Dunkin' first opened under the name Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1948.
William Rosenberg founded the business after observing that coffee and doughnuts were among the most popular items at his industrial-catering operation. He opened Open Kettle in Quincy and focused on serving those products quickly to local customers.
The business changed its name to Dunkin' Donuts in 1950. That name more directly highlighted the chain's signature pairing and supported its expansion as a franchised doughnut-and-coffee company.
In 2018, the company announced that it would shorten its public name to Dunkin'. The original Open Kettle name is therefore a historical predecessor, not an alternate name used throughout the chain's modern history. The Quincy location is also separate from the later corporate headquarters and international franchise network.