William Rosenberg

William Rosenberg

William Rosenberg (June 10, 1916 – September 20, 2002) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Dunkin' Donuts franchise in 1950. He is credited with popularizing the 'factory' method of donut production and establishing one of the largest global chains of coffee and baked goods.

Early Life

Rosenberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Jewish immigrants from Prussia and Latvia. He grew up during the Great Depression, which had a profound impact on his life and future business ventures.

Career

Rosenberg started his career as a worker in the ice cream industry. He later founded the Industrial Luncheon Service, a company that delivered meals and snacks to factory workers in the Boston area. This venture was successful and allowed Rosenberg to open his first coffee and donut shop, 'The Open Kettle'. In 1950, he renamed the shop to Dunkin' Donuts.

Dunkin' Donuts

Rosenberg's vision for Dunkin' Donuts was to provide food and coffee quickly and affordably. He is credited with revolutionizing the way donuts were made, moving away from the traditional handmade method to a more efficient 'factory' method. This allowed for mass production and consistency across all stores. Today, Dunkin' Donuts is one of the largest coffee and baked goods chains in the world, with more than 11,000 locations in 36 countries.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1966, Rosenberg founded the International Franchise Association, which promotes best practices in franchising and has helped many entrepreneurs start their own businesses. He also established The Rosenberg International Franchise Center at the University of New Hampshire, which offers education and research in franchising.

Rosenberg passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on through the continued success of Dunkin' Donuts and his contributions to the franchising industry.

See Also

• Dunkin' Donuts
• International Franchise Association
• University of New Hampshire

References

• Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey, by William Rosenberg and Jessica Brilliant Keener
• Franchising: The Pathway to Wealth Creation, by Stephen Spinelli Jr., Robert Rosenberg, Sue Birley

External Links

• Dunkin' Donuts Official Website
• International Franchise Association Official Website
• The Rosenberg International Franchise Center