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Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey
It all started when Bill Rosenberg took a leap of faith and bet his future on a donut.
255 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2001
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356 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 4, 2020
This book is cool and all, but... it doesn't teach me how to make blueberry munchies (the best thing you can get at Dunkin' Donuts). Sorry Big Will, but I have to dock a star because of that.
June 24, 2020
The author wrote too much about himself, and not enough about the donuts. There's very little about donuts in here at all.
January 22, 2021
"There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree: sit on an acorn and wait for it to grow, or climb it."
~ William Rosenberg
It is very difficult to scale a business in an industry where others can start at the the drop of the hat and where there is minimal customer loyalty.Yet , William Rosenberg is a standout example of what an enterprising person with the proverbial fire in the belly can achieve.
William had minimal formal education, started of his career as a mail delivery boy, became an ice-cream salesman ,thought differently - got into donut business, established Dunkin Donuts , became a pioneer of the franchisee business model and got rich in the process.
All along the book you can not stop admiring his chutzpah and business acumen.We also realise how handling people is the most important skill for you to become a successful businessman.
Some of the lines that I loved are...
Sometimes the best lessons you learn in life are from what you discover in the weaknesses of otherwise very good people.
I learned if I smiled and treated people well, I got better tips—a dime or sometimes a quarter.
Whatever the reasons—lack of education, the circumstances from which I came—I had a fire in my belly, a determination to succeed, a determination to do as best as I could. The striving for excellence started at an early age and never stopped. The more I achieved, the more I felt I was capable of achieving, the more confidence I gained, all of which helped me reach greater heights.
At work, I never did anything halfway. I threw myself into it and gave it my all, always looking for ways to be more productive.
He said, “Can’t you understand what you’re doing? You’re taking it out of stagnant water standing in the boiler! You should take cold water and boil it.” He taught me something that day. He taught me that a minor thing like that could affect quality control and affect the taste of the product. I never used hot water from the faucet again, and I learned to uphold strict standards to ensure top quality in the product. He helped me do a better job.
I’m a pretty good salesman, but the one thing I can’t sell is a lie.
“Do you realize,” he said, “if we cut a quarter of an ounce off every one of these sandwiches, how much money it would amount to at the end of the year?” I didn’t like that kind of thinking. So I became sarcastic and said, “Harry, do you know how much 100 percent of nothing is?”
“I need partners like I need holes in my head.”
You’re very limited by what you can do with your own two hands and one brain. Nothing I’ve accomplished I’ve done alone. I’ve achieved everything because of people.
Follow successes. Take off from where the successful people left off, not where they began. You will get the advantage of their experiences. There is all kinds of information out there that you can gather. Although it may not relate exactly to what you’re trying to do, put the information together and ask yourself: Who else has done something similar? How did they accomplish it? Why was it done that way? If someone has a more successful family life, find out how this person accomplished this. See if you can copy that family’s methods.
~ William Rosenberg
It is very difficult to scale a business in an industry where others can start at the the drop of the hat and where there is minimal customer loyalty.Yet , William Rosenberg is a standout example of what an enterprising person with the proverbial fire in the belly can achieve.
William had minimal formal education, started of his career as a mail delivery boy, became an ice-cream salesman ,thought differently - got into donut business, established Dunkin Donuts , became a pioneer of the franchisee business model and got rich in the process.
All along the book you can not stop admiring his chutzpah and business acumen.We also realise how handling people is the most important skill for you to become a successful businessman.
Overall - A mighty useful book for any future entrepreneur.
Some of the lines that I loved are...
Sometimes the best lessons you learn in life are from what you discover in the weaknesses of otherwise very good people.
I learned if I smiled and treated people well, I got better tips—a dime or sometimes a quarter.
Whatever the reasons—lack of education, the circumstances from which I came—I had a fire in my belly, a determination to succeed, a determination to do as best as I could. The striving for excellence started at an early age and never stopped. The more I achieved, the more I felt I was capable of achieving, the more confidence I gained, all of which helped me reach greater heights.
At work, I never did anything halfway. I threw myself into it and gave it my all, always looking for ways to be more productive.
He said, “Can’t you understand what you’re doing? You’re taking it out of stagnant water standing in the boiler! You should take cold water and boil it.” He taught me something that day. He taught me that a minor thing like that could affect quality control and affect the taste of the product. I never used hot water from the faucet again, and I learned to uphold strict standards to ensure top quality in the product. He helped me do a better job.
I’m a pretty good salesman, but the one thing I can’t sell is a lie.
“Do you realize,” he said, “if we cut a quarter of an ounce off every one of these sandwiches, how much money it would amount to at the end of the year?” I didn’t like that kind of thinking. So I became sarcastic and said, “Harry, do you know how much 100 percent of nothing is?”
“I need partners like I need holes in my head.”
You’re very limited by what you can do with your own two hands and one brain. Nothing I’ve accomplished I’ve done alone. I’ve achieved everything because of people.
Follow successes. Take off from where the successful people left off, not where they began. You will get the advantage of their experiences. There is all kinds of information out there that you can gather. Although it may not relate exactly to what you’re trying to do, put the information together and ask yourself: Who else has done something similar? How did they accomplish it? Why was it done that way? If someone has a more successful family life, find out how this person accomplished this. See if you can copy that family’s methods.
June 28, 2018
Before Starbucks claimed a monopoly on franchised coffeehouses around the world, Dunkin Donuts’ was arguably one of the most popular American food service franchises in the States as well as other countries. With its signatory Munchkins’ and famous slogan of “American runs on Dunkin” presented by Super Mario-look alike Fred the Baker (although he retired from the public in the late 90s), the famous coffeehouse brand has made its mark on the American urban culture thanks to its straight-talking, no-nonsense founder William Rosenberg who drew up his case history of being a successful entrepreneur against personal all odds in this simple but admirable memoir written during his last days of life while succumbed to a cancer.
Rosenberg’s business philosophy of what works and what does not in business to share with the public forms the basis of this book whose inception was first conceived by encouragement of Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather in the 60s. Straightforward and enterprising, Rosenberg’s sharing of his own experiences with the reader for altruistic motive without a sense of entrepreneurial machismo is untraceable in every chapter. What he lacked in formal educational background because he had dropped out of school at age fourteen in the height of the Great Depression in 1930, was compensated by the simple but timeless tenets of achievements worthwhile to actualize his will to meaning: diligence, persistence, determination, risk-taking, diligence, innovation, vision, and passion. Surely, all of the aforesaid seems bromidic, but oftentimes, it is these simple elements of life that we oversee as trifle and insignificant without pondering over Leonardo Da Vinci’s truthful adage: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
In fact, there are parallels that the reader can make between Rosenberg’s elements of success and the three values for meaningful life in Logotherapy, the third Viennese school of psychotherapy established by the great Viktor E. Frankl whose experience in Auschwitz was a testament to its veracity and validity of Logotherapy, which is to help us find a meaning of life by freedom of will and will to meaning. Throughout the book, Rosenberg emphasizes that it is what we do with the challenges that determine our failure of success because learning from errors is the sine qua non of success. Whatever the circumstances may be, a person can find a way to succeed, and it is attitude that makes it possible. Having a good-hearted but violent-tempered father did not stop him from going out of his way and establishing world famous Dunkin Donuts. This forthright attitude links to attitudinal value of Logotherapy signifying our triumph over biological, social, and cultural inhibitions during difficult times with a discovery of meaning of suffering by the way in which we respond to. That is, how we respond to challenges will make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven.
Also, a sense of humor is a must-have for taking us a long way to succeed in life. “Work hard, play hard,” was Rosenberg’s mantra. Yet to put it lightly is to miss the gist of the meaning; humor is a prerogative of human that can help us take on a different view of life in a light-hearted way, so that we can be soundly assured that unpleasant things we may be going through are not everlasting and that they are occurring because there is a meaning to them. This, in fact, also relates to humor as a vehicle to turn our backs against emotional distress in life that may hamper our continuation of searching for a meaning of life. Whether or not Rosenberg might have been aware of Logotherapy in his lifetime, the reader will find at every turn analogy between Rosenberg’s business philosophy and Dr. Frankl’s Logotherapy.
Philosophy aside, there is plenty of interesting information on how the brand name came up with, the origin of Munchkins’, and revolutionary way of operating the stores . To illustrate, the catch name of “Dunkin’ Donuts” came from “You dunk a donut,” Munchkins’ as Dunkin Donuts Donut Holes sold for 19 cents with the name taken from a character from “The Wizard of Oz” with the right to utilize the name exclusively in the food service business. After all, Munchkins has become a household name throughout the States, so it has become a unique noun in the food firmament.
This is an interesting read that the reader will find both practically helpful in applying Rosenberg’s elements of success to his own set of principles or beliefs for betterment in life and entertaining to discover the history of the franchise in pastime. The reader will also find that the narrative will reflect the author’s artlessness, cleverness, and forwardness in this engaging book that matches its topic worth the writing.
Rosenberg’s business philosophy of what works and what does not in business to share with the public forms the basis of this book whose inception was first conceived by encouragement of Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather in the 60s. Straightforward and enterprising, Rosenberg’s sharing of his own experiences with the reader for altruistic motive without a sense of entrepreneurial machismo is untraceable in every chapter. What he lacked in formal educational background because he had dropped out of school at age fourteen in the height of the Great Depression in 1930, was compensated by the simple but timeless tenets of achievements worthwhile to actualize his will to meaning: diligence, persistence, determination, risk-taking, diligence, innovation, vision, and passion. Surely, all of the aforesaid seems bromidic, but oftentimes, it is these simple elements of life that we oversee as trifle and insignificant without pondering over Leonardo Da Vinci’s truthful adage: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
In fact, there are parallels that the reader can make between Rosenberg’s elements of success and the three values for meaningful life in Logotherapy, the third Viennese school of psychotherapy established by the great Viktor E. Frankl whose experience in Auschwitz was a testament to its veracity and validity of Logotherapy, which is to help us find a meaning of life by freedom of will and will to meaning. Throughout the book, Rosenberg emphasizes that it is what we do with the challenges that determine our failure of success because learning from errors is the sine qua non of success. Whatever the circumstances may be, a person can find a way to succeed, and it is attitude that makes it possible. Having a good-hearted but violent-tempered father did not stop him from going out of his way and establishing world famous Dunkin Donuts. This forthright attitude links to attitudinal value of Logotherapy signifying our triumph over biological, social, and cultural inhibitions during difficult times with a discovery of meaning of suffering by the way in which we respond to. That is, how we respond to challenges will make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven.
Also, a sense of humor is a must-have for taking us a long way to succeed in life. “Work hard, play hard,” was Rosenberg’s mantra. Yet to put it lightly is to miss the gist of the meaning; humor is a prerogative of human that can help us take on a different view of life in a light-hearted way, so that we can be soundly assured that unpleasant things we may be going through are not everlasting and that they are occurring because there is a meaning to them. This, in fact, also relates to humor as a vehicle to turn our backs against emotional distress in life that may hamper our continuation of searching for a meaning of life. Whether or not Rosenberg might have been aware of Logotherapy in his lifetime, the reader will find at every turn analogy between Rosenberg’s business philosophy and Dr. Frankl’s Logotherapy.
Philosophy aside, there is plenty of interesting information on how the brand name came up with, the origin of Munchkins’, and revolutionary way of operating the stores . To illustrate, the catch name of “Dunkin’ Donuts” came from “You dunk a donut,” Munchkins’ as Dunkin Donuts Donut Holes sold for 19 cents with the name taken from a character from “The Wizard of Oz” with the right to utilize the name exclusively in the food service business. After all, Munchkins has become a household name throughout the States, so it has become a unique noun in the food firmament.
This is an interesting read that the reader will find both practically helpful in applying Rosenberg’s elements of success to his own set of principles or beliefs for betterment in life and entertaining to discover the history of the franchise in pastime. The reader will also find that the narrative will reflect the author’s artlessness, cleverness, and forwardness in this engaging book that matches its topic worth the writing.
June 11, 2024
Sometimes, I find myself going down a rabbit hole of similar books. I just read books about Stuckey’s and Howard Johnson’s, and now I just finished this one about the founder of Dunkin’ Donuts.
I enjoyed learning about his background and all of his jobs. He was driven to be successful, and surrounded himself with people he trusted and knew. He was also, and just like Howard Johnson, very hands on and wanted everything to be perfect.
I also normally don’t screenshot quotes, but I did for this one as it really defined him, his business, and his outlook on customer service. When Bill was presented with an organizational chart, he took a pencil, drew a square above his name, and wrote, “CUSTOMER.” Bill told Irv, “That is the boss, and don’t you ever, ever forget it. Without customers, there is no need for this chart and no need for any of us. If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business.“
The last few chapters on his horse breeding business, I skimmed quickly through them as I wasn’t interested in that part.
I enjoyed learning about his background and all of his jobs. He was driven to be successful, and surrounded himself with people he trusted and knew. He was also, and just like Howard Johnson, very hands on and wanted everything to be perfect.
I also normally don’t screenshot quotes, but I did for this one as it really defined him, his business, and his outlook on customer service. When Bill was presented with an organizational chart, he took a pencil, drew a square above his name, and wrote, “CUSTOMER.” Bill told Irv, “That is the boss, and don’t you ever, ever forget it. Without customers, there is no need for this chart and no need for any of us. If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business.“
The last few chapters on his horse breeding business, I skimmed quickly through them as I wasn’t interested in that part.
August 24, 2020
Intense, detailed and well written
Great chronicle. Shows how the founder kept innovating and had a sixth sense of knowing what his and his companies strengths are. The example of opposing the buy of Chili's franchisee as they are good company as a brand owner and the skills of brand owner and operator are different is good one. Lots of examples of how to run a good business in general with lots is principals and learnings which are highlighted and then summarised.
Great chronicle. Shows how the founder kept innovating and had a sixth sense of knowing what his and his companies strengths are. The example of opposing the buy of Chili's franchisee as they are good company as a brand owner and the skills of brand owner and operator are different is good one. Lots of examples of how to run a good business in general with lots is principals and learnings which are highlighted and then summarised.
Read
January 15, 2021William Fosenberg, the founder of Dunkin’ Donuts, has been a salesman since the age of three selling ice to his grandfather.
One pattern I’ve found that make the rich get wealthy is they ask the question, “What right now do I need to sell?” Whether that’s mortgages one year, the re-fi boom another, or there’s the solar boom the next year... there’s always something to sell.
One pattern I’ve found that make the rich get wealthy is they ask the question, “What right now do I need to sell?” Whether that’s mortgages one year, the re-fi boom another, or there’s the solar boom the next year... there’s always something to sell.
July 5, 2025
Wrong Title
This book was less about Dunkin Donuts (though there were some excellent things about the donut maker) than it was about an autobiography of Bill Rosenberg. Parts of the book simply had no appeal to me (the horse training/racing, and the IFA). But it was a very good business book.
This book was less about Dunkin Donuts (though there were some excellent things about the donut maker) than it was about an autobiography of Bill Rosenberg. Parts of the book simply had no appeal to me (the horse training/racing, and the IFA). But it was a very good business book.
June 2, 2019
Fun, rare read
I loved the stories, the personality of Bill Rosenberg, and the whole journey from a poor kid selling ice cream to a successful businessman selling donuts. Plenty to learn from and enjoy. I read it everywhere on my kindle, it takes you away.
I loved the stories, the personality of Bill Rosenberg, and the whole journey from a poor kid selling ice cream to a successful businessman selling donuts. Plenty to learn from and enjoy. I read it everywhere on my kindle, it takes you away.
October 22, 2020
An interesting memoir from the owner of Dunkin Donuts. He describes how he starts his business and how he got into donuts. A little scattered, as it is a lot of jumbled thoughts put together in a book. Overall, very good .
October 15, 2022
Good read. Lots of local references if you’re from the Boston area. Never really knew how Dunks was founded and is was interesting to read about the progression from one location into franchising. Fun nuggets of info about munchkins and donuts with handles. 🍩
January 22, 2024
America Runs on Dunkin
I find his life experience very eye opening and the roots of Dunkin to be very humble.
Dunkin Donuts history almost mirrors the transformation of the United States.
I find his life experience very eye opening and the roots of Dunkin to be very humble.
Dunkin Donuts history almost mirrors the transformation of the United States.
February 6, 2018
Good and practical
An interesting story by a great man. Lots of insights into business making. Easy to read and humor is nice.
An interesting story by a great man. Lots of insights into business making. Easy to read and humor is nice.
July 30, 2018
Finished the book in a couple of days. A must read for every entrepreneur and wanna be.
February 21, 2019
Great Easy Read!!!
I enjoyed the quiet reading of the determination which is rarely seen in today’s world, a man who created a household name.
I enjoyed the quiet reading of the determination which is rarely seen in today’s world, a man who created a household name.
May 25, 2019
I loved this book. It was easy to read and I loved the story from start to finish. It's a great read for entrepreneurs or those interested in how the Dunkin Donuts franchise came to be.
Read
September 18, 2019Good biography to understand what he has gone through to build his empire & understanding the market while doing it.
August 30, 2020
A must read for any restaurants up
A good story filled with personal and business tales, from both DD and his time with race horses. Very well written.
A good story filled with personal and business tales, from both DD and his time with race horses. Very well written.
March 19, 2020
More info on how he started DD. Most of it is superfluous
November 11, 2021
Probably one of the best motivational business books I read. It covered a bit too much about his horse hobby - which took away from the concept of how he built DD. Overall it was a very entertaining book and gets to the core on getting results from hard work.
June 24, 2015
Such a great read for the entrepreneur/inspiring entrepreneur. I related to Williams ethical, honest and true to his intuition model for the Dunkin Donut brand and learned a lot about how to set yourself apart from competition and following/creating your own rules. How we know donuts today came from his way of thinking that made sense to him, even if it wasn't at the time common practice. I loved this common theme to support that as a business, going with your gut can actually set yourself apart, spark something new and even solve a problem the competition was unaware even existed. For anyone that has an idea and is set on doing it their way, this is a great book to reassure to set your own path and follow the way of those that have been successful in business that inspire you, even in different industries.
October 19, 2011
Believe it or not, I'm researching Dunkin' Donuts as an icon of New England foodways and an alternative American coffee culture, opposed to the much discussed and researched, Starbucks.
This is the biography of Dunkin' Donuts' founder, William Rosenberg. One day, I want to write on the "American dream" stories of all the male founders of the largest American fast food chains, but for now, this book provided me with some good details about how the company began in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Even with writing support from Jessica Brilliant Keener through, this reads like a fifth grader wrote it and his discussion of franchising -- for which the company is now criticized -- is very surface level.
This is the biography of Dunkin' Donuts' founder, William Rosenberg. One day, I want to write on the "American dream" stories of all the male founders of the largest American fast food chains, but for now, this book provided me with some good details about how the company began in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Even with writing support from Jessica Brilliant Keener through, this reads like a fifth grader wrote it and his discussion of franchising -- for which the company is now criticized -- is very surface level.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews