Quincy, Massachusetts is well known as the city of Presidents; it has been the place where two US Presidents were born, John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams. The city of Quincy also saw the birth of John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence who was also the first Governor of Massachusetts.
Naturally, the town was named after John Quincy and it became a city in 1888. Economically it thrived in the granite industry, railway and shipbuilding. Besides being the city where notable persons in the US history were born, Quincy is also home to the FIRST EVER Dunkin’s Donuts in the USA.
The saying says that necessity is the mother of modern invention and the birth of Dunkin Donuts was not far away from it. During World War II, Bill Rosenberg, a native shipyard worker in Quincy, realized that there were not many options available for him and his colleagues to have lunch nearby. He then borrowed $1000 cash and used another $1,500 to start firstly “Industrial Luncheon Services” to satisfy workers’ lunch needs. The business sold sandwiches, coffee, donuts and other snacks in a truck, now popular known as food trucks.
He then noticed that fifty percent of the sales were coffee and donuts so he decided to concentrate on the most popular items in the menu. Firstly, he established a new location in 543 Southern Artery, Quincy named “Open Kettle”, the real predecessor of Dunkin’, that only sold coffee and donuts for just $10 cents and $5 cents respectively. The business was an instant success. Having noticed that clients dunked the donuts in the coffee, Rosenberg decided to change the name to Dunkin’ Donuts and the first Dunkin’ Donuts was born and the rest is history.
Today, the restaurant has a retro-renovated style to honor its origins. Inside there is plaque that reads “This is the site of the Original Dunkin’s Donuts”, original stool chairs in pink and orange colors, and tables with donuts shape. There is also a wooden wall with snapshots that speaks the history of the first Dunkin!
It is very possible to savor a coffee & Donuts not necessarily for $10 or $ 5 cents but in a retro environment almost considered a living museum by the locals in Quincy.
