 2005, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins were sold to a private equity consortium of Bain Capital, Carlyle Group, and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $2.4 billion.

March 2006: New Slogan: "America Runs on Dunkin'"

In March 2006, Dunkin' Donuts changed its slogan to "America Runs on Dunkin'".

2006: Franchisee Criticism of Dunkin' Donuts

In 2006, Dunkin' Donuts faced criticism from a franchisee for allegedly forcing single-store owners to agree to buyouts at a loss for minor infractions.

2007: Commercials Mocking Starbucks

In 2007, Dunkin' Donuts commercials directly mocked Starbucks, with a customer ordering a "large" and being chastised to use the term "dieci".

2007: Rachael Ray Commercials

In 2007, Rachael Ray starred in commercials for Dunkin' Donuts.

April 2008: Lawsuits Against Franchise Owners

From 2006 to April 2008, Dunkin' Donuts sued franchise owners 154 times, alleging that the company's business strategy needs predominantly multi-unit franchisees.

May 2008: Commercial Pulled After Controversy

In May 2008, Dunkin' Donuts removed a commercial from its website featuring Rachael Ray wearing a scarf with a black and white paisley floral design, in response to claims that the scarf resembled the keffiyeh worn by Yasser Arafat, which led to criticism of the company's perceived kowtowing to special interests.

March 2009: Unveiling of "You 'Kin Do It!" Slogan

In March 2009, Dunkin' Donuts unveiled the alternate slogan "You 'Kin Do It!" and launched a $100 million ad campaign promotion.

May 2010: Criticism for "Free Iced Coffee Day" Advertisement

In May 2010, Dunkin' Donuts was criticized for advertising "Free Iced Coffee Day" on its national Facebook page, which only took place in 13 cities, leading to customer dissatisfaction.

2010: Global Sales Reach $6 Billion

By 2010, Dunkin' Donuts' global sales were $6 billion.

June 2013: Unveiling of New Store Design

In June 2013, Dunkin' Donuts unveiled a new store design, the brand's first in almost seven years.

2013: Controversial Advertisement in Thailand

In 2013, the Dunkin' Donuts chain in Thailand faced criticism for an advertisement that contained a photograph of a woman in black face-paint to promote its new chocolate-flavored doughnuts. The company's headquarters in the United States apologized for the advertisement.

January 2014: Petition for Food Donation

In January 2014, Nancy Lewis began a petition in Canaan, Connecticut, requesting that Dunkin' Donuts donate unsold food to local shelters and food banks in her area after witnessing unsold food being regularly thrown away.

2014: Variation of Logo

As of 2014 the logo was a variation of the logo that has been in use since about 1980: an all-capitals rendering of the words Dunkin' Donuts (Dunkin' in orange; Donuts in pink) in a thick, Frankfurter typeface with a coffee cup outlined in brown with a "DD" monogram.

2015: Cyberattacks on Dunkin' Mobile App

In early 2015, a series of cyberattacks targeted customers using the Dunkin' mobile app, resulting in the theft of thousands of usernames and passwords.

December 2016: Curbside Pickup Program Launched

In December 2016, the Dunkin' Donuts location in Natick, Massachusetts, launched a program to test the concept of curbside pickup.

2017: Dunkin' Donuts presence in Auckland

By 2017, Dunkin' Donuts had 12 stores in Auckland, New Zealand, and two stores in other cities.

2017: Testing the Name "Dunkin'"

In 2017, Dunkin' Donuts announced that it would begin testing the name of simply "Dunkin'" at some retail locations.

January 2018: New Concept Locations Open

In January 2018, Dunkin' Donuts began opening new concept locations, starting in Quincy, featuring modern decor, cold beverages on tap, a single-cup brewing machine, more packaged take-out options, and dedicated pick-up lines for mobile ordering inside and in the drive-thru. Some locations also began to trial signage referring to the chain as simply "Dunkin'", removing "Donuts" from the name.

February 2018: Plan to Phase Out Polystyrene Foam Cups Announced

In February 2018, Dunkin' announced plans to phase out polystyrene foam cups globally for environmental purposes by April 2020.

April 2018: Collaboration with Saucony for Doughnut-Themed Shoe

In April 2018, Dunkin' Donuts teamed up with the Massachusetts shoe manufacturer, Saucony to produce a strawberry-frosted doughnut themed running shoe to commemorate the 122nd running of the Boston Marathon. The Saucony X Dunkin' Kinvara 9 came in a doughnut box and the heel of the shoe was covered in rainbow sprinkles.

April 2018: BBDO Named Primary Advertising Agency

In April 2018, Dunkin' named BBDO as their primary advertising agency, replacing Hill Holliday, which had been producing print, digital, broadcast, and billboard advertising for almost twenty years. ARC/Leo Burnett was also named to lead all in-store promotions.

July 2018: Dave Hoffmann Becomes CEO

In July 2018, Dave Hoffmann took over from Nigel Travis to become the CEO of Dunkin'.

September 2018: Announcement of Name Change to "Dunkin'"

In September 2018, Dunkin' Donuts announced that it would be known simply as Dunkin'.

January 2019: Rebranding to Dunkin'

In January 2019, the chain began rebranding as a "beverage-led company" and was renamed Dunkin'.

January 2019: Wider Roll-out of Name Change to Dunkin'

In January 2019, the wider roll-out of the name change from Dunkin' Donuts to Dunkin' began. While stores in the U.S. started using the new name in 2019, the company intends to roll out the rebranding to all of its international stores eventually.

June 2019: Partnership with Grubhub

In June 2019, Dunkin' partnered with Grubhub to begin the rollout of its new Dunkin' Delivers service.

July 2019: Partnership with Beyond Meat

In July 2019, Dunkin' partnered with Beyond Meat to introduce a meatless breakfast sandwich in Manhattan, becoming the first U.S. restaurant brand to serve Beyond Sausage. The sandwich launched nationally later in 2019.

September 2019: Lawsuit Over Cyberattack Handling

In September 2019, the New York attorney general's office alleged in a lawsuit that Dunkin' mishandled a series of cyberattacks that were directed at customers using the Dunkin' mobile app. These attacks took place in early 2015 and thousands of usernames and passwords stolen. The state lawsuit alleges that Dunkin' employees knew about these attacks, but failed to take appropriate action.

April 2020: Polystyrene Foam Cups Phased Out

By April 2020, Dunkin' phased out polystyrene foam cups globally for environmental purposes.

October 2020: Negotiations with Inspire Brands

In October 2020, Dunkin' Brands stated that the company was in conversation with Inspire Brands, negotiating to sell the company.

October 31, 2020: Acquisition Agreement with Inspire Brands

On Saturday, October 31, 2020, Inspire Brands announced that they would be acquiring Dunkin' Brands Group for $11.3 billion, which would include Dunkin' Brands' debt that Inspire Brands would be taking on.

December 15, 2020: Purchase by Inspire Brands

On December 15, 2020, Inspire Brands purchased Dunkin'.

2020: Expansion Plans and Espresso Launch

By the end of 2020, CEO Dave Hoffmann planned to add 1,000 new locations outside of the Northeastern United States. Also in late 2018, Dunkin' installed espresso machines at all possible locations and launched espresso products using a new recipe.

October 2022: Dunkin' Donuts Expansion in Saudi Arabia

As of October 2022, Dunkin' Donuts operated over 500 stores in Saudi Arabia and planned to operate more than 600 by the end of 2022, driven by high coffee demand.

2022: Dunkin' Donuts Presence in New Zealand

By 2022, Dunkin' Donuts had 15 stores in Auckland, New Zealand, and three stores in other cities.

February 2023: Ben Affleck Stars in Dunkin' Commercials

In February 2023, Ben Affleck began starring in commercials for Dunkin' along with wife Jennifer Lopez. The first aired during Super Bowl LVII.

August 2024: Boycott Called by Trump Supporters

In August 2024, a group of Trump supporters called for a boycott of Dunkin' Donuts for declining advertisements from Rumble for promoting right-wing populism, accusing the company of being "woke."

2024: Recall of Donuts

In 2024, donut manufacturer FGF Brands, LLC recalled 2 million donuts for Listeria contamination, some of which were sold by Dunkin' Donuts.

January 2025: Recall of 2 Million Donuts

In January 2025, donut manufacturer FGF Brands, LLC recalled 2 million donuts for Listeria contamination, some of which were sold by Dunkin' Donuts. All of the recalled products were released before Dec. 13, 2024, and the recall is now expired.