I spoke to a Dunkin' Donuts [1] franchise owner to get the inside scoop on one of America's favorite doughnut shops. I won't reveal where he's located, but I will say that it's a newer location that regularly attracts a line out the door — he's even had to turn people away for fear of running out of doughnuts. It's a popular breakfast spot to say the least, and after learning these fun facts, you'll be an even bigger fan.
The first restaurant is still open and serving guests to this day.
Dunkin' Donuts was founded in Quincy, MA, in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg. Those were the good old days, when a cup of coffee cost . . . 10 cents.
All unsold food is donated at the end of the day.
"At the end of the day, everything is donated to a local, nonprofit food bank. It is left to the discretion of the individual franchisees of each restaurant to select their local donation partner."
You can customize essentially everything on the menu, so don't be afraid to ask.
"Our menu of beverages and sandwiches are completely customizable based on a guest's individual preferences. For instance, guests can customize their breakfast sandwich order with any type of bread, including English muffins, croissants, bagels, and flatbreads, and then choose what they'd like inside, including egg, cheeses, and a variety of meat options. So even though you may see a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich on a Bagel on the menu board, you can customize pretty much everything in the breakfast sandwich."
The top-selling doughnut flavors are . . .
Boston Kreme, Chocolate Glazed Cake, Chocolate Frosted, and Jelly Filled. (At least, at this particular location).
Almost 2 billion cups of coffee and nearly 3 billion doughnuts are served every year.
"Dunkin' Donuts serves more than 1.9 billion cups of brewed hot and iced coffee every year globally and more than 2.8 billion doughnut and Munchkins doughnut hole treats. On an average day, Dunkin' Donuts sells about 60 cups of freshly brewed coffee each second."
Dunkin' Donuts has its own school.
"Dunkin' Brands University, located in Braintree, MA, is the training center where the brand's franchisees and managers train to run Dunkin' Donuts and/or Baskin-Robbins restaurants. Hundreds of students attend Dunkin' Brands University each year from countries around the world, including India, Russia, and China."
Employees get free food and coffee.
If you're a coffee addict who also happens to love doughnuts, this might be the job for you. "Our crew members get free food and coffee, but it's up to each franchisee."
There's an easy way to save money every time you order.
"I'd recommend that guests sign up for our DD Perks Rewards Program, where they earn five points for every dollar they spend at Dunkin' when they pay with an enrolled Dunkin' Donuts card. Once a member earns 200 points, they receive a coupon for a free any-size beverage of their choice. DD Perks members also receive a coupon for a free, any-size beverage when they enroll in the program and on their birthday. They're also given exclusive, personalized special offers to earn bonus points for specific food and beverage purchases, so they can earn their free beverage even faster."