The Largely Forgotten Donut Chain That Had A Family Feud With Dunkin'

In the U.S., very few donut shops outshine Dunkin'. The popular East Coast chain has grown to more than 14,000 locations worldwide, and serves thousands of devoted customers each day, earning the slogan "America Runs on Dunkin'." But did you know that Dunkin's origin story is a little ... scandalous? That's right: The popular donut chain was actually started up by two brothers-in-law, but an eventual falling out caused them to part ways, creating a largely forgotten donut shop known as Mister Donut.

Here's what went down: In the early 1950s, William Rosenberg opened his first donut shop called Dunkin' Donuts and asked his wife's brother, Harry Winokur, to help with the business. The pair were great partners at first, but due to growing feuds over business strategies, they eventually decided to split. By 1955, Winokur opened his own donut chain in Boston, Massachusetts, called Mister Donut, which grew to about 250 locations nationwide. Still, it was no match for Dunkin's success.

For years, Dunkin' and Mister Donut were in steep competition. Both chains even brought locations to Japan in the 1970s. But by the 1990s, Dunkin' bought out most of Mister Donut's U.S. shops, save for one that remains in Godfrey, Illinois. If you never got the chance to enjoy Mister Donut, you can also go to Japan. While Dunkin' sold its final Japanese location in 1998, Mister Donut is still going strong in several Asian countries, serving unique coffee and tea, mouth-watering donuts, and more.

Mister Donut is a super popular donut shop in Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines. But its menu items overseas vary slightly from the last remaining U.S. location. At the Illinois shop, you'll find old-school American classics like biscuits and gravy, fresh creme horns, Long Johns (a rectangular donut filled with custard or jelly), and yeast-raised donut flavors like coconut cream and double chocolate donuts. 

At most Asian locations, however, you'll find melt-in-your-mouth French crullers, churros, and Pon De Rings — mochi-based bubble donuts that the chain actually invented in 2003. So next time you notice a mochi donut shop open near you, just know the originals came from Mister Donut himself. Unlike Dunkin' flavors that need more love, Pon De Rings are adored. The light, chewy, and slightly sweet desserts come in flavors like matcha, strawberry, chocolate, and plain glazed. So sure, Mister Donut is no longer popular stateside, but we think it's worth remembering.