Dunkin' Coffee Used To Be A Lot More Affordable

There's no doubt that Dunkin' is one of the most popular coffee shop chains in the U.S. and even abroad. So many people "run on Dunkin'," in fact, that the franchise sells 60 cups of coffee every second (per their blog). As of the 2018 post, Dunkin' had more than 9,000 locations Stateside and 12,500 locations in 46 countries around the world. And, as the brand points out, if you're a major fan of the brand, there are so many drink options to order that you'd have to visit every day for 70 years to try them all. 

Of course, Dunkin' offers more than coffee with menu options including the ever-popular Coolatta drinks, breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, and, of course, donuts in all sorts of flavors like glazed, strawberry frosted, and classic Boston Kreme. The company may have grown to be one of the kings of coffee shops, but the franchise comes from simple, humble beginnings having first opened its doors in 1948, says the blog article.

According to Dunkin', its predecessor — a coffee shop named Open Kettle — opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948 at the hands of owner William Rosenberg. The name was changed to Dunkin' Donuts in 1950, and in 1955, the company branched out and began to franchise. Rosenberg said the shop's mission was to "make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores." When Open Kettle opened its doors in 1948, a cup of coffee back then cost just 10 cents and a donut was 5 cents.

Dunkin' aficionados everywhere probably just fell off their chairs, as today we're used to paying up to $3 for a cup of Joe, depending on size and location, which is 30 times what it cost for a cup in 1948. The price of donuts has also increased sustainability to around a dollar a pop (via Fast Food Menu Prices). While the price hike is understandable given natural inflation, we can't help but dream of a simpler time when our beloved Dunkin' coffee was just a dime.