Customer Reviews

Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey

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Anyone who wants to be a better business person, a better parent, or a better contributor to the community can learn many helpful lessons from Time to Make the Donuts.

Most entrepreneurs succeed mostly by being in the right place at the right time to fulfill an obsession they have. When the world changes, their first business often falters and they usually fail with any new efforts. Mr. William Rosenberg is a cut above those you have read about. He was able to make many different types of businesses and activities prosper.

The major appeal of this book is that Mr. Rosenberg is able to explain what he learned about being a good businessman, why it works, and where he learned the lessons. Although he stopped his formal education in the 8th grade, he was a student of whatever he could learn from the successes and failures around him (including his own). Later, he was fascinated to learn that this same method was used by his son to learn business from written case histories at Harvard Business School.

From selling watermelons from his father's grocery store, Mr. Rosenberg learned many ways to attract customers. This beginning led to success in such diverse activities as selling ice cream from trucks, food from canteen-type trucks, industrial feeding, vending, and eventually stand-alone donut shops with superb coffee (Dunkin' Donuts). Between some of these phases, he also succeeded in being a Western Union delivery boy and organizing better production methods in a shipyard during World War II. Whether dealing with customers, partners, employees, or labor unions, Mr. Rosenberg displayed remarkable empathy and an ability to find ways to look out for the other person that built trust.

Mr. Rosenberg is an excellent example of the power of positive thinking. "We turn pitfalls into windfalls." The book is filled with examples of how that was done in detail. "I believe a person can find a way to succeed." His suggestion is that you "find out who solved it [the problem] best and start where they left off, not where they began." He was equally committed to meeting his goals, and getting the best possible people involved. There's lots of good advice here about keeping drunks away from alcohol and womanizers away from women, but never keeping or trusting a liar.

Mr. Rosenberg's memoirs are also candid in pointing out mistakes that he made, and giving credit to others. For example, he missed an opportunity to own half of Burger King for a relatively small investment. He has a lot of good things to say about his long-time partner who held up the successful expansion of Dunkin' Donuts and later became a leading competitor. When his son's business team made some mistakes in expansion, Mr. Rosenberg took responsibility for the problems with the board and argued for keeping everyone with the company.

From the title, you might think this book is primarily about the rise of Dunkin' Donuts. Actually, that is the biggest subject, but it does not dominate the book. There is a great deal of material about his business activities before Dunkin' Donuts was founded in 1950, his pioneering work in franchising, his horse breeding and racing activities, and his many experiences with ill health (needing to lose weight, overcoming lung cancer and later lymphoma, and needing three hip operations). Of particular interest to me was his description of how he worked for his father, later employed his father, and brought his son into the business.

The book also has vignettes that will please the casual reader. During his many efforts to lose weight, he met interesting people like Mario Puzo (who described his work on the Godfather), Colonel Harlan Sanders and entertainers. His friends also included many other famous entrepreneurs. The story about the time that Sumner Redstone's father took him golfing with Mr. Rosenberg will leave quite an impression with you about how tough fathers can be on sons.

Where could you do a better job of keeping your word? What would be gained? What will be lost if you do not?

Keep focusing on making the world better . . . for all!

Time to Make the Donuts is a wonderful read. I bought it because I've bought at least a million cups of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. What I found was an insightful and entertaining story of a dynamic individual who found time for making far more than donuts. There were lessons, both business and personal, that resonated with me. It is a well-written look into an exceptional life.

Amateur chefs making an impulse purchase on the basis of the book's title will want to reconsider, as this is NOT a how-to guide to the making of this distinctly American confection. I myself was bitterly disappointed to make this discovery. However since I was trapped in the purgatory of traffic school when I furtively cracked its cover, I decided to forge ahead with this ghost-written autobiography of the founder of Dunkin' Donuts anyway.

I was soon swept up by the exhilarating story of a relentless entrepreneur's rise to the top of the glamorous but cut-throat world of donut manufacture & distribution. I was also smitten with no small amount of civic pride, as Dunkin' Donuts sprang from the loins of my own native Boston. The narrative is interspersed with intriguing facts about the donut industry and its history. For instance, did you know that the modern word "donut" is a simplification of the word "doughnut," which itself evolved from the archaic term "dough knot"? Nor did I, sir.

Your inner Homer will be thrilled with this book and its lessons. And at just over 200 pages, it's the ideal length for a day-long sentence to traffic school at which attention must be periodically feigned. However this will limit your absorption of any important lessons being imparted. I myself learned this the hard way, when I caused a minor accident immediately upon leaving the school's parking lot by failing to signal. The delicious irony of this was not lost on my instructor, who had sullenly resented my divided attention throughout the day.

This is a decent, quick read based on another successful entrepreneur. Rosenberg is a hardworking visionary who was always willing to roll up his sleeves and put in the time. However, at times in the book, he seemed far too full of himself. He pats himself on the back a fair amount and revels in stories where he was proven right. It seems that he was always right in the big moments, when it counted. He also appeared to be at odds with his son and makes little effort to let bygones be bygones. Rosenberg did not agree with a lot of his sons decisions, pointing out a number of failures. Only when Rosenberg himself gets back involved in the business is everything straightened out. His son is now retired after spending decades at the helm and everything turned out well despite his "numerous" mistakes. I find it curious that Rosenberg would even bring up these types of family situations-Yo, Bill-it's over! Move on and focus on the things that really matter.
This is a fairly decent read that could have been better. Another biography where the subject is a white knight that can do little wrong. Another ego bigger than Manhattan. You can learn some things but tread carefully and wear your boots.

As a Dunkin' Donuts coffee drinker, I was intrigued by this book. The founder tells a story from the days when someone - like himself - can have major success in business in spite of only having an eight grade education. Those days are probably over in business. However, there's something to be said about on-the-job learning from a young age, agreeing to many deals on a simple handshake and following through with integrity.

The book teaches some good lessons, among them - the customer is the boss; surround yourself with good people; tenacity and persistence are key character traits, and belief in your product gives you the passion to succeed - especially in sales.

The story tends to bog down at times with a bit too many characters named and explained. Bill, the founder, may pat himself on the back too often. And, today's business world is much different - but vital lessons apply today.

The last two chapters clearly capture the essence of what is needed for success....even in our times.

I think I'll have another sip of my Dunkins....

Not only do you get the inside story of one of America's great chains, for anyone even vaguely interested in improving their own chances of success with any business, there is much to learn in this well-written book.

Yes, it's the rags-to-riches story of a hard working, resourceful man. But a storyteller he is not. It is a painfully drawn out and wandering story, much like listening to your grandfather telling you about the "good old days." Giving a distracting level of detail, and naming what must be everyone that Mr. Rosenberg worked with or knew over his long career gives the reader the feeling that the writer simply transcribed this repetitive and wandering tale. Though Mr. Rosenberg proved to be a successful entrepreneur, I doubt he was as all-knowing as he suggests. He claims credit for virtually every good decision and denies responsibility for bad ones. I feel sorry for the son who Mr. Rosenberg claims to love so much. The son was given little credit for the success of the enterprise despite the fact that it was his son who ran the day-to-day business since becoming President in 1963. Yes, there is much that can be learned from this book - work hard, care about your product, and treat people fairly - but it seems to me that Mr. Rosenberg must have forgotten some of his own advice.

A great and interesting read for Managers, VP's and CEO's. A very interesting man, and business!! Founded in 1950, today Dunkin' Donuts is the number one retailer of hot regular coffee-by-the-cup in America, selling 2.7 million cups a day, nearly one billion cups a year. Dunkin' Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more hot regular coffee, iced coffee, donuts, and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. Dunkin' Donuts has more than 7,200 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide.

While this biography is very self serving it is a good look at an interesting company. With the rise of Krispy Kreme and starbucks it is easy to forget about the largest donut chain in the country. Rosenberg talks about his days and his focus as a coffee shop. To Dunkin donuts the donuts are simply a side business. This mentality is fascinating and for small business trying to decide on a mission this would be well worth reading. The book is fairly well written and it is hard to find books on this subject so if you are interested it is worth reading.

I was not expecting to find much here and thought this might be a self-serving autobiography but was surprised from the very first few pages. Great insight to a hard-working and innovative individual. Would recommmend this read for those of you that are looking for inspiration whether it's making donuts or starting any type of business imaginable. Bill Rosenberg is quite the character and we need more of his brand in today's bland and sometimes all too political business world. Good read and great source of many interesting tidbits on the food industry and the world of franchising. Enjoy and be sure to have a Dunkin Donut & coffee after you read it. NO! I don't work for the company and actually prefer Krispy Kreme!!

p.s. Bill Rosenberg is very opinionated and some content may offend the p.c. crowd out there.....lol... whatever... good day!