Mister Donut and the world’s best coffee - Life in America

The story of Mister Donut is fascinating. In the early 1950s, Harry Winokur, along with his brother-in-law Bill Rosenberg, ran a food service business that operated trucks that catered to industrial workers. The partners quickly determined that coffee and donuts were the real money makers.

The pair opened a few donut shops before having a falling out over franchising. Winokur then decided to branch off on his own, and began establishing his own donut shops that he called Mister Donut, while Rosenberg went on to start Dunkin’ Donuts.

Harry began his venture by selling doughnuts on the streets of Boston. He eventually opened his first Mister Donut store in Revere, Massachusetts. It had a distinctive orange and white logo of a chef with a mustache, hat and bow tie.

Winokur’s donut shops spread, with the growth rivaling that of Dunkin’ Donuts. Once he added the franchise element into the business, the growth increased exponentially.

For years, the rivalry between Winokur and Rosenberg fueled their ambition to spread their businesses further, which is ironic because franchising is why they had a falling out to begin with.

By 1965, Mister Donut had nearly 200 shops in 30 states and Canada. It was a 24-hour donut shop which, on a daily basis, produced a wide variety of donuts made by hand. The shop also had a special blend of coffee which was regarded by many as the world's best.

In the 1980s Mister Donut was the largest competitor to Dunkin' Donuts, and had over 550 stores in the United States and Canada.

Both donut chains had grown rapidly, but in 1990, Dunkin’ Donuts bought out Mister Donut in the United States. Just about all Mister Donut stores have changed their names to Dunkin’.

Mister Donut continues to live on overseas, especially in Japan. It remains the largest donut franchise there because of its popularity with young people and its ties to American culture.

The original Mister Donut architecture is easily recognizable with its wing shaped roof line. Many buildings still remain and have been converted into new businesses, but they are easy to spot.

Only one Mister Donut store remains in the United States, and can be found in Godfrey, Illinois. Their proximity to another Dunkin' location allowed them to continue operating. Among the advantages of maintaining the original name and brand, it still offers the original Mister Donut blend of coffee. For die hard Mister Donut fans, this is the perfect excuse for a road trip!

Видео Mister Donut and the world’s best coffee - Life in America канала Recollection Road