William Rosenberg
Encyclopedia
William Rosenberg was an American entrepreneur
. He founded the Dunkin' Donuts
franchise in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts
. In 1946, Rosenberg founded Industrial Luncheon Services, a company that delivered meals and coffee break
snacks to factory
workers on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. The success of Industrial Luncheon Services led Rosenberg to open his first coffee and doughnut shop, the "Open Kettle" and later, Dunkin' Donuts. Today there are over five thousand Dunkin' Donuts franchises.
In 1960, he founded the International Franchise Association
.
Rosenberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts and educated in public schools. Due to financial trouble, he was forced to leave school by eighth grade
and work for Western Union
to help support his family during the Great Depression
.
At seventeen, he worked for a company that distributed ice cream
from refrigerated trucks. He was promoted to Assistant Manager
by twenty, then Manager. He was the Branch Manager at twenty-one and was eventually promoted to National Sales Manager.
At the start of World War II
, he joined the Bethlehem Steel Company in Hingham, Massachusetts
. He would later become the Union
Delegate and later the Contract Coordinator.
After the war, Rosenberg borrowed $1000 to add to his $1500 in war bond
s and used his knowledge of food distribution to open his first company. He started a mobile industrial catering business. Within a short time, he had 140 catering trucks, 25 in-plant outlets and a vending operation. He noticed that forty percent of his revenues came from coffee and doughnuts. He started a retail shop that specialized in those products and began Dunkin' Donuts.
Upon opening his sixth shop, he decided on the concept of franchising his business as a means of distribution and expansion.
In 2001, he published his autobiography, Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey.
On September 22, 2002, Rosenberg died at the age of 86 at his home in Mashpee, Massachusetts
, on Cape Cod
of bladder cancer
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He founded the Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
franchise in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. In 1946, Rosenberg founded Industrial Luncheon Services, a company that delivered meals and coffee break
Coffee Break
Coffee Break is an online book on the NCBI Bookshelf created and maintained by staff at NCBI, a branch of the National Institutes of Health. The book consists of small chapters which are each written about a different topic in the world of Biomedicine. There are currently 32 chapters, and it was...
snacks to factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
workers on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. The success of Industrial Luncheon Services led Rosenberg to open his first coffee and doughnut shop, the "Open Kettle" and later, Dunkin' Donuts. Today there are over five thousand Dunkin' Donuts franchises.
In 1960, he founded the International Franchise Association
International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising. Founded in 1960, it is a Washington, DC based trade group and non-profit association that represents a growing membership of more than 1,300 franchise systems, 10,000-plus franchisees...
.
Rosenberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts and educated in public schools. Due to financial trouble, he was forced to leave school by eighth grade
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
and work for Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
to help support his family during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
At seventeen, he worked for a company that distributed ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
from refrigerated trucks. He was promoted to Assistant Manager
Assistant Manager
An assistant manager is an employee of an organization with manager's authority. Examples of this position can be found in retail and other service businesses where the need to have more than one member of daily operations management is important....
by twenty, then Manager. He was the Branch Manager at twenty-one and was eventually promoted to National Sales Manager.
At the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he joined the Bethlehem Steel Company in Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
. He would later become the Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
Delegate and later the Contract Coordinator.
After the war, Rosenberg borrowed $1000 to add to his $1500 in war bond
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
s and used his knowledge of food distribution to open his first company. He started a mobile industrial catering business. Within a short time, he had 140 catering trucks, 25 in-plant outlets and a vending operation. He noticed that forty percent of his revenues came from coffee and doughnuts. He started a retail shop that specialized in those products and began Dunkin' Donuts.
Upon opening his sixth shop, he decided on the concept of franchising his business as a means of distribution and expansion.
In 2001, he published his autobiography, Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey.
On September 22, 2002, Rosenberg died at the age of 86 at his home in Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...
, on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
.
External links
- William Rosenburg at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...