Financial History Issue 121 (Spring 2017) | Page 9
CONNEC TING TO COLLEC TIONS
THE TICKER
Recent Acquisition: 1978 Dunkin’ Donuts Certificate
By Sarah Poole, Collections Manager
Next time you step out for a fresh cup
of coffee, stop by the Museum to see one
of our newest acquisitions: a 1978 Dunkin’
Donuts specimen common stock certifi-
cate. The certificate features the brand’s
iconic orange and pink logo and the
printed signature of William Rosenberg,
the company’s founder.
Rosenberg opened his first donut shop,
called “Open Kettle,” in 1948 in Quincy,
Massachusetts. Inspired by how customers
would dunk their doughnuts in their cof-
fee, the restaurant was renamed “Dunkin’
Donuts” in 1950. Rosenberg established
the goal to “make and serve the freshest,
most delicious coffee and donuts quickly
and courteously in modern, well-mer-
chandised stores.” The founder sold his
first franchise in 1955 and helped establish
the International Franchising Association
in 1960. The chain’s first international
location opened in Japan in 1970 and its
1,000th US location opened in 1979.
Dunkin’ Donuts continued to grow, hit-
ting 2,000 US locations in 1990 and rapidly
opening 1,000 more over the next two
years. Dunkin’ also expanded its product
offerings as its presence increased. Munch-
kins (donut holes) were introduced in 19 72
and muffins in 1978. Hazelnut and French
Vanilla coffees made their debut in 1995,
and the company starting selling bagels
in 1996. 1997 saw the introduction of the
Coffee Coolatta and breakfast sandwiches.
In 2000, its 50th anniversary year, Dunkin’
Donuts opened its 5,000th worldwide
location in Bali, Indonesia and introduced
hot chocolate and the Dunkaccino.
Dunkin Brands, the parent company
of Dunkin’ Donuts, was acquired by Bain
Capital, The Carlyle Group and Thomas
JUL 11
1986
Fannie Mae offers the first
issue of stripped mortgage-
backed securities through
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
H. Lee Partners in 2006. Dunkin Brands
Group (DNKN) went public on the Nas-
daq stock market on July 26, 2011. The
company offered 22.25 million shares
priced at $19 per share. The price soared
46% in the first day of trading, closing
at $27.85 per share. DNKN became inde-
pendent of the three private equity firms
in July 2012 through a $500 million stock
buyback.
Since the mid-2000s, Dunkin’ Donuts
has partnered with other corporations to
increase the reach of its brand and prod-
ucts. Dunkin’s Original Blend and Decaf
Coffees became the official in-flight cof-
fees of JetBlue in 2006, and the company
partnered with Proctor & Gamble, Hess
Corporation and Sara Lee in 2007 to sell
Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at various retail
outlets and non-traditional foodservice
locations. In 2010, the Dunkin Donuts
bake shop opened at the Culinary Institute
JUL 29
1956
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
creates the interstate highway
system, which will be built over four
decades at a cost of $130 billion.
of America and the Dunkin’ K-Cup coffee
pods debuted in 2011.
Dunkin’ Donuts entered the mobile appli-
cations market in 2013 with the Dunkin’
Mobile App. A year later the brand intro-
duced the DD Perks Rewards Program,
offering loyalty incentives to consumers
who use the brand’s app or gift cards for
payment. The DD Perks program has grown
to include 6.6 million members. As of 2017,
Dunkin’ Donuts has received a number one
ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee
category by Brand Keys for 11 straight years.
The motto “American Runs on
Dunkin’” was introduced in 2006 and still
rings true today. As of May 2017, there
are 12,000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants
worldwide with 8,800 in the United States.
The company serves 1.8 billion cups of cof-
fee and 2.7 billion donuts and Munchkins
annually. At the very least, the writing of
this article was fueled by Dunkin’!
JUL 30
1965
President Lyndon
Johnson signs
Medicare into law.
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