The Failed 1953 Dunkin' Donut That Deserves A Second Chance

Carbs and caffeine are a great way to start your day, especially when those carbs are in the form of a donut from one of the most popular donut chains in the world. The name Dunkin' Donuts is said to have originated from the act of dipping donuts into coffee, and early Dunkin' promoted this combo in 1953 when its founder, William Rosenberg, invented an epic donut intended to inspire the mingling of both. It was more than just your average glazed or chocolate-frosted donut, though. Instead, the original "dunkin' donut" was Q-shaped to ease the dipping process. While it's no longer with us, we seriously think it deserves a second chance on the menu.

When Dunkin' first started in 1948 as Open Kettle, ordering your donuts and coffee was a slow, relaxing ritual. Instead of being in and out of the drive-thru in under five minutes, you'd walk into a Dunkin', take a seat at the counter, and sip on your coffee among other regulars. This is why the Q-shaped, handled donut was an important part of the Dunkin' experience: Instead of sipping on to-go coffee in paper mugs, Dunkin' customers were able to drink out of ceramic mugs and dip each end of the donut into their coffee until only the handle of the sweet breakfast treat was left. But as the chain grew into the international success it is today, the days of slowly enjoying Dunkin' dwindled, along with the iconic donut with a handle.

In his 2001 memoir, "Time to Make the Donuts," William Rosenberg wrote about being steadfast in his belief that the Q-shaped donut would be a success, despite many disagreeing. He certainly proved them wrong; From the time the donut was invented in the 1950s up until 2003 when it was discontinued, the sweet treat made its mark as a Dunkin' staple. One Reddit user wrote, "It was just a plain cake donut, but the handle elevated it," while another said they liked it because they got more bang for their buck.

Despite how the Q-shaped donut has myriad fans, the handle made it a difficult item to keep producing. Because of its unique shape, it required bakers to hand-cut each individual donut. As technology advanced and Dunkin' grew into an international chain, it was impossible to keep making a donut that required so much additional labor and couldn't be made alongside the rest of the round-shaped donuts. Additionally, by 2003, the classic counter-and-barstool setup wasn't a reality anymore, and more people were ordering coffee to go, meaning there was no real purpose for the Q-shaped donut.

There have been no public discussions about bringing the original Dunkin' Donut back. However, it still exists as an international donut made only outside of the U.S. In Singapore, the Q-shaped donut can be found at Dunkin' in three flavors: Glazed, sugar-raised, and cinnamon. While this doesn't necessarily mean that other Dunkin' locations will adopt the donut, it's clear that there is still a little bit of love for it out there decades after it was invented, highlighting the chain's legacy.