The doughnut business that became Dunkin’ Donuts was originally called Open Kettle.
William Rosenberg opened Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1948. The business sold coffee and doughnuts, reflecting Rosenberg’s experience operating food trucks and catering services for factory workers.
Rosenberg changed the name to Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950. The new name emphasized the company’s pairing of coffee with doughnuts and helped establish the identity that later became famous through franchising.
Open Kettle is sometimes confused with the first Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant, but they were not separate founders or unrelated chains. Open Kettle was the earlier name of Rosenberg’s own business. The first Dunkin’ Donuts location opened in Quincy, and the company later expanded across the United States and internationally.