Posted 10/6/2026
Krispy Kreme's origins trace back to 1937, when Vernon Rudolph struck out on his own and opened a store in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Legend has it that Rudolph's uncle, Ishmael Armstrong, originally obtained a famous yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a French river barge cook named Joe LeBoeuf (or Joe LeBeau). Ishmael and members of the Rudolph family operated early shops in places like Paducah, Kentucky, and Charleston, West Virginia.
Details are notoriously sketchy about an early store the family attempted to open in Nashville, Tennessee. Some reports indicate it did well, while others suggest the opposite. Eventually, Vernon Rudolph went out on his own, moved to Winston-Salem in 1937 to start fresh, and later officially incorporated the business as the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation in 1947.
Serving as President and Chairman, Rudolph began to franchise the concept, and the rest is history. Building a devoted following and a growing business during the tail end of the Great Depression and through the rationing challenges of the Second World War proved that a truly great doughnut could weather any storm.
Dunkin' Donuts was founded by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950. Dunkin' Donuts wasn't Rosenberg's first business venture. After World War II, he borrowed $1,000 to add to his $1,500 in war bonds and opened his first company, Industrial Luncheon Services. Industrial Luncheon Services delivered meals and coffee break snacks to factory workers on the outskirts of Boston. A real pioneer, Rosenberg was operating some of the first food trucks—200, in fact.
When Rosenberg noticed that the majority of his sales came from doughnuts and coffee, he opened a coffee and doughnut shop called Open Kettle in 1948, which later became Dunkin' Donuts. By 1955, Rosenberg had six shops and then began to franchise to expand even further. The chain was acquired by Baskin-Robbins' holding company, Allied Lyons, in 1990. Far from its humble beginnings, Dunkin' Donuts offers more than doughnuts now: bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and muffins are on the menu. Dunkin' Donuts was again sold in 2020 to Inspire Brands, which also owns Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, Jimmy John's, and Baskin-Robbins. Dunkin' Donuts is the largest doughnut chain in the world.
