[Deathwatch] William Rosenberg, Dunkin' Donuts Founder, 86

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Dunkin' Donuts Founder Rosenberg Dies at 86
Sun Sep 22, 8:19 PM ET

BOSTON (Reuters) - Dunkin' Donuts founder William Rosenberg, whose idea
for a quick cup of coffee and a doughnut became a global franchise, has
died of cancer, a funeral home said on Sunday. 

Rosenberg was 86; he died Friday at his home in Mashpee, Massachusetts,
the Stanetsky Memorial Chapel in Brookline, Massachusetts, said. 

In his native Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is an institution, where a
"regular" is a cup of coffee loaded with cream and sugar. Today, there
are nearly 5,000 Dunkin' Donuts shops in the United States and nearly
40 countries, selling about 1.5 million cups of coffee each day. 

Rosenberg's recipe for success was simple," said Bill Borge, a Dunkin'
Donuts regular for about 40 years. 

"They make great coffee," Borge said on Sunday after treating his
daughter to a cup. "Their doughnuts are OK, but it's their coffee that
does the sale. They're reliable. When in doubt, You go to Dunkin'." 

Rosenberg helped support his family during the Depression, and his idea
for Dunkin' Donuts began to percolate after World War II when he
founded Industrial Luncheon Services. The catering service, run from
converted telephone trucks, served coffee and snacks to Boston-area
factory workers during their breaks. 

After opening his first doughnut shop, the Open Kettle, Rosenberg
quickly realized that doughnuts and coffee were a profitable
combination. 

Open Kettle changed its name to Dunkin' Donuts in 1950 and operated
inside a former awning store in Quincy, Massachusetts. Five years
later, Dunkin' Donuts signed its first franchise agreement. 

The company went public in the late 1960s, and the first overseas shop
opened in Japan in 1970. Allied Domecq PLC bought Dunkin' Donuts in
1990. 

Rosenberg had other passions besides coffee and doughnuts. He bred race
horses in New Hampshire and the William Rosenberg Professorship in
Medicine was established at Harvard Medical Schools Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute in 1988. 

His autobiography, "Time to Make Donuts," was published last year.